OnePlus Watch 2 review: Battery champ with two brains and some issues

Introduction

The Watch 2 is the second shot for the company to fix the wrongs of the predecessor. Three years after its first go at it, OnePlus is back at the smartwatch ring with a device that, finally, belonged among its peers in this crowded market of 2024.

With Wear OS added to the picture, this is a completely new iteration that pretty much offers all smartwatch features and a couple more enhancements—an absolutely serious offering. Of course, what really flings OnePlus into the mix this time is its sheer concern for battery life.

What’s New in the OnePlus Watch 2?

• Dual-System, Dual-OS Architecture: The Watch 2 features a unique dual-chipset, dual-OS setup. Google's Wear OS 4 runs on the Snapdragon W5 Gen chip, while OnePlus’ RTOS operates on the efficient BES2700 chip.

• Full Smartwatch Capabilities: With Wear OS onboard, users get access to a range of apps and services, including Google Assistant and NFC payments via Google Wallet.

• Large Battery Capacity: Equipped with a 500mAh battery, the Watch 2 promises extended battery life, outlasting many competitors.

• Health and Fitness Features: The watch includes SpO2 tracking and other health monitoring tools, making it a versatile companion for fitness enthusiasts.

• Sapphire Screen: The display is protected by a sapphire crystal, enhancing its durability against scratches.

Unboxing OnePlus Watch 2

When you open the box of the OnePlus Watch 2, you’ll find:

• The OnePlus Watch 2
• A USB-C charger
• A USB-C cable
• Instruction leaflets

OnePlus Watch 2 Specifications

Its particular claim to age is a dual-chip architecture in which Google's Wear OS runs the appetite-creating tasks and OnePlus' RTOS runs the low-power activities. This makes phenomenal battery performance.

Design and Size

Wrist presence is extremely bold, pronounced—The OnePlus Watch 2 will only be available in a 46mm size. The size might be great for someone who loves extra large watches, but it might be a bit too much for, let's say, a petite person or someone looking for more subtle wearables.

And with its built-in stainless steel, the watch surprisingly conveys not just its durability but also a premium feel, thus making one high-end device. At 49 grams without a band, it's a bit heavier than a few others on the market. This might potentially be a problem for those users looking for something very lightweight. But, one of the most outstanding attributes of the watch is its 1.43-inch, large-band AMOLED display.

It also shows extremely vivid colors with a sharp image, allowing high readability even in bright sunlight, owing to the high pixel density and sapphire crystal protection. And its clarity is brought by the sapphire crystal, which ensures that the screen is nothing but flawless over time without any scratches. So, in terms of design and size, it balances the style and function for the OnePlus Watch 2, but it seems like its size might not be suitable for many people.

Bands and Comfort

The fluoro-rubber band on the OnePlus Watch 2 is built for maximum comfort and toughness. This is a very soft-touch material so that someone can wear this device the whole day through, even under harsh body activity. The band of design is structured in a way to prevent too much sweat from becoming entrapped in it, a condition which is beneficial mostly during the time of workouts or hot sunny days, especially summers.

The nice thing about this device is that it is very breathable therefore keeps the wrist dry, which reduces the possibility of skin irritation and discomfort. In addition, this watch band is equipped with quick-release features, making it extremely easy to replace with any standard 22mm watch band.

This gives the user of that watch so much customization; they would be able to change the look of the watch depending on the occasion and outfit or simply just for personal preference. Therefore, the choices for band material not only include bands that are either leather, metal, or silicone, but the OnePlus Watch 2 is versatile as well.

Overall, this makes the OnePlus Watch 2 a good complement to the band design focus, which is on comfort and customizability; it focuses on the user who wants to have the best of both worlds around class and practicality of the wearable device.

Software and Features

The OnePlus Watch 2 will run the Wear OS, Google's own developed operating system for wearables. It provides a wide array of apps which can be keying into via the Google Play Store and in turn help users extend the true functionality of their watches way much beyond mere timekeeping.

For example, you can stream music using Spotify at your wrist, control household smart devices with Google Home integrations, receive and answer messages without necessarily taking a phone out of your pocket, or order food from a totally new location.

These are what make the OnePlus Watch 2 such awesome tools to stay connected with and get things done on time. Be that as it may, take note that the OnePlus Watch 2 will not be compatible with an iPhone too, so all the rest of the users are off the elect. The watch particularly shines in processing power, which enables it to run through almost everything fairly smoothly, without many hiccups along the way.

Although load times are a little longer in some apps, overall, the experience is good. OnePlus further promises two years of major updates to Wear OS and three years of security patches. That is less generous than with some competing brands, who might offer distinctly longer support periods.

Health and Fitness Tracking

The emphasis in the OnePlus Watch 2 has been put on health and fitness tracking, and it should be a good supporting device to anyone who pays a lot of attention to their well-being. The watch has SpO2 tracking that lags slightly but gives nice, accurate, and consistent measurements compared to most of the competition. This feature is most valuable to users willing to track blood oxygen saturation levels during different activities and even when they are asleep.

Other features are enhanced heart rate monitoring that provides another avenue of monitoring, complementing SpO2 monitoring, in acquiring a wide-encompassing look at cardiovascular health in the moment, and detailed sleep tracking shows various sleep stages such as light and deep, accompanied by REM sleep.

Another great feature of the Watch is the monitoring of stress that users can use to measure their stress levels throughout the day. The watch even gives exercises in relaxation and breathing to assist in stress management. For fitness fanatics, the watch is good at tracking most activities and, indeed, excels at running.

