Qualcomm, on August 20, 2025, announced the arrival of the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 series wearable processors. The lineup features the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 and the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 2 chipsets and here are all the details.
The biggest highlight with the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 processors is the support for Satellite Connectivity. This makes the W5 Gen 2 and the W5+ Gen 2 chipsets the first to achieve this feat as wearable platforms. The primary use case of this feature is to establish emergency communications.
Hence, users will be able to send and receive messages via Skylo's Narrowband Non-Terrestrial Network (NB-NTN). However, one caveat with this tech is that users will be able to send text messages at 2 kbps, but not GPS coordinates. This still marks an important addition to the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 compared to the 2023 Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 processors.
Now, although these new SoCs are launching after a two-year hiatus, in terms of the core system architecture, there is no change. Both of them still feature a four-core CPU setup with 4x Arm Cortex-A53. They are still 4 nm node-fabricated offerings.
The W5+ Gen 2, however, features the additional Qualcomm QCC5100 co-processor (1x Cortex M5 and 2.5D iGPU). This setup helps smartwatches running this SoC allocate low-power tasks to the co-processor while leaving the heavy lifting for the primary chipset.
Apart from this, just like the W5 Gen 1 processors, here as well, the graphics-intensive tasks are handled by the Adreno 702 GPU. Both processors additionally support LPDDR4-2133 memory bandwidth.
This technology can allow users to stay connected in the most remote locations, sending and receiving critical messages via satellite. This innovation underscores our commitment to ensure that users have more reliable communications and enhanced safety with the integration of advancing satellite technology capabilities in wearable platforms.
— Dino Bekis, VP & GM of Wearables & Mixed Signal Solutions at Qualcomm Technologies
So, it is evident that in terms of performance gains, there is next to none with the new wearable processors. However, Qualcomm claims that the W5 Gen 2 processors are more efficient than the first generation.
This is because the modem (RF Front End) component is now 20% smaller and, in turn, consumes less power. This will help smartwatches like the newly launched Pixel Watch 4, which also comes equipped with this SoC, save battery and handle tasks much more efficiently.
Lastly, the new-gen processors also come packed with Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, and a new U55 AI chip for better GPS accuracy.
With that said, the addition of satellite connectivity is undoubtedly the biggest highlight of these SoCs. However, interestingly, it looks like Qualcomm plans to push this feature behind a paywall. Fine print mentions that the satellite connectivity feature will remain free for only two years for Pixel Watch 4 owners. After that, they will most likely be required to pay a subscription fee.
