At the end of February a large package arrived at my door. Inside were 11 boxes containing the same version of the $299.99 OnePlus Watch 2. My eyes filled with tears and I whispered, “No.” again.”
This was a shipping accident. My box had 10 more watches than I needed for a review. It happens and usually has no broader meaning. But I was nervous because the original OnePlus Watch was by far the worst smartwatch I've ever had the misfortune to review. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. The fitness and health tracker earned the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Troubleshooting the faulty software was a nightmare. That whole abysmal experience was etched in my memory. So when OnePlus reached out to say it was making a second watch, and that this one one was noticeably better; She was hopeful. And then a box with 11 smart watches arrived at my door.
Still, it wouldn't be fair to let past mistakes influence my opinions on a new watch. I took my time getting to know the OnePlus Watch 2 on its own merits. So when I say that this watch is not only competent but also quite good, In fact I'm serious.
Works!
The bar for the OnePlus Watch 2 was low. All he had to do was be better than his horrible predecessor. It's been a while so I reread my original review to refresh my memory. To beat the original watch, it only had to:
- Record reasonably accurate health and activity data. Last time it recorded an additional 15,314 steps compared to a control smartwatch.
- Accurately sync data between phone and watch. If I walked a mile, I had to log a mile on my watch. and phone. The data of steps, heart rate, distance, etc. They also had to match. The latest OnePlus Watch continually enlightened me by displaying radically different metrics on the phone versus the wrist.
- View historical sleep data in the app and not just on your wrist. The last one couldn't do this.
- Deliver push notifications in a timely manner. Not 40 notifications four hours later, all at once.
I'm really happy to say that wearing the watch these past few weeks has been a healing experience. OnePlus did all that and then some. While the original watch was basically a fitness tracker, this is a genuine smartwatch with a dual-processor architecture, including the latest Wear OS chip and a novel dual operating system to extend battery life.
By upgrading from a proprietary operating system to Wear OS 4, the watch offers a much richer overall experience. I can now access third party apps from the Play Store. There are several music apps to choose from, including Spotify and YouTube Music! There are contactless payments! I can turn off my smart lights with Google Assistant. That's huge considering almost no third-party Android smartwatches have launched with Google Assistant since the move to Wear OS 3. This is what you'd expect from a proper flagship.
The build quality is better too. The original watch was a nice display with tacky, tacky materials. It has stainless steel and sapphire crystal. The silicone strap is much thicker. The 1.43-inch OLED display is easy on the eyes. Scrolling through the screens is fluid and the colors are sharp. I wish the screen