INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Snapdragon been talking up its new wearable chip architecture since Google I/O back in May
The component giant finally took the wraps off the product at an event earlier today in San Francisco
As one imagines from the I/O partnership, Wear 3100 has Google smartwatch operating system firmly in its sites
And not a moment too soon, really
In spite of a handful of updates, Wear OS has felt pretty stagnant for some time
Not even the rebrand from Android Wear could help shake loose the cobwebs.
The new architecture replaces the 2100
Qualcomm chips are currently shipping in more than 100 different Wear OS watches by 25 different brands, according to the company
Honestly, I&m mostly surprised to hear that Wear OS devices have hit the triple digits
After all, category leaders like Apple, Fitbit and Samsung have all opted to invest in their own software ecosystem, rather than embracing
Interestingly, the first three partners for the new chip are luxury watch makers, rather than tech companies like LG or Huawei
Fossil Group, Louis Vuitton and Montblanc have all signed up to use the tech, perhaps marking the perceived way forward for the operating
A Pixel Watch launching at Google fall event also seems like a very likely possibility, given the timing of the news
Extended battery life is the main thing here — that, after all, has long been the bane of smartwatch makers
The new chip also brings new modes, include a &Traditional Watch Mode& to cut down on battery use and a &Rich Interactive Mode& for a more
The new chip starts shipping for mass production today.
