“I am not a person who wears a watch.”
That was me a few years ago—and in spirit, it’s still true today. However, anyone who knows me would disagree, given that I (at this moment) wear two watches and even sleep with one on my wrist. So how can I claim to not be a “watch person”? The answer lies in how I view these devices. I’ve never needed a traditional timepiece, but I do need a fitness tracker, a smartwatch, and a sleep monitor. Modern smartwatches finally combine all these functions into one device, which is what drew me in. Before smartwatches reached their current capabilities, I happily went watch-free.
Right now my daily carry watch is a Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. I choose it because I wanted the extra battery life and I wanted to be able to carry the watch the whole day, including to bed, both because I want to track sleep and also because I want to have a silent alarm on my wrist that wakes me up in the morning, without waking my spouse.
A while ago I reached out to OnePlus because I was really curious to try the OnePlus Watch 2, the main reason being that it uses a “hybrid mode” where WearOS handles the advances operations of the watch, like running apps, and there is a “co-processor” called BES 2700 (with a RTOS) that handles the “day-to-day” tasks like handling alarms and showing time. This will get you better battery life. The OnePlus watch clocked in at 96 hours (the watch is rated to 100 hours but there were probably something I forgot to turn off) while my Samsung watch has 59 hours.
General
The watch has a Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, 2GB of Ram and a 500 mAh battery. It runs WearOS 4 and RTOS (which we will come back to since it is an important factor). My watch is connecting to the phone using Bluetooth 5.0 and it is also able to use WiFi to access the Internet.
The watch is 47 mm large and weighs in at around 80g with the strap attached which means that it is by no means a small watch.
Battery and Charging
As I mentioned above, one of the great things with the watch is the battery life. Even though I used the watch all day and I had sleep tracking and alarms on during the night, I still managed to get almost 100 hours out of the watch, and that is in regular mode. If you need to to there is also (as with most WearOS watches) an extreme power save mode where you get more battery.
Charging the watch is also really great. The watch comes with a small charging puck that is connected using USB-C. The puck is small enough to put in your pocket and not even noticing it. Instead of using wireless charging, like the Samsung, it relies on pogo pins that connect to a connectors on the underside of the watch. This is probably one of the reasons why the watch charges so quickly. The watch uses the proprietary OnePlus VOOC charging, but unlike earlier experiences I have had with OnePlus products (OnePlus 5T and 6T), I no longer need to use a proprietary cable or power brick, only the charging puck.
The Screen
The screen on the OnePlus Watch 2 is one of the best screens I have seen on a smartwatch. The watch has a 1.43″ AMOLED. It look great and I have never once not been able to see the screen, even in direct sun light. The watch can either have an always-on setting for the screen or it will turn on when you turn your wrist, which is the mode I usually use. On the OnePlus watch 2, it does a really great job, sensing then I turn my wrist. I would say that it works better than my Samsung.
Fitness and sensors
As I mentioned above, the main driver for me using a smart watch is that it is a smart watch. You get notifications, can run some smaller apps and so on. A very close second reason is the fitness aspect and the sensors. I own a dedicated running watch which I sometimes use when I train but it is getting used less and less. The reason is that I value the smart watch aspect more then the fitness aspect and all in all smart watches are mediocre at being fitness watches and vice versa. I would really like to just have one watch and not two and having to switch is a real pain. The OnePlus Watch 2 is equiped with optical heart rate sensor and an optical pulse oximeter which means that can all day pulse tracking, blood oxygen and stress. It also tracks your sleep and of course you steps and activities such as running. It also reminds you when you have not moved around for a while. It tracks more that 100 activities and can autodetect running, walking, cycling, swimming, rowing machine and elliptical machine. Even in battery saver mode it does health tracking, which is really impressive.
The Looks
Of course the look of a watch is highly subjective, but I really think that the watch is really good looking. Mine has a nice blue band, the watch it self is polished stainless steel and it look really sophisticated. If I compare it to my Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, it is much sleeker. The Samsung watch is more of a chunky and square outdoor watch while the OnePlus Watch is more of a watch you wear with a shirt or suit. They are both almost exactly the same physical size, but the OnePlus Watch 2 is much sleeker and does not “get in the way” as much due to more rounded profile.
There is how ever a couple of things that I need to raise when it comes to the design of the watch.
This summer I was travelling to Utah and while on a run, being a bit unficused watching the fantastic nature around me, I hit my foot on the side of a concrete, pavement tile and took a real ugly nose-dive. My face got really scratched up (I will spare you the pictures) and so did my Samsung watch. Thanks to the raised edges round the screen on the watch, the screen did not get hit and did not crack. On the OnePlus watch the glass screen raises above the stainless steel by 0.5 mm and I think that the watch might have suffered. Aggording to OnePlus the screen is made of sapphire crystal so it actually could have survived my clumpsyness
The second issue, which I think is a missed opportunity is that of the two buttons on the side of the watch, one is regular button to press and the other looks like a rotating crown. It is a bit sad that it is not a real rotating crown since that would have been a great touch making it sometimes easier to scroll on the watch.
All-In-All
After extensive testing, the OnePlus Watch 2 stands out as a compelling option in the crowded smartwatch market. Its strengths are clear and significant:
- Industry-leading battery life (96 hours) thanks to its innovative hybrid processor system
- Premium build quality with sophisticated stainless steel construction
- Exceptional AMOLED display visibility in all lighting conditions
- Comprehensive fitness tracking capabilities that work even in battery saver mode
- Elegant design that transitions well from gym to office
The watch does have a few considerations to keep in mind:
- The raised sapphire crystal screen, while durable, might be more vulnerable to direct impacts than designs with protective bezels
- The non-rotating crown button feels like a missed opportunity for enhanced navigation
- The 47mm size might be too large for those with smaller wrists
For users seeking a smartwatch that bridges the gap between fitness tracker and sophisticated timepiece, the OnePlus Watch 2 delivers exceptionally well. Its four-day battery life and hybrid processing system solve one of the most common smartwatch complaints, while its premium design ensures it never looks out of place, whether you’re in workout gear or business attire.
While not perfect, the minor drawbacks are far outweighed by the watch’s strengths, making it a solid choice for most users looking for a capable, long-lasting smartwatch.
Currently the watch is available for around $290 (2700 SEK).
If you want to read more about the OnePlus Watch 2, you can find the informantion here:
https://www.oneplus.com/global/oneplus-watch-2