What you need to know
- Mobvoi has confirmed the processor that will power its next TicWatch model.
- The upcoming wearable will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chipset.
- Qualcomm’s latest SoC for wearables promises 50% longer battery life and improved performance.
Mobvoi announced today that its next-generation TicWatch smartwatch will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest chipset for wearables, the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1.
The upcoming TicWatch model, presumably the rumored TicWatch Pro 4, is the first smartwatch to officially use Qualcomm’s newest wearable processor, which debuted alongside its non-Plus variant on Tuesday. The Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 series promises improved performance and longer battery life on a single charge.
Qualcomm’s latest smartwatch processor is perhaps the standout spec for Mobvoi’s next Android smartwatch. It’s also the first major update to Qualcomm’s wearable chipset line since the Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform was released in 2020.
Qualcomm claims that the Snapdragon W5+ delivers 50% longer battery life and twice the performance of its predecessor. It’s also 30% smaller than the previous generation.
“The differentiated features in the new Snapdragon W5+ platform offer the strongest processing power to date, which we’re excited to bring to our next-generation smartwatch,” said Robert Zhang, vice president of engineering at Mobvoi. “Our flagship TicWatch smartwatches are one of our most popular product offerings, so we have high hopes for the upcoming release later this year.”
Mobvoi has remained mum on when it will launch the successor to the TicWatch Pro 3. That said, Qualcomm recently stated that the Snapdragon W5 Plus-powered TicWatch will make its debut sometime “this fall.” Mobvoi has apparently been inviting participants to join the test phase for what appears to be the TicWatch Pro 4, suggesting that a launch is imminent.
In addition to Mobvoi, the Snapdragon W5 platform will also power a total of 25 smartwatch brands, including the upcoming OPPO Watch 3.