The watch not only keeps track of the distance and the pace but also indicates such other metrics as VO2 max, cadence, and recovery time, valuable in the optimization of the workouts toward the goals set.

Battery life and the charging

Major water is the battery life at the OnePlus Watch 2, really makes it an excellent candidate for purchase to those who love wearables that last. A dual-architecture setup of the watch allows for impressive battery performance, catering to different utilization scenarios.

It can last for up to four days with a single charge on Smart Mode, which allows all functionalities involved, thereby enabling users to go through their daily life without thinking of repeated recharging. They are beneficial to users who depend on the several smart features such as notifications, fitness, and health status of the watch.

For those who really need it, there's also a Power Save mode that will manage to stretch the battery life to survive even longer. In total, reaching an amazing 12 days, but smart abilities are reduced, though it permits access to key functionalities like time keeping and basic fitness tracking. Charging the OnePlus Watch 2 is also a hassle-free experience, thanks to its fast-charging technology.

It needs just about an hour for a full charge, which is very quick compared to other smartwatches. The more interesting part about it, though, is that a quick 10-minute charge is good enough to survive a day, therefore one never gets to miss their watch when they need it the most.

Models and Pricing

The OnePlus Watch 2 is available in Radiant Steel (silver) and Black Steel color options. Both the models cost Dhs 1,099 in Dubai, with an option of trading in a device to get a discount currently. The lack of a cellular variant for the Watch 2 will be a significant con to some users.

Voice Calls and Haptics

And that aspect works for making voice calls when paired with an Android phone since it has a built-in microphone and speakers. However, the haptic vibrations aren't exactly amazing, and the force behind the vibrations isn't strong enough; besides, it's not as precise as some of the other high-end smartwatches out there.

Competitors

The OnePlus Watch 2 faces stiff competition from several other smartwatches:

• Galaxy Watch 6 Classic: Offers a more premium build, a unique rotating bezel, and advanced fitness tracking features, though it is pricier and has a shorter battery life.

• Google Pixel Watch 2: More compact and available with cellular connectivity, but with a higher price and shorter battery life.

• Apple Watch Series: Although not directly comparable due to OS differences, Apple’s ecosystem offers robust support and extended software updates.

Final Verdict

The OnePlus Watch 2 is a great product at its price point, especially for those who have Android devices and need a smartwatch for the extended battering life support. While it suffers a few shortcomings, such as its size and the non-functional rotating crown, it is quite an able gadget for one to flirt with in enjoying great value. At Dhs 1,099, it's competitive in a space with little movement.

FAQs

1. What is the battery life of the OnePlus Watch 2 in Dubai?

Impressively, the battery life of the OnePlus Watch 2 provides users with abundant reliability throughout the day. In Smart Mode, all the features of the watch are properly operational, including notifications and heart rate monitoring, so this charging will last for up to 4 days.

Further helping out those requiring more battery life, a Power Save mode disables some capabilities, letting the wristwatch last up to 12 days. That makes this watch highly flexible for use in no matter what scenario: be it everyday wear or longer trips.

2. Is the OnePlus Watch 2 compatible with the iPhone?

Sadly, it misses compatibility with the iPhone—those using iOS may be out of luck with the OnePlus Watch 2. So, it will work best with an Android device, fitting well into somebody's OnePlus ecosystem. Thus, if a connection is made to an Android device, an iPhone owner will miss most of the features and functions accompanying the OnePlus Watch 2.

Accordingly, it is strongly advised that an iPhone user should consequently get another type of smartwatch compatible with iOS because felicitous undeniable benefits for an optimal user experience.

3. What's the price of the OnePlus Watch 2 in Dubai?

The equivalent price of the OnePlus Watch 2 at the show is somewhere around Dhs. 1,099, which comfortably sets it amidst strong competition in the smartwatch race. The price of this technology reflects in the premium features running on the watch, such as robust health and activity monitoring, durable battery life, and good aesthetics.

In view of the bundle of features at this said price point, no reasonable doubt, it's very good value for money, actually pretty good, more so if you are already inside the OnePlus ecosystem. The watch is priced such that it stands to be affordable for a number of its target audience, from tech geeks to somebody looking for a reliable smartwatch to use every day.

4. Is there any provision for consumer NFC payments on the OnePlus Watch 2?

Yes, it allows NFC payments on the OnePlus Watch 2. Users make both convenient and secure payments with one tap on the wrist. It's integrated with Google Wallet for contactless payments in many locations enabled for NFC. With NFC payments, this feature increases the functionality of this watch, making this not only a fitness tracker but an all-rounder companion in one's daily chores. Be it getting coffee or grocery shopping, and not only a bunch of features OnePlus Watch 2 will make you without your wallet goodwill.

5. What health features are available in OnePlus Watch 2?

The smartwatches from OnePlus are truly a gadget to have for monitoring and maintenance, being shareable with a very broad set of health features. It provides SpO2 measurement that tracks a person's oxygen levels in blood, which helps with respiratory soundness. Heart rate monitoring follows your heart rate throughout the day and notifies you of any irregularity.

Stress tracking will help you manage your mental well-being by tracking one's levels of stress throughout the day. Sleep tracking on this watch is advanced; it will analyze the different sleep patterns to give you a more accurate and full report of how quality and the duration of your sleep is—like no other timepiece when it comes to assisting you in resting better.