Google Pixel Watch 2 May Use More Power-Efficient Qualcomm Chip

Google is planning to launch a new Pixel Watch 2 later this fall alongside the upcoming Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, according to 9to5Google. And the Pixel Watch 2 may bring significant battery life improvements compared to the original model thanks to a new Qualcomm chip.

Last fall, the new Pixel Watch received praise for its software and integrated Fitbit features. However most reviews (including Paul’s) pointed out the not-so-great battery life, especially when using the always-on display. A battery that can’t last long enough for a day of normal usage is a problem when competing smartwatches such as the Apple Watch Ultra now provide multi-day battery life.

If the original Pixel Watch is powered by a 10nm Samsung Exynos 9110 SoC, Google has reportedly picked up a Qualcomm chip for the Pixel Watch 2. According to 9to5Google’s sources, this could be the 4nm Snapdragon W5+ chip, which was announced last summer.

“The big impact of this change, according to what we’re hearing, is much improved battery life. While the battery on the Pixel Watch 2 shouldn’t be much larger than what we have today, Google is seeing over a day of usage with the always-on display (AOD) enabled,” the report reads.

The Pixel Watch 2 is also expected to feature similar sensors to the ones found on the Fitbit Sense 2. This wearable device comes with a continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor for stress management and tracking, plus another sensor for measuring skin temperature. It remains to be seen how the addition of these new sensors is going to impact battery life.

After Google kind of neglected the wearables market for a couple of years, the company is apparently ready to compete more seriously with Apple, Samsung, and other manufacturers. Earlier this month, Google also announced at its I/O conference that Wear OS 4 will come later this year. This major update will bring improved accessibility capabilities as well as backup and restore support.