Kellen
We’ve all tried our best to forget about the original OnePlus Watch, a “smartwatch” lacking both smarts and reliable fitness tracking that received pretty horrific reviews out of the gate. We passed on it quite easily, but a lot of that had to do with the fact that it wasn’t running Wear OS and was instead an RTOS device, which is the software found on countless basic fitness trackers.
For the OnePlus Watch 2, as we’ve approached a launch, our attention has been grabbed once again because the world believed it would run Wear OS. Now that the OnePlus Watch 2 is official, we can confirm that it indeed does run Wear OS (plus another OS) and is here as the watch we wish OnePlus delivered initially. We’ve also been testing one and have a lot of great things to share about it.
But first, let’s talk about what the OnePlus Watch 2 is.
OnePlus Watch 2 Specs: From a specs perspective, the OnePlus Watch 2 has exactly what you’d want from a high-end smartwatch with Wear OS. You have a big, round AMOLED display, sapphire cover glass, a massive 500mAh battery, tons of storage and RAM, Qualcomm’s newest W5 chipset, proper durability ratings, steel case, and the health sensors required for keeping track of your life.
- OS: Wear OS 4
- Display: 1.43″ AMOLED (round, 466×466), 2.5D sapphire cover
- Case: Stainless-steel chassis
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 + BES2700
- Battery: 500mAh, PIN charging
- Memory: 32GB ROM + 2GB RAM
- Durability: 5ATM + IP68, MIL-STD-810H
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, WiFi, NFC
- GPS: Dual-frequency L1+L5
- Sensors: Optical heart rate, pulse oximeter, Barometer
- Size: 47.0 x 46.6 x 12.1mm, 80g (with strap)
- Colors: Black Steel, Radiant Steel
The rest of the OnePlus Watch 2 story, behind the specs, is where things get interesting.
OnePlus Watch 2 features: The big pitch here is that this watch can last up to 100 hours on a single charge, thanks to a dual-engine architecture that carries both Wear OS 4 and RTOS. OnePlus cooked up a system that runs Wear OS off the Snapdragon W5 chip for heavy tasks and apps, but then flips to using RTOS and a low-power chip when carrying on throughout the day with “daily tasks.”
As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been testing the watch for well over a week and I’m a believer in this system. I can’t tell at any one time which OS the watch is running, which I think is the goal here. This watch fires up notifications and apps without delay, but it somehow also lasts for days and days on a charge. It’s a mixture of software and chipset magic (Note: More on the changes to Wear OS to allow this). What I’m saying is that it’s running both operating systems in “Smart mode,” but doing so without hitches or walls up that you’ll notice. Everything just runs together pretty seamlessly.
The rest of the story of the OnePlus Watch 2 is one of a device that has all of the specs and Wear OS 4 and health tracking and lots of metrics and the good GPS (standalone) and stress monitoring and sleep tracking and the list goes on. You connect through the OnePlus OHealth app, which keeps track of all of that stuff (SpO2, sleep, respiratory rate, heart rate, etc.). So far, the app seems good enough and yes, tracks everything. It can even track snoring like the Galaxy Watch series.
The watch itself is large at 47mm, but the overall design is slick enough. My smallish wrists haven’t been bothered by the size, plus the finishes are top notch. I think the Radiant Steel (or silver) model is the prettiest of the two. Unfortunately, I was sent the black version for testing.
On a software front, know that the OnePlus Watch 2 is expected to receive 2 years of “full software support.” It’ll work with any Android device and there are no limits or missing features if you don’t pair it with a OnePlus phone. Your Pixel or Samsung should get the same features across the board. It does not work with the iPhone.
And that’s the basics. I’m stopping there because I have a review on the horizon that I think you’ll want to read.
OnePlus Watch 2 price and release date: The OnePlus Watch 2 costs $299 and is up for pre-order right now. You can find it at OnePlus.com and Amazon. The open sale date is March 4, so not long before you could have this watch on the wrist.
For launch promos, OnePlus says they’ll give you $50 off if you trade-in “ANY” watch in “ANY” condition. That should mean any old watch you might want to get rid off that’s been taking up space in a drawer. At $50 off, this watch is priced incredibly well for $249.
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