I assume you meant 1.6W, there was no previous 2W laser on the Snapmaker platform.
Also, as @Hauke pointed out, it’s a completely different beast. Blue diodes and IR Diodes are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Despite only being 2W, it creates a massive amount of waste heat, making the unit itself huge. For comparison, despite only being 2W, it’s the size of the 20W laser to get enough cooling through it.
Also, if you happen to look up other 1064nm IR lasers from other manufacturers, 2W is the highest you’ll generally get. Any higher and you’re looking at CO2 laser tubes and systems like the above mentioned K40.
Also back onto the subject of them being different; keep in mind that power levels are not everything. Despite being a whopping 40W, the 2W IR will engrave metals faster (the limited metals a blue diode can engrave anyway), and other metals that the 40W can’t even touch (such as bare aluminum). It’s more about the difference in frequency and what materials absorb it.
Currently, all the lasers from their original 200mW to their 40W are 455nm blue diode. Which is readily absorbed by organics like leather and wood. The IR laser is 1064nm, the much longer wavelength is better at hard materials, such as metals and plastics. Also the overlap on materials that “work” also have differences. Such as black plastic.
The blue diodes can melt/cut/engrave black acrylic, PLA, PETG, etc. However, for a bright, contrasting engrave? IR. The below was done at 6000mm/min, 50% power with the IR.
Also things the blue diode absolutely cannot do;
Hopefully that helps clear up the confusion of “why not more power” and a bit of why they’re offering it. 