We prove unique continuation properties for linear variable coefficient Schr ödinger equations with bounded real potentials. Under certain smallness conditions on the leading coefficients, we prove that solutions decaying faster than any cubic exponential rate at two different times must be identically zero. Assuming an extra structural condition, we recover the sharp Gaussian (quadratic exponential) rate in the series of works by Escauriaza-Kenig-Ponce-Vega [9,12,13].