Qualcomm is making a significant change with the Snapdragon Wear W6, its next-generation processor developed for the wearable technology market. Codenamed “Aspen” and model numbered SW6100, this processor is expected to replace the previous-generation Snapdragon Wear W5. The Snapdragon Wear W6 offers a completely different architecture and performance compared to the W5 used in devices like the Pixel Watch 3.

The Snapdragon Wear W6 processor will be unveiled

The new platform is not derived from an existing Qualcomm processor like previous models. The Snapdragon Wear W6 was developed from the ground up exclusively for smartwatches. The processor features one high-performance Cortex-A78 core and four energy-efficient Cortex-A55 cores.

This architecture aims to deliver better multitasking performance and energy efficiency for the user experience. It also supports LPDDR5X RAM, enabling faster memory access. The manufacturing process is handled by TSMC.

The new chipset shares a similar architecture with the recently introduced Samsung Exynos W1000. This demonstrates that processor performance in wearable devices has reached a new level. Snapdragon

The Wear W6 replaces the four Cortex-A53 cores used in the W5, providing a more powerful platform. This transition is expected to make a significant difference, particularly in terms of battery life, responsiveness, and background app management.

It is not yet clear when Qualcomm will unveil this new processor. However, an official announcement is expected at the Snapdragon Summit scheduled for September. If things continue as planned, the first smartwatch models using the Snapdragon Wear W6 are expected to be released in early 2026.