Samsung’s next smartwatch upgrade just got a major battery boost

Samsung confirmed at MWC 2026 that its upcoming Galaxy Watch lineup will run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear Elite platform, according to remarks by InKang Song, EVP and Head of Technology Strategy.

The chip, unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2026, is designed specifically for next-generation smartwatches and other compact AI-powered wearables such as pendants.

Qualcomm says the platform can deliver up to 30% longer battery life, alongside major gains in performance and AI processing.

It's a major move from Samsung, given its long-standing reliance on its own Exynos wearable chips, potentially signalling a broader push toward more powerful on-device AI experiences on its watches.

A new generation of smartwatch silicon

The Snapdragon Wear Elite is built on a 3nm manufacturing process, allowing Qualcomm to squeeze more power and efficiency into the tiny silicon used in wearables.

According to Qualcomm, the chip delivers up to 5x faster single-core CPU performance and 7x faster graphics than previous wearable platforms.

It also includes a dedicated neural processing unit capable of running small AI models locally on the device.

That could enable smarter assistants, context-aware health features and real-time insights without constantly relying on the cloud.

Better still, Qualcomm says the new chip can extend smartwatch battery life by roughly 30% per charge while supporting much faster charging speeds, and up to 50% in around 10 minutes.

Beyond performance, the chip also introduces support for newer connectivity standards, including Bluetooth 6.0, ultra-wideband and even satellite communication, features that could eventually expand what smartwatches can do independently of a phone.

What Samsung wearables we expect this year

Samsung hasn’t confirmed which devices will debut with the Snapdragon Wear Elite, but the most likely candidate is the next flagship Galaxy Watch refresh.

The company typically launches new wearables in the summer alongside its foldable phones, which means a successor to the current Galaxy Watch lineup could arrive later this year.

The upcoming models would follow last year’s Galaxy Watch generation, which ran on Samsung’s Exynos W-series silicon.

If Samsung’s confirmation holds, the next Galaxy Watch could be among the first smartwatches to ship with Qualcomm’s new platform.

The move could also reshape the wearable chip race, as Qualcomm attempts to establish its Snapdragon Wear Elite platform as the new standard for Wear OS devices from brands such as Samsung, Google and Motorola.

The current-gen Galaxy Watch 8 is currently down to £269 (RRP £319) at John Lewis in the UK.

Plus, Amazon is selling the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) for only £479 (was £599).

In the US, Amazon has a Galaxy Watch 8 deal going on (was $349.99, now $326).

[via Gadgets & Wearables]