{"id":164567,"date":"2025-08-21T19:31:17","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T19:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/164567\/"},"modified":"2025-08-21T19:31:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T19:31:17","slug":"the-snapdragon-w5-gen-2-inside-the-pixel-watch-4-lacks-a-major-performance-boost-but-its-not-all-bad-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/164567\/","title":{"rendered":"The Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 inside the Pixel Watch 4 lacks a major performance boost \u2014 but it&#8217;s not all bad news"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a id=\"elk-123b82ba-ee38-4694-a125-48314a99551a\" data-url=\"\" href=\"\" data-hl-processed=\"none\"\/>What you need to know<\/p>\n<ul id=\"5ff2fd0c-85c5-4a7b-b7cf-ba8ccbc57f7a\">\n<li>Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 and W5+ Gen 2 on Wednesday.<\/li>\n<li>Like the Gen 1, the W5 Plus Gen 2 uses a 4nm SoC with four Cortex-A53 cores, a Cortex-M55 coprocessor, and an Adreno 702 GPU.<\/li>\n<li>This generation is 20% smaller and supports both satellite messaging and enhanced dual-band GPS tracking.<\/li>\n<li>The Google Pixel Watch 4 is the first smartwatch to use the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p id=\"a8e18c72-15b0-4f61-a97e-56a39e097bbb\">Qualcomm has revealed the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2, the new smartwatch system-on-chip (SoC) for Wear OS watches that powers the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/wearables\/google-pixel-watch-4\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/wearables\/google-pixel-watch-4\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pixel Watch 4<\/a>. And while we&#8217;d hoped for a more robust power upgrade, the new satellite messaging and better efficiency are more significant than you might think.<\/p>\n<p>The 2022 <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/wearables\/qualcomm-snapdragon-w5-platform-announcement\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/wearables\/qualcomm-snapdragon-w5-platform-announcement\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Snapdragon W5 Gen 1<\/a> delivered 2X performance and 50% improved efficiency in a 30% smaller size than its previous Wear 4100 chip. This 2025 model \u2014 which uses the same 4nm SoC, 22mm coprocessor, and GPU \u2014 is a more iterative update, with a 20% smaller footprint and 20% efficiency boost.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\" data-url=\"\" href=\"\" data-hl-processed=\"none\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"a8e18c72-15b0-4f61-a97e-56a39e097bbb-2\">What&#8217;s most exciting is that the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 adds support for Skylo&#8217;s Narrowband Non-Terrestrial Network (NB-NTN), enabling the Pixel Watch 4 to send SOS satellite messages with your location if you&#8217;re in a cellular dead zone.<\/p>\n<p>You may like<\/p>\n<p>Qualcomm explained in a briefing that its wearable satellite messaging is quite restrained compared to <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/phones\/how-use-satellite-sos-on-google-pixel\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/phones\/how-use-satellite-sos-on-google-pixel\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">mobile satellite SOS<\/a>, which supports voice calling; this version supports two-way messaging and location sharing, but without draining your watch&#8217;s limited battery capacity.<\/p>\n<p>Image 1 of 3<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/MmjfbWDPeXesPX78sJXRoG.png\" alt=\"An official press slide about the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 and W5 Plus Gen 2, showing the chip layout for the 4nm SoC with Cortex-A53 cores, RFFE chip for GPS, Cortex-M55 coprocessor, and power management IC.\"   class=\"image-wrapped__image image__image\" loading=\"lazy\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/MmjfbWDPeXesPX78sJXRoG.png\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/MmjfbWDPeXesPX78sJXRoG.png\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/MmjfbWDPeXesPX78sJXRoG.png\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\"\/>(Image credit: Qualcomm)<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/XjUQXwha2da5RDqoaYhVdH.png\" alt=\"An official press slide showing icons for the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 and W5 Plus Gen 2 chips, with data on them being the first wearable platform with NB-NTN satellite, machine learning GPS enhancements, and optimized GPS accuracy with machine learning.\"   class=\"image-wrapped__image image__image\" loading=\"lazy\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/XjUQXwha2da5RDqoaYhVdH.png\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/XjUQXwha2da5RDqoaYhVdH.png\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/XjUQXwha2da5RDqoaYhVdH.png\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\"\/>(Image credit: Qualcomm)<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2q9C4SdroJMCJzePnummXH.png\" alt=\"An official press slide showing icons for the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 and W5 Plus Gen 2 chips, with the words &quot;The World's First Wearable Platforms with NB-NTN Satellite Support&quot; above them.\"   class=\"image-wrapped__image image__image\" loading=\"lazy\" data-normal=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2q9C4SdroJMCJzePnummXH.png\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2q9C4SdroJMCJzePnummXH.png\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/2q9C4SdroJMCJzePnummXH.png\" data-pin-nopin=\"true\" data-slice-image=\"true\"\/>(Image credit: Qualcomm)<\/p>\n<p id=\"503dd763-e03a-4e15-ba30-f4b1165c0edf\">This makes Wear OS the first wearable OS to support satellite messaging, says Qualcomm VP &amp; GM of Wearables Dino Bekis, and &#8220;this technology can allow users to stay connected in the most remote locations, sending and receiving critical messages via satellite&#8221; for &#8220;enhanced safety.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In addition, the new Radio Frequency Front End (RFFE) enables &#8220;Location Machine Learning 3.0&#8221; for GPS tracking. Essentially, the chip is smarter at taking your GPS data and course-correcting it to your actual location.<\/p>\n<p>Qualcomm says this algorithm makes Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 watches with dual-band GPS 50% more accurate than Gen 1 watches with L1 GPS and no machine learning capabilities, particularly in &#8220;densely urban or deep canyon environments&#8221; where signals are frequently obstructed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of Android<\/p>\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/pEDRuFTm6tiU9wSaWqTK6c.jpg\" alt=\"Pixel Watch 4 sending a satellite message\"   loading=\"lazy\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/pEDRuFTm6tiU9wSaWqTK6c.