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Qualcomm Announced A New Watch SoC 4100 (CPU)

ScottSoapbox2
over 4 years ago

Does anyone know if the Fenix uses Qualcomm chips or something else? Moving from a 28nm process to 12nm is promising 85% faster and 25% less power. That would make for a sweet Fenix 7.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to bluefish

    The Fenix isn't a Wear OS (by google) watch. Wear watches tend to have high power displays like the Apple watch.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to ScottSoapbox2

    Also the Wear OS itself uses a lot more processor, which translates to a lot more battery drain. I forget what OS the Garmin's are built off of, but it's a really, really low-battery-usage OS.

  • +1 over 4 years ago

    Garmin uses NXP processors for its Fenix line watches, just as displayed here: http://www.f-blog.info/garmin-fenix-6x-pro-disassembly-or-teardown-whatever-you-say/

    Previously they were produced by Freescale and later NXP acquired them. They are really low power Cortex M4 processor. Additionally, not all work is done by the same processor. Sensor data may be processed by Ambic Micro Apollo 2 sensor hub processor, to let the main processor sleep, so that it saves power. Bluetooth chip has its own Cortex M4 microcontroller inside. GPS module is a Sony chip.  I mean many different low power microcontrollers are doing different job to create the Fenix user experience.

    Keenetis MK28 can run at 150 MHz in kinda overclocked high speed run mode. So in normal states it may run at much lower frequencies.  However, Qualcomm SoC's are rmuch more powerful compared to Garmin platform with 4 Cortex A53 cores running at 1.7 GHz frequency and with other submodules inside. Yes, 12 nm architecture is a big step, but high frequencies are still big barriers. Additionally they're built to run more resource greedy operating systems. Garmin OS is built for those low power Cortex M4 CPU's and to run with low power consumption levels...

    Maybe, Suunto can build some Wear watch with Wear 4100 SoC that can finish some ultras etc...

  • +1 over 4 years ago in reply to C.sco
    C.sco said:
    I wonder if the bezel itself is (or is part of) the antenna.

    Seems to have been the case from the Fenix 3 on; annular antenna inductively (in the 3) coupled to the internal antenna. This is the Exo antenna they made the big thing about when they released the 3. I think they stopped talking about it because of all the HAY GARMING YOU HAVE PUT A METAL CASE IN FRONT OF THE ANTENNA ANY FULE WOULD NO THAT WONT WORK AND WHERE IS THIS EXO THING ANYWAY posts. 
    I did some calculations a while back and reckoned the 5x/6x bezel is a pretty good size for GPS frequencies, the others maybe a bit small, which is a reason for stretching to the larger watches if you can.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to sis651

    I did see Suunto say they had released a watch with the 3100 SoC and they were excited about the 4100 SoC.

    Well, maybe Garmin can slip an update to NXP K28F (K29F?) into the next Fenix. It looks like the K28 family debuted in April 2017 so that makes the existence of something better at this point possible.  :)

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to ScottSoapbox2
    ScottSoapbox2 said:
    that makes the existence of something better at this point possible.

    what should be "better" from your point of view?

  • +1 over 4 years ago in reply to ScottSoapbox2

    Actually, it doesn't always work like that for Garmin's. Functionality and what does the job are usually the king here. Garmin Epix had 120 MHz CPU while Fenix 3 had 180 MHz. Fenix 5X had the same CPU as the older Garmin Epix, as it can access external RAM modules for loading maps. So we can even see an older product in the next version. :D 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to AndreiDracul

    Why replace already after 3 years? And about 150 charging cycles?

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to pilzj

    Well he said 3+ years, I don't think he meant to imply that the battery WILL need to be replaced after exactly 3 years. In most cases the battery should last at least 5 years, especially on a 6X where the battery only gets charged maybe 20-25 times a year.

    My 6X is almost 2 years old now and the battery isn't showing any signs of degradation, despite my ignoring some people's advice to not let it go below 20% or above 80%.