Introduction to the OnePlus Watch 2
After a few not-so-great attempts, OnePlus is making a comeback in the wearable scene with the OnePlus Watch 2. It’s looking like their most advanced wearable yet, and they’ve made some interesting moves to avoid the issues that plagued their earlier models.
The OnePlus Watch 2 is not just your typical smartwatch—it’s rocking Google’s Wear OS, but here’s the cool part: it also secretly runs a second operating system with its own special chipset. This secret setup is all about handling the nitty-gritty tasks and giving the battery life a boost.
Design & build
The OnePlus Watch 2 sports a bold new look and feel on the wrist. Gone are the soft curves, replaced by a sturdy design with flat sides and defined lines that give it a distinctive and intentional appearance, setting it apart from its predecessor. Its heftier build, marked by standout side buttons, suggests a shift towards a more masculine style, potentially moving away from the universal appeal of the previous model.
Available in Black Steel and Radiant Steel, both versions boast stainless steel construction with a brushed metal finish and glossy polished surfaces. The 2.5D sapphire crystal glass adds a touch of elegance with a gentle curvature around the edges.
Speaking of the side buttons, there are two of them, and the top one mimics a crown but functions as a button. Both buttons provide a satisfying click with deliberate resistance to prevent accidental presses.
Opinions on the OnePlus Watch 2’s design may differ, but it certainly appears more polished than its predecessor. The larger size and heavier weight could be contentious, particularly for those who wear the watch to bed for sleep tracking. OnePlus may need to rethink its one-size-fits-all strategy to appeal to a wider audience.
Display
Discussing the OnePlus Watch 2’s screen, it features a 1.43-inch AMOLED display with a crisp 466×466 resolution. The screen offers a consistent 60Hz refresh rate and boasts a remarkable 1000 nits of brightness in its high setting. The display presents vibrant, somewhat saturated colors, profound blacks, and superb viewing angles, facilitating effortless information checks at a glance.
While the display performs well in most situations, it could be brighter under direct sunlight. This can make some watch faces and details a bit challenging to see. The auto-brightness feature does a decent job indoors but doesn’t outshine manual adjustments in intense outdoor lighting. Nevertheless, many of the brighter watch faces and high-contrast menus remain readable in various conditions.
Performance, Software and Features
The OnePlus Watch 2 is a smartwatch that runs on a combination of Wear OS, powered by the Snapdragon W5 chipset, and a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) with the BES 2700 chip. The RTOS and BES 2700 manage background tasks, low-level operations, connectivity, and health tracking features like sleep and heart rate monitoring. Meanwhile, the W5 chipset supports Wear OS functionalities, apps, and third-party watch faces.
The OnePlus Watch 2 utilizes a hybrid system to conserve energy, maintaining the W5 chip in idle mode while the low-power 2700 chip manages background activities. In its default Smart mode, the watch offers an impressive battery life ranging from 48 to 100 hours. Additionally, users have the option to activate Power Saver mode, which disables all Wear OS features and operates solely in RTOS mode, extending the battery life to an exceptional 12 days.
The OnePlus Watch 2 offers a user-friendly software experience with responsive gestures. However, the experience could be enhanced if the crown-like button enabled scrolling through the UI, reducing reliance on the touchscreen. The performance is adequate, though not outstanding. The UI is mostly smooth, yet there are sporadic hitches and delays when navigating through Wear OS menus, third-party applications, or watch faces. Engaging Power Saving mode, which operates solely on the BES 2700 chip, significantly reduces the watch’s speed.
Regarding compatibility, the OnePlus Watch 2 is restricted to Android smartphones, a limitation also present in its predecessor. Pairing with the watch requires the installation of the new OHealth app, which supersedes the former OnePlus Health app. This app provides various health tracking functionalities, a wide selection of watch faces, and customizable notification preferences for the watch. Additionally, it enables users to take screenshots from the watch via the app, conveniently saving them to their phone.
The OHealth app brings an impressive collection of watch faces to the table, boasting 87 in the current version. Many of these are customizable, allowing users to tweak elements such as colors, fonts, and complications to suit their style. Additionally, since the OnePlus Watch 2 is a Wear OS device, users can download even more watch faces directly from the Play Store.
The watch keeps tabs on a variety of activities, from everyday activities like walking, running, cycling to more niche ones like swimming, jumping, hiking, and skiing. While most of the activities seem to function adequately, it’s important to keep an eye on how well they align with your actual performance and experiences.