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/pEDRuFTm6tiU9wSaWqTK6c.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>(Image credit: Derrek Lee \/ Android Central)<\/p>\n<p id=\"5589190d-829f-49eb-8312-e80705acc7d0\">The Google Pixel Watch 4, the first in its lineup to add dual-band GPS and satellite SOS, will benefit from this GPS boost, both for workout results and for providing your exact location in emergencies.<\/p>\n<p>This new model measures 12.3mm \u2014 same as the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/wearables\/google-pixel-watch-3-review\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/wearables\/google-pixel-watch-3-review\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pixel Watch 3<\/a> \u2014 despite a significant increase in battery capacity for 25% longer battery life. The Snapdragon W5 Gen 2&#8217;s smaller footprint allowed Google to prioritize upgrades in other areas, even if its performance speed is unchanged.<\/p>\n<p>Notably, the Pixel Watch 4 uses a &#8220;new&#8221; Cortex-M55 coprocessor, which it says is &#8220;25% faster at half the power&#8221; than the Cortex-M33 in the Pixel Watch 3 and 2. The Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2 also uses the M55, but both Qualcomm and Google insist that the Watch 4 uses the W5 Gen 2, not the &#8220;Plus&#8221; version.<\/p>\n<p>Either way, the Pixel Watch 4 is capable of more on-device AI smarts than past models, such as smart replies to messages. So evidently, this new co-processor pays off, even if the main cores are unchanged.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-d41f346d-31ca-4607-a180-e3287db8e5e8\" data-url=\"\" href=\"\" data-hl-processed=\"none\"\/>Hoping for a more substantial Snapdragon W5 upgrade down the line<\/p>\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:56.25%;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HdgFw8n5W6jbdsXtEKWD2D.jpg\" alt=\"Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1\"   loading=\"lazy\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HdgFw8n5W6jbdsXtEKWD2D.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/HdgFw8n5W6jbdsXtEKWD2D.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>(Image credit: Qualcomm)<\/p>\n<p id=\"56bf9164-1995-441e-a207-8d9a2432f254\">This new W5 Gen 2 chip makes significant strides for &#8220;connectivity, efficiency, form factor, and location tracking,&#8221; according to Qualcomm. But we previously heard that Qualcomm and Google teamed up on a <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/wearables\/snapdragon-wear-risc-v-upgrade\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/wearables\/snapdragon-wear-risc-v-upgrade\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">RISC-V chip for wearables<\/a>, and last year, Dino Bekis told me at the Snapdragon Summit about plans for a <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/wearables\/wear-os\/qualcomms-next-wear-os-chipset-could-arrive-in-2025\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/wearables\/wear-os\/qualcomms-next-wear-os-chipset-could-arrive-in-2025\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">new wearable chip<\/a> with a significant performance boost for computing and AI.<\/p>\n<p>Why didn&#8217;t we see a more significant generational update with newer cores? Maybe smartwatch makers didn&#8217;t see the need for more power, caring more about efficiency and new features. Perhaps Google and Qualcomm needed more time to make RISC-V compatible with Wear OS.<\/p>\n<p>When asked why Wear OS makers didn&#8217;t seem to be demanding more powerful SoC, the Qualcomm rep said that they wouldn&#8217;t discuss their roadmap, but didn&#8217;t rule out the possibility of a more powerful chipset in the future.<\/p>\n<p>For now, considering that older <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/best-android-smartwatch\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/best-android-smartwatch\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Android watches<\/a> can already run <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/tag\/gemini\" data-auto-tag-linker=\"true\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/tag\/gemini\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gemini<\/a> commands, they may be able to maintain this current level of performance for the next couple of years. And the Pixel Watch 4 intrigued us with its on-device smart replies and Gemini Raise to Talk, which we tested in our <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/wearables\/google-pixel-watch\/google-pixel-watch-4-hands-on\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.androidcentral.com\/wearables\/google-pixel-watch\/google-pixel-watch-4-hands-on\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pixel Watch 4 hands-on<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" style=\"padding-top:100.00%\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dH2wc4MeYB6S44EAF9CGnG.jpg\" alt=\"Google Pixel Watch 4\" class=\"featured_image\"   loading=\"lazy\" data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dH2wc4MeYB6S44EAF9CGnG.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/dH2wc4MeYB6S44EAF9CGnG.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>AI on your wrist<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Galaxy Watch 4 gets a new chip to keep performance smooth and add features like satellite communications and on-device AI. Plus, new fitness capabilities are coming that should get you excited.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What you need to know Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 and W5+ Gen 2 on Wednesday.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":164568,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[705,158,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-164567","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gadgets","8":"tag-gadgets","9":"tag-technology","10":"tag-united-states","11":"tag-unitedstates","12":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115068422693258422","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164567"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164567\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=164567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=164567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}