Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 Tipped To Feature Snapdragon Wear Elite Chip, Galaxy Watch9 May Keep Exynos W1000

Samsung is reportedly planning to supplement its high-end smartwatch series later this year with the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. A recent tip from an X source suggests that, like Wear OS hardware in 2023 so far, the new smartwatch could be powered by the newly revealed Snapdragon Wear Elite SoC. The move could help Samsung America differentiate the Ultra series from standard Galaxy Watch models even further. The Galaxy Watch9, which will likely debut at the same time, is said to feature an iteration of its predecessor’s Exynos W1000 chipset.

Galaxy Watch Ultra 2: Expected Processor Upgrade

As per the tip, Samsung’s next-gen Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 could use Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset.

If correct, this would be a significant departure for Samsung’s recent smartwatch strategy, which has deeply leaned on Samesung’s in-house Exynos chips. Some of the improvements expected in the Snapdragon Wear Elite SoC are the following:

- Performance

- Power efficiency

- Overall smartwatch responsiveness

This is likely around the 2-year anniversary of the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which was launched in October 2022 and as per reports, Samsung will launch the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 sometime near the end of this year.

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Galaxy Watch9 May Retain Exynos W1000

While the Ultra model may receive a new processor, the standard Galaxy Watch9 is reportedly set to retain the Exynos W1000 chipset.

This is the same processor used in:

- Galaxy Watch8

- Galaxy Watch7

Despite launching alongside the Ultra 2, the Watch9 may continue with the existing chip, potentially creating a clearer distinction between Samsung’s premium Ultra smartwatch and its regular Galaxy Watch lineup.

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Samsung’s Strategy to Differentiate Ultra Models

By equipping the Ultra model with a different processor, Samsung may be aiming to further separate the Ultra series from the non-Ultra watches.

This strategy could result in:

- Better performance for the Ultra variant

- A more premium positioning for the Ultra lineup

- Clearer segmentation within Samsung’s smartwatch portfolio

However, it remains unclear how large the performance gap could be between the two models.

The other, the latest Snapdragon Wear Elite chip from Qualcomm, could serve to make the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 more affordable.

In the past, Qualcomm has often launched new flagship chipsets at a higher price than their predecessors. If this pattern in pricing holds up to the wearable chipset ecosystem, that means the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 will possibly launch at a higher price than its predecessor.