Qualcomm has finally announced its latest Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform for Android-powered smartwatches, but it’s mainly aimed for use in kids watches. The company is also expected to later announce another Wear series chipset, which will be used for a broader set of use cases and other devices like fitness bands and general Android smartwatches. With the new Wear 2500 platform, Qualcomm is eyeing the emerging smartwatches segment centered around kids. The new chip is smaller than its predecessor and hence said to deliver additional battery life. The chip comes with an integrated sensor hub with pre-optimised algorithms, the company's fifth-generation 4G LTE modem, and low power accurate location tracking.
Detailing its new platform, Qualcomm says that the Wear 2500 delivers up to 14 percent more battery life when compared to. Alongside LTE, it also supports up to 5MP single sensor camera and is said to achieve precise location tracking using the latest global navigation satellite system and sensor fusion approach, combining data from multiple sensors. Qualcomm says that the chip is designed to implement reliable geofencing use cases, which is important for parents who want to track their child’s location accurately.
Additionally, Instead of Google Wear OS, the new Snapdragon Wear 200 runs on an optimised version of Android for kids, which is based on Android O. “With this next generation Snapdragon Wear 2500 platform, we are supporting new performance and features that customers will be able to use to create even more fun features and compelling use cases for these connected 4G kid watches and with our dedicated kid watch platform we aim to deliver a robust foundation that supports a rich and engaging experience for children.” says Anthony Murray, Senior Vice President and General Manager, voice & music and wearables, Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd.
The new platform is touted to bring rich messaging and integrated learning experiences for children. It comes with the Qualcomm Voice Activation and support for popular AI-based voice assistants as well. It comes with NXP’s next generation NFC feature and one can also track fitness with the help of integrated sensors. Qualcomm is collaborating with Huawei as the lead customer for its Wear 2500, which is already being shipping to hardware partners and one can expect to see watches running on it later this year.