Samsung expands Snapdragon AI across phones, watches and upcoming smart glasses
Samsung announced that Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips will power its latest foldable phones, new smartwatches and future AI smart glasses, promising faster on-device AI, improved gaming and camera performance, and enhanced health tracking.
Samsung unveiled a range of new devices that will all run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors, extending the partnership beyond its flagship foldable phones. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy will equip the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8 and, in some markets, the Galaxy Z Flip 8, featuring an integrated Oryon CPU, next-generation NPU and upgraded GPU for on-device AI, gaming and camera improvements while boosting power efficiency.
The company's wearable lineup also receives an upgrade, with the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 becoming the first Samsung smartwatches to use the Snapdragon Wear Elite platform. Qualcomm describes the platform as built around “Personal AI,” using advanced sensor fusion to deliver more proactive health insights and maintain strong connectivity.
In addition, Samsung, Qualcomm and Google are extending their Android XR collaboration to include AI-enabled smart glasses that will run on the Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chipset. Samsung showcased new designs created with partners Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, with broader releases planned for later this year.
"Personal AI" employs advanced sensor fusion to better understand user activity throughout the day, providing more proactive health insights while maintaining strong connectivity and performance, Qualcomm said.
Analysts note that while the integrated AI ecosystem could offer more seamless experiences across devices, its practical impact will depend on how effectively Samsung translates these capabilities into everyday user benefits.