OnePlus Watch smartwatch review

OnePlus entered the wireless headset market, launching the OnePlus Buds and Buds Z last year, alongside the Bullets Z earphones. And earlier this year, OnePlus finally debuted in the wearable segment with OnePlus. Band. OnePlus is now getting deeper into the smartwatch market with the OnePlus Watch.

OnePlus Watch: Price

The OnePlus Watch was announced alongside the OnePlus 9 series on March 23. The watch will go on sale in North America from April 14, in India from April 21, and in European markets starting April 26. April.

OnePlus Watch: Design and display

The OnePlus Watch has a round watch face with thin bezels around the display and smooth arcs at the edges that give it a chic look for the price point. There are a lot of smartwatches today that don't look like a traditional watch, but the OnePlus Watch is not among them.

It's clear that OnePlus paid a lot of attention to the design, and as a result the OnePlus Watch feels more premium than its rivals. The 316L stainless steel frame feels sturdy and adds weight to the device, with the case alone weighing 45g.

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The OnePlus Watch comes in only one 46mm version, and it's one of the largest sized smartwatches available today. The OnePlus Watch comes in Midnight Black and Moonlight Silver.

The OnePlus watch has two buttons on the side, with one on the top engraved with the OnePlus logo. You'll use this button to swipe on the app list and go back to the home screen, and the second button acts as the power button.

There's a microphone on the underside and a speaker on the other side. The back has an optical sensor to monitor heart rate and the oxygen module in the blood, and contains two pogo pins for charging. The device has a standard 22mm joint, so you can swap out your strap with ease.

The OnePlus Watch has a 1.39-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 454 x 454. The 2.5D curved glass gives it a classy look and a self-bright display in normal use. Users don't have any issues with the panel quality even under bright sunlight, and the large screen size makes it ideal for navigating the interface.

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OnePlus Watch is equipped with a lot of customizations with its smartwatch and users have up to 50 watch faces to choose from. You can set 14 watch faces and change them comfortably, just press and hold the watch face to change.

The main weakness with the display is the lack of an always-on display mode. OnePlus says it doesn't offer an always-on display to save battery life, but doesn't rule out the possibility that this feature will appear on the watch in the future.

OnePlus Watch: Performance and battery

On the hardware front, the OnePlus Watch uses three chips. The first is the STMicroelectronics ST32 microcontroller with Cortex M3 core that controls the user interface on the clock; Then there's Ambiq's Apollo 3 low-power platform that allows the device to collect data from the sensors during workouts and finally the Cypress Semiconductors chip that allows wireless connectivity like Bluetooth.

The smartwatch's user interface feels fast and smooth with no lag. Of course, a big part of that has to do with the fact that the OnePlus Watch UI has been optimized for the hardware.

OnePlus Watch has 4GB of internal memory, users can access 2GB to store music locally. You can add files to your device through the OnePlus Health app - the file needs to be in MP3 or AAC format for display in the included music app.

The OnePlus Watch can also be paired with a OnePlus TV, and this is a fun (if not simple) way to control the volume of the TV. But the more interesting addition here is that if you take a call while the TV is on, the volume drops automatically - it's interesting to see this in action on the Q1 Pro. Finally, the device automatically turns off the TV after 30 minutes if it detects that you are asleep, however this feature has not been specifically tested.

The OnePlus Watch has built-in GPS for outdoor activities. You can also make calls directly on from the watch thanks to the built-in microphone and speaker.

We also didn't have any issues with Bluetooth connectivity. The watch maintains a stable connection with the phone even when underwater. While there's technically NFC on the watch, you won't be able to use it for online payments.

The standout feature on the OnePlus Watch should be the battery life. 402mAh battery extends usage time up to 1 week after each charge.

OnePlus Watch: Health

The OnePlus Watch is IP68 dust and water resistant, and up to 5 ATM water resistant, ideal for swimming. The device has up to 110 different exercises, with 15 modes to choose from.

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The OnePlus Watch includes automatic heart rate monitoring and has the ability to set up alerts when your heart rate hits a danger threshold. The device also has sensors that track sleep.

OnePlus Watch: Software

The OnePlus Watch runs RTOS (real-time operating system) and is compatible with all Android devices running Marshmallow and above, the device cannot connect to iOS.

The OnePlus Watch has all the basic functions, well displays notifications and incoming calls on the watch, and includes a music player, alarm clock, weather, timer, stopwatch, flashlight, compass. There's also a stress-measuring feature, but its effectiveness isn't apparent.

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The interface itself is also quite loose. The first is the language, which is always converted to Hindu even though it is not installed. And surprisingly, there is no 12-hour clock format.

The gestures are similar to those on Wear OS watches: pull down from the top to access quick settings, including do not disturb mode, brightness, timer, flashlight, and settings. You'll be able to see recent notifications with a swipe up and left swipe gesture that gives you access to active music and features.

Jessica Tanner

Update 15 April 2021