OnePlus Watch 2 Does Something NO Other Smartwatch Can (Hands-on Review)

After a three-year break, OnePlus returns to the smartwatch market with the OnePlus Watch 2. The original OnePlus Watch from 2021 didn’t fare well due to its lackluster OS and features, failing to compete with the likes of Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch. The new OnePlus Watch 2 packs a lot of features under its sleeves, including a first-ever dual-OS, dual-chipset setup in a smartwatch. We got a firsthand look at the OnePlus Watch 2, and here’s what you should know.

Models, price, and availability

OnePlus introduced the OnePlus Watch 2 at its MWC 2024 event in Barcelona. The smartwatch comes in a single size and only offers a Wi-Fi variant — no Wi-Fi + Cellular option available. The OnePlus Watch 2 has been priced at $299 in the US and is offered in Radiant Steel (Silver) and Black Steel (Stainless Black).

Pre-orders are open on OnePlus.com, with wider availability starting March 4, 2024. The Watch will also be available on Amazon starting March 11, 2024. If you’re planning to get one, though, you should know that OnePlus is offering exciting offers for the Watch 2. Interested buyers can get a $50 discount by trading in any watch in any condition, and Amazon Prime members also get $50 off.

Specifications

Design and Display

Embracing the Classic Circular Look

While Apple Watch opts for a more angular appearance with squared edges and rounded corners, Wear OS smartwatches — since the days of the first Moto 360 — have embraced the traditional circular look. The OnePlus Watch 2 follows suit, featuring a circular chassis. Although the display appears flat, it’s protected by a 2.5D sapphire crystal cover and is accompanied by two buttons on the right side. On the whole, the OnePlus Watch 2 does look more sporty compared to the Galaxy Watch 6 and even the Pixel Watch 2.

In terms of build materials, the OnePlus Watch 2 features a chassis made out of stainless steel to prevent rust and corrosion. Even in terms of durability, the OnePlus Watch 2 is on-par with the other smartwatches featuring MIL-STD-810H military certification and IP68 dust and water resistance. The Watch also features 5ATM water resistance, making it suitable for swimming.

Moving onto the front, the OnePlus Watch 2 offers a 1.43-inch circular display with a pixel density of 326. And, as mentioned above, the OnePlus Watch 2 is available only in a single size only. While OnePlus hasn’t disclosed the peak brightness, the display remains visible even under sunlight. As for the watch face, OnePlus has included 20 built-in watch faces, with an additional 80+ available for download via the OHealth app.

Software and Performance

Dual Chipsets, Hybrid OS Approach

Now, onto the exciting features of the OnePlus Watch 2. The OnePlus Watch 2 is the first smartwatch to integrate two chipsets and two different operating systems into one device. It’s powered by the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 processor (that runs and handles Wear OS 4 ) and features the BES2700 Efficiency processor running on OnePlus’ own RTOS. But why did OnePlus go for this unique setup? Well, it’s all related to the software experience and battery life.

Thanks to this dual-chipset, dual-OS setup, the OnePlus Watch 2 boasts an impressive battery life of up to 100 hours. This means you’ll only have to charge your smartwatch every third or fourth day. For comparison, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 only offer up to 18 hours and 40 hours respectively on a single charge.

It is worth noting that the 100-hour claim is for the “Smart Mode,” where the watch seamlessly switches between the two operating systems based on usage. Under heavy usage, the watch still manages up to 48 hours of use. Early impressions of the watch have been fantastic, I could easily go nearly three days of usage without needing to recharge.

And then there’s the improved software experience. The original OnePlus Watch faced criticism for its limited software and less smooth performance compared to Wear OS devices. With the more powerful Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 processor, the OnePlus Watch 2 now runs Wear OS 4 alongside OnePlus’ RTOS. This allows access to Google apps and third-party apps from the Play Store, resulting in a significantly improved software experience.

Initial impressions of the watch are wonderful, from the animations to performance. The app selection of Wear OS 4 is great and you’ll barely notice when it switches to the more powerful chipset and OS. For those wondering, yes, you can use Google Assistant on the OnePlus Watch 2. However, it is worth noting that Strava integration is not available at launch, but is expected to be added soon.

Fitness and health tracking

Ability to Track More Than 100 Sports

When it comes to fitness and health tracking, the OnePlus Watch 2 is packed with features. It can monitor over 100 sports, with special attention to certain sports, like Badminton, where it can analyze swing strength and speed. For running, it provides detailed data and even some advanced stats like ground contact time, ground balance, and VO2 max. The Watch also uses Dual Frequency GPS for accurate tracking. All these metrics can be accessed through the OHealth app.

Sleep tracking is also available on the Watch, offering insights like deep sleep, light sleep, REM, and advanced statistics, including sleep quality score and snoring risk assessment. Additionally, the OnePlus Watch 2 comes with safety features like stress detection, blood oxygen monitoring, and detection for low and high heart rates, as well as sleep apnea detection. However, it’s important to note that temperature tracking and fall detection are included here.

OnePlus Watch 2 Initial Impressions

A Welcome Addition to the Wear OS Smartwatch Market

I’ll be honest; the OnePlus Watch 2 shows a lot of promise. The dual-OS, dual-chipset setup feels impressive with the little time I have spent with the device, but I’m curious to see if it stays smooth over time. It does have some missing features that I’d expect at this price point, like fall detection, a temperature sensor, and no cellular option. Also, the single-size offering might not work for everyone. That said, the OnePlus Watch 2 seems like a solid offering for the price. We’ll have to wait for the full review to see how it all pans out.