Masimo and Qualcomm join forces to develop advanced smartwatch platform for Wear OS

Masimo (NASDAQ: MASI), a global leader in medical technology, has announced a partnership with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. to develop a next-generation smartwatch reference platform for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) focused on Wear OS by Google smartwatches. This collaboration integrates Masimo’s advanced biosensing technologies with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon wearable platforms, aiming to bolster the Wear OS ecosystem with high-performing, premium smartwatches.

Masimo, renowned for its clinical-grade biosensing technologies, is leveraging its decades of experience in hospital monitoring to bring breakthrough innovations to consumer wearables. The new smartwatch platform, built in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, will allow OEMs to efficiently develop and market smartwatches equipped with state-of-the-art health and wellness tracking capabilities. The platform will also feature Qualcomm’s high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions, known for their advanced wireless and cellular communications capabilities.

Joe Kiani, Founder and CEO of Masimo, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, saying, “We’re thrilled to be able to partner with Qualcomm Technologies, to whom we naturally turned to supply the chips in our own forthcoming Masimo Freedom wearable, to craft a truly remarkable reference platform. It’s a platform driven by the belief that when key smartwatch components are supplied by the leading experts in their field, the harmonious whole produces something even greater than the sum of those excellent parts. In short, Qualcomm Technologies and Masimo engineers are working together to optimize the ‘guts’ of the smartwatch.”

Kiani further emphasized the synergies between Masimo’s precision monitoring technologies and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon systems, which are engineered for high performance and energy efficiency. “We expect this new wearable platform to supercharge smartwatch OEMs’ abilities to create competitive, desirable smartwatches for consumers everywhere,” he added.

Qualcomm Technologies’ Vice President and General Manager for Wearables and Mixed Signal Solutions, Dino Bekis, also highlighted the potential impact of the partnership. “Beginning with Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1, this collaboration will significantly broaden the range of smartwatch choices for consumers and further enhance the already exceptional Wear OS experience. With these reference designs, OEMs will benefit from robust, production-ready designs, incorporating Masimo’s state-of-the-art biosensing technology and Qualcomm Technologies’ leading Snapdragon wearable platforms.”

OEMs using this new reference platform will retain creative control over the smartwatch’s external design and user interface. However, the interior components—such as the Snapdragon wearable platforms and Masimo biosensors—will be designed, provided, and tested by Masimo to ensure premium performance and reliability. This standardised package will simplify the development process for Wear OS smartwatch manufacturers, allowing them to focus on unique design elements and user experience enhancements.

The reference platform will integrate Masimo’s Signal Extraction Technology (SET), the foundation of its clinically proven biosensing capabilities, which powers its existing products like the Masimo W1 and the forthcoming Masimo Freedom. The collaboration aims to provide OEMs with the tools to offer smartwatches with accurate health monitoring features, superior connectivity, and an overall enhanced user experience.