The OnePlus Watch 2 is outfitted with a standard set of sensors, monitoring vital metrics such as heart rate and blood oxygen levels. It also tracks sleep patterns and stress levels, providing a thorough health monitoring experience. For the majority of users, the Watch 2’s array of sensors will suffice for daily health tracking requirements.
The lack of cycle tracking for women in the OnePlus Watch is a notable oversight, particularly since this feature was absent in the original model three years prior. Typically, adding cycle tracking is not a complex task, which makes its omission by OnePlus rather unexpected. It could be beneficial for OnePlus to contemplate enlarging their product development team by hiring more female staff to promote a more inclusive perspective on health and fitness functionalities in 2024.
Connectivity
In the connectivity department, the OnePlus Watch 2 has you covered with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, and GPS support. Unlike the original OnePlus Watch, the GPS on the OnePlus Watch 2 proved to be reliable, establishing connections without the previous delays.
While the NFC functionality couldn’t be put to the test due to the unavailability of Google Pay in certain countries like India, it’s a feature that might enhance the watch’s utility for contactless payments if available in your region.
The device offers a substantial 32GB of internal storage, with approximately 23GB accessible for personal use. This space enables you to store a diverse range of audio content in good quality right on the watch. You can effortlessly connect your wireless earbuds to the watch for an easy audio experience. However, it’s important to remember that without cellular connectivity, you will depend on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for any data-related tasks.
Battery and Charging
The OnePlus Watch 2 is equipped with a substantial 500mAh battery, and according to OnePlus, it promises up to 100 hours in Smart mode and an impressive 12 days in Power Saving mode. During my time with the device, I only had to recharge it once after about four days of use in Smart mode. It’s important to note that I don’t wear the watch constantly, and I specifically didn’t use it for sleep tracking outside of testing purposes.
Thanks to the hybrid chipset and operating system, along with the generous battery size, the OnePlus Watch 2 manages to outlast most smartwatches on the market. Even for heavy users, a single charge can easily stretch to 2-3 days.
Charging the watch involves a simple process where a magnetic puck attaches to the device’s back, using pogo pins for power transfer. The puck is small and includes a USB-C port, enabling the use of a personal cable. However, the puck’s lightness means the cable’s weight can pull it when detaching the watch. Moreover, the default strap design does not allow the watch to lie flat on its back during charging, causing the cable to protrude awkwardly.
OnePlus Watch 2 Price and availability
The OnePlus Watch 2 is now available in the market, priced at Rs 24,999. Its inaugural sale is set for March 4, 2024, starting at noon. The smartwatch can be purchased from several platforms such as OnePlus.in, the OnePlus Store app, Amazon.in, Myntra.com, Flipkart.com, Reliance, Croma, among others. It is offered in two stylish variants: Black Steel and Radiant Steel.
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Should you buy OnePlus Watch 2?
In conclusion, my experience with the OnePlus Watch 2 has been largely positive despite a few minor issues. The watch distinguishes itself with an appealing design, high-quality display, innovative hybrid software, and impressive battery life. It marks a significant enhancement over its predecessor, which was not without its flaws.
The OnePlus Watch 2’s significant improvement in features and quality is accompanied by a higher price tag. At \$299.99 / £299 / €329 / ₹24,999, it costs more than twice as much as its predecessor, which faced criticism for its pricing. Yet, considering the functionality it provides, the price appears justifiable, particularly in comparison to rivals such as the Pixel Watch 2, which costs more but offers less. Similarly, the Galaxy Watch6, despite its abundance of features, is also priced higher.
In conclusion, the OnePlus Watch 2 occupies a unique niche, offering a well-rounded feature set at a more attractive price point compared to its competitors.
OnePlus watch 2 Pros and Cons
Pros:
– Stylish and sleek design.
– Vibrant AMOLED display for a visually appealing experience.
– Comprehensive fitness and health tracking features to keep you informed.
– Multiple sports modes catering to various activities and workouts.
– Enjoy the flexibility of customizable watch faces and straps to suit your personal style.
Cons:
– Limited third-party app support may restrict additional functionalities.
– The absence of built-in GPS might be a drawback for some users.
– Regular software updates may be necessary for optimal performance.
– Limited availability of spare straps may limit customization options.
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