Samsung has launched its first 3nm processor, the Exynos W1000. The new chip will probably power the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra arriving next week. The company touts “groundbreaking performance” to improve your health, fitness, and productivity from your wrist.
Exynos W1000 finally arrives as Samsung’s first 3nm mobile chip
Samsung started 3nm mass production two years ago but never made a mobile chip on its first-gen 3nm GAA (gate all around) process node. The Exynos W1000 is fabricated on the second-gen 3nm node, its most advanced fabrication process yet. This is already a massive upgrade over the 5nm Exynos W930 powering the Galaxy Watch 6 series. The Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 5’s Exynos W920 is also a 5nm chip but with a slightly slower CPU.
Speaking of the CPU, Samsung has upgraded the new chip to a penta-core design (five CPU cores), up from two cores. The Exynos W1000 has one ARM Cotex-A78 prime core clocked at 1.6GHz and four Cortex-A55 efficiency cores at 1.5GHz. The company says this CPU setup redefines smartwatch performance capabilities. This architecture brings a 3.4x boost in single-core performance and a 3.7x boost in multi-core performance over the previous generation.
In practical terms, apps will launch faster (up to 2.7x quicker), while switching between apps will also feel smoother. The Exynos W1000’s FOPLP (fan-out panel-level packaging) technology and other technological advancements, coupled with a 3nm process node, make it extremely compact and more power-efficient. This significantly improves the battery life as Samsung can utilize the extra space to equip the watch with a bigger battery.
The Exynos W100 also boasts a 2.5D always-on display (AOD) engine for a more refined AOD experience without taking a toll on the battery life. The Mali-G68 MP2 GOU seemingly carries over unchanged. It can handle qHD displays at up to 640 x 640 pixels or 960 x 540 pixels resolution. The chip supports 32GB of eMMC storage, LPDDR5 memory, and GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, and Galileo positioning systems. The integrated modem still lacks 5G support, though.
The Galaxy Watch 7 & Watch Ultra should debut this chip next week
Rumors have long said that Samsung’s first 3nm processor will debut with the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra. The new watches are set to go official at next week’s (July 10) Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris, France. Considering all the hardware upgrades on the Exynos W1000, the next generation of Samsung watches may bring a massive leap in power and performance. It won’t be long before we find out what the new chip is truly capable of.
