Three years is really a long time in consumer technology. OnePlus launched its first smartwatch in 2021 and although it wasn’t a success story, it finally offered a wearable from the brand. In fact, the OnePlus Watch felt like a clumsy attempt to close the ecosystem circle, while building the foundation to properly compete with Samsung. It did not offer a full operating system, was not capable of running third-party apps, and functioned more like a fitness band than a smartwatch. In early 2023, OnePlus launched a budget smartwatch called Nord Watch. It was marketed as a budget fitness tracker, and obviously lacked many of the features that would make it a smartwatch; Its usefulness for a fitness band is diminishing. It ran a version of RTOS as its operating system (like previous models) and offered the basics when it came to fitness tracking, making it a good choice for buyers of its Nord sub-brand.
Lately, OnePlus has been serious about diving deeper into the premium product category. We saw the brand launch its first tablet, called the OnePlus Pad, which was launched as a premium product (with optional accessories) and most recently, the OnePlus Open, the company’s first book-style foldable. With OnePlus pushing for a premium smartphone category in India, the brand was in dire need of a smartwatch, and three years later, we have OnePlus’ latest attempt at designing a smartwatch.
Purely in terms of its specifications, it has a lot to brag about when it comes to hardware (like OnePlus’ smartphones), but the Chinese brand (now under Oppo) has been a long-time rival of Samsung and its Galaxy smartwatches. Trying to ride the wave created by the moving line. , just like the OnePlus Open foldable that appeared out of nowhere to compete with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. So, what is the new contender from OnePlus? Does it have what it takes (in terms of both software and hardware) to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 series? Let’s take a closer look at the top 5 details that make the OnePlus Watch 2 special.
OnePlus Watch 2 has a 47mm case made of stainless steel
Strong design that looks beautiful
While its quirky but classy looking design definitely stands out with the two awkwardly placed pushers on the left side of the stainless steel case, the watch is also big on durability. According to OnePlus, the Watch 2 can withstand a pressure of 5 ATM underwater, which is good for about 50 meters. It’s also IP68-certified for dust and water resistance and OnePlus also claims that the Watch 2 is built to meet MIL-STD-810H US military standards, meaning you can take it for a swim in the mountains. Can take for granted, and expose it. Even extreme weather. The watch features a 1.43-inch AMOLED round display with a standard 60Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 466 x 466 which makes it quite sharp. This circular display is set beneath a 2.5D sapphire crystal face, making the overall design quite sturdy.
it has two processors
One of the things that makes the OnePlus Watch 2 unique is its dual-engine architecture. The watch has two independent chipsets that work together, switching between the two operating systems seamlessly. According to OnePlus, this switching does not impact the user experience and happens automatically. The wearable features a BES2700 chipset that is used to power the RTOS portion of the software experience, while the Wear OS portion of the software is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 platform. OnePlus claims that it has done this to increase battery life.
OnePlus Watch 2 runs Google Wear OS 4 with RTOS and supports third-party apps
It also has two operating systems
OnePlus claims that its RTOS software (found on cheaper budget wearables, including the now-discontinued Nord Watch) is used to handle daily tasks and background activities like fitness tracking. Smart Wear OS 4 only activates when apps need to run, saving power in the process. This is similar to a fused software experience that was available on the Oppo Watch which launched around 2020 and offered a mix of Color OS and Wear OS.
The OHealth companion app (only available on Android) also syncs with Google’s Health Connect service, meaning your data can be shared or taken elsewhere and isn’t locked to the OnePlus ecosystem. Despite making a dual OS smartwatch, running an RTOS, it’s a bit of a shame that OnePlus has chosen to avoid making an iOS app for it.
Aim for better than average battery life
The biggest claim of the OnePlus Watch 2 is actually its advertised “market-beating” battery life. OnePlus claims that its dual-engine architecture using two chipsets and seamless software switching will let its users use the watch for up to 12 days without charging in power saver mode. While power saver modes are available on other smartwatches, they cut down on fitness tracking features. OnePlus claims that its unique hardware and software setup will offer the above claim along with health tracking, which we can’t wait to test in our review. The wearable also has a large battery with a 500mAh capacity, which as we’ve seen from previous leaks, is larger than the average battery on most Wear OS wearables today.
OnePlus Watch 2 has 5ATM water resistance and is MIL-STD-810H certified for durability
OnePlus Watch 2 Connectivity
From what we’ve seen so far, the OnePlus Watch 2 looks to be a big one to brag about. In terms of connectivity, there is dual-frequency GPS positioning, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi. However, this watch lacks any kind of cellular connectivity or eSIM. So when a person is out and about and there is no Wi-Fi connectivity around he would need a compatible Android smartphone. In short, it’s still not a standalone device like the Galaxy Watch 6 or the Apple Watch Series 9, both of which pack in cellular connectivity. According to the OnePlus team, it is said that user and community feedback states that there is no need for it, which is why it was not included. NFC payments for Google Pay are also lacking for users in India.
We’ll be putting the OnePlus 2 through our rigorous testing process. So, stay tuned for our detailed review which will be out soon to find out if this smartwatch lives up to its big claims and hopefully get OnePlus that much closer to closing its ecosystem circle.
