Oneplus Watch 2
Score: 8/10 | Case size: 46 mm | Processor: Dual Engine Architecture Snapdragon W5 + BES2700 | Display: 1.43-inch 466 x 466-pixel OLED, always-on screen, 1,000-nit maximum brightness | Connectivity: GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3 | RAM/Storage: 2 GB/32 GB | Battery: 500 mAh | Weight: 80 grams
Best for:
- People who want an Android smartwatch that lasts for days
- People who like large watches
Skip if:
- You have very small wrists
- You change phones regularly
Oneplus Watch 2: Design
Right off the bat, you’ll notice that the Oneplus Watch 2 is large. It’s a 46 mm case with a 1.43-inch AMOLED display. There are two buttons on the side; one is a rotating button (whose rotation does nothing), and the other is a normal pusher. The case comes in two colors, black steel and radiant steel. My review unit has a green strap that is replaceable, but the included rubber strap is molded to snuggle up to the case, so you may want to stick with it.
The watch includes a bevy of sensors for heart rate, blood oxygen, acceleration, GPS and more. With the strap, the watch weighs 80 grams, so it’s a bit of a chonker. If you have dainty wrists, you may want to pass on this one. But this watch does something no other WearOs or Apple smartwatch does: It lasts for 100 hours.
Oneplus Watch 2: Battery Life
Well, actually, Oneplus advertises this as a 100-hour smartwatch. In reality, it’s closer to 75+ hours per charge, which is safely more than three days. The best day I had with the Apple Watch Ultra 2 was 50 hours, so this adds another 50% to that figure. That’s ridiculous, and treading into Garmin territory for longevity. But the difference between a Garmin and this watch is that this watch runs WearOS 4 and has all the benefits that come with that.
The interface looks big and bright so you can easily see your stats at a glance.
Those benefits include a fairly small but notable app ecosystem, hundreds of watch faces, Google Assistant access and smart, actionable notifications. Previously, this kind of battery life required a serious tradeoff. The Oneplus Watch 2 (with help from Google) sidesteps that limitation by running two distinct operating systems on two distinct processors.
Google breaks down the complete technical details in this blog post, but the TL;DR version is that the Snapdragon W5 processor handles anything that involves WearOS, while the much lower-powered BES2700 processor runs RTOS to handle things like detecting your heart rate and serving notifications. This allows Oneplus to offload most non-intensive tasks to the lower-powered processor and save battery.
But the truly remarkable part is that it does all this seamlessly. You literally cannot tell where WearOS ends and RTOS begins. The transition between activities is undetectable from a user-experience standpoint. That is as it should be, but going in, one might think this is a potential Achilles’ heel. Dear reader, it is not. The watch has other weaknesses, though.
Oneplus Watch 2: Software
The biggest flaw in the OnepPlus Watch 2 is that the data the watch collects is stuck on whatever device it’s paired to. That means that if you switch your watch from one phone to another, the phones will not share data. You’re probably thinking, “Well, Oneplus probably didn’t want to build an accounting system so early in the development.” I’ll stop you there; Oneplus has an accounting system, but it doesn’t include data sync. The watch also does not sync with Google Fit, Samsung Health or even RunKeeper or Strava. The data is confined to Oneplus’s OHealth app and further confined to the phone connected to the watch.
The Watch can monitor your fitness activities, but the data is trapped to on your phone—and is transferrable.
Oneplus says that a data transfer system is in the cards, but it’s not ready yet. (Well then, Oneplus, neither is the watch.) One can argue that most people connect their watch to a single phone and never look back. But if that phone breaks, it’s back to square one.
Speaking of which, you also cannot unpair and repair the phone without going through a whole reset process. This is an issue that is supposed to be fixed in WearOS 4. Again, most users will not be affected by this limitation, but that doesn’t make it less annoying.
Also annoying is the Oneplus’ rotating crown that doesn’t do anything. It doesn’t help you navigate menus or increase volume—nothing. It just spins. According to Oneplus, the spinning makes the button more durable, especially when it takes a hit. I’m not sure the science supports that, but the bottom line is that if you expect the spinning crown to do something, you’ll be disappointed.
Oneplus Watch 2 Verdict
The Oneplus Watch 2 is available from the Oneplus website and Amazon for $300. At that price, it’s pretty compelling in light of the absolutely dominant battery life and uncompromising functionality (when switching between chips and operating systems). The obvious caveat is the aforementioned trapped data, so let’s hope that Oneplus fixes that problem soon. It’s an issue that doesn’t affect most normal usage, so it’s forgivable (barely). And like all software issues, it can be fixed in an update.
It’s also true that this watch is light-years better than Oneplus’ first effort, but that is a very low bar. If you’re someone who wants to wear your watch for days at a time before having to recharge it, this is a good option. Just be careful with your watch, because it’s not just the hardware that’s on the line–it’s your data, too.
How I Tested The Oneplus Watch 2
I connected the Oneplus Watch 2 to two different Android phones, the Oneplus Open and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. During the two-week review period, I wore the watch 24/7, including while sleeping. At the end of two weeks, I compared health metrics to those gathered by an Apple Watch Ultra 2 that I wore at the same time.
My Expertise
I’m a Chicago-based freelance reviewer and have been writing about consumer electronics for over a decade with a particular focus on mobile phones and cellular technology including the birth of 5G. I’ve also tested most smartphones on the market over the last several years.
When I’m not testing the latest and greatest flagship phones, I’m hosting the Benefit of the Doud podcast/YouTube channel with my co-host Clifton M. Thomas and editing technology news articles for SlashGear. In addition to Forbes and SlashGear, I have bylines at Android Central, Reviewed.com, Android Authority, Lifewire and more.
What App Do You Need To Connect To A Oneplus Watch 2?
Like all WearOS smartwatches, you need to use the watchmaker’s app to connect to your phone. In the case of Oneplus, it’’s called “OHealth”. OHealth allows you to adjust settings on your watch, like the watch face and which apps send you notifications. Additionally, OHealth displays your health metrics like steps and sleep.
Is The Watch Band Changeable?
Yes. The watch band on the Oneplus Watch 2 can be changed with standard 22 mm watch bands with pins. The Oneplus Watch 2’’s watch band is molded closely to the case of the watch, so from an aesthetic standpoint, you may want to stick with that; otherwise, any standard 22 mm watch band will do the job.
Does The Oneplus Watch 2 Support LTE?
No. One key addition to a smartwatch can be LTE connectivity, which allows you to leave your phone at home and just wear the watch. The Oneplus Watch 2 does not have that option. You won’t be able to receive calls, texts or notifications without your phone, but it will continue to track health metrics like steps and sleep.
