First 5nm processor to power next generation of wearables

Samsung Electronics has announced its new wearable processor, the Exynos W920, for the next generation of wearable devices.

The processor integrates an LTE modem and is the first to be built with an advanced 5nm extreme ultra-violet (EUV) process node, offering the improved performance demanded by next-generation wearable devices.

“Wearables like smartwatches are no longer just a cool gadget to have. They’re now a growing part of our lifestyles to keep you fit, safe and alert,” said Harry Cho, vice president of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics. “With the Exynos W920, future wearables will be able to run applications with visually appealing user interfaces and more responsive user experiences while keeping you connected on the go with fast LTE.”

The Exynos W920 includes two Arm Cortex-A55 cores for high-performing and power-efficient processing and an Arm Mali-G68 GPU that delivers improved CPU performance delivering a ten times better graphics performance than its predecessor. With upgraded cores and delivering improved performance, the Exynos W920 enables faster application launches and an enhanced 3D graphical user interface (GUI) on a device’s qHD (960×540) display.

Despite these enhancements, the Exynos W920 comes in a small package with Fan-Out Panel Level Packaging (FO-PLP). The technology incorporates the Exynos W920, power management IC (PMIC), LPDDR4 and embedded multimedia card (eMMC) in the same package using System-in-Package-embedded Package on Package (SiP-ePoP) configuration. The processor’s compact size will allow smartwatches to house larger batteries or employ sleeker designs.

Always-on-display (AOD) for wearables, especially for smartwatches, is a widely adopted feature an rather than powering up the main CPU, the W920 activates a dedicated low-power display processor, the Cortex-M55, reducing display power consumption under AOD mode compared to its previous Exynos model.

The Exynos W920 is embedded with a 4G LTE Cat.4 modem as well as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) L1 for tracking speed, distance and elevation during outdoor activities.

The Exynos W920 also supports a new unified wearable platform that Samsung has built jointly with Google and whicj is to be applied to the upcoming Galaxy Watch model.