Qualcomm unveils the 3nm Snapdragon Wear Elite SoC for smartwatches, offering a Hexagon NPU that it says can run on-device AI models with up to 2B parameters

Six things to know about Qualcomm's new 3nm wearable platform that brings on-device AI, satellite messaging, and 5G to your wrist

The Shortcut 2026-03-02 Matt Swider

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@ryanshrout Ryan Shrout on x
Wireless connectivity is the feature that made @Qualcomm the powerhouse that it is today, and the company is looking to remind everyone of that during Mobile World Congress this week. It's easy to get distracted by the AI excitement, but the a key story is the connectivity that […
@mweinbach Max Weinbach on x
We're now into what I think is the most interesting Qualcomm press conference of the day, Rise of Personal AI @AlexKatouzian is leading it talking about their partners, AI leaders pushing it, and the 5.3B opportunity in wearables by 2032 [image]
@qualcomm @qualcomm on x
See how we're building the pathway to #6G at #MWC26: •Global 6G coalition with 2029 rollout •Industry-leading Qualcomm X105 5G modem •AI-driven Qualcomm #Dragonwing RAN •New Wi-Fi 8 portfolio •Personal AI with @Snapdragon Wear Elite •AI-driven factory ops with @Siemens
@snapdragon @snapdragon on x
A new world of personal AI experiences is here. #Snapdragon Wear Elite is our first wearable platform with an integrated NPU, bringing powerful on-device AI and breakthrough performance to a new generation of wearable form factors. [video]
@mweinbach Max Weinbach on x
Qualcomm has Google, Samsung, and Motorola on stage talking about how they're using the Qualcomm platforms (and soon Snapdragon Wear Elite) to power their upcoming AI experiences [image]
@sabrinaa_ortiz Sabrina Ortiz on x
AI wearables are about to explode in 2026, and platforms like Qualcomm's new Wear Elite are why. It serves as the foundation for an entirely new wave of AI-native devices. What stands out: • Hexagon NPU capable of running up to 2B-parameter models locally • 5× faster [image]
@sondesix Alvin on x
It's official! For the first time ever, Samsung will switch from Exynos to Snapdragon for their upcoming smartwatches. That means the next Galaxy Watch products will be powered using Qualcomm's Snapdragon Wear Elite chip. [image]
@mweinbach Max Weinbach on x
What's cool is the Snapdragon Wear Elite can run 2B parameter models, can hit 200ms TTFT, and generate at up to 10 tokens per second [image]
@ryanshrout Ryan Shrout on x
Qualcomm just announced the new @Snapdragon Wear Elite platform and it's a massive upgrade: 3nm process and a dedicated Hexagon NPU for on-device AI up to 2B parameters. With the expected growth in the wearables segment due to more fluid AI integration at the edge, this is [image…
@durga_malladi Durga Malladi on x
At #MWC26, 50+ global partners aligned with us on a milestone-driven path to #AI-native #6G, with pre-commercial systems in 2028 and commercialization starting in 2029. Built AI-native from day one, 6G unifies Connectivity, Wide-Area Sensing, and High Performance [image]
@cristianoamon Cristiano R. Amon on x
6G will be critical infrastructure for AI. @Qualcomm joined industry leaders at #MWC26 on a milestone-driven roadmap toward commercial 6G starting in 2029, with standards, validation and pre-commercial demos in 2028. Explore the milestones: https://www.qualcomm.com/... See our [i…
@saschasegan Sascha Segan on x
And #MWC26 begins with a bang: @Qualcomm is inaugurating the era of 6G - the network designed for the needs of the AI age - with an absolutely amazing set of partners. Look at that list! https://www.qualcomm.com/... [video]
@donnymac Don McGuire on x
6G momentum is real at #MWC26. @Qualcomm and industry leaders are collaborating in a milestone-driven collaboration to accelerate AI-native 6G, with pre-commercial demos in 2028 and commercial rollout starting in 2029. This is how new experiences and services take shape when [ima…

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Qualcomm unveils the 3nm Snapdragon Wear Elite SoC for smartwatches, offering a Hexagon NPU that it says can run on-device AI models with up to 2B parameters

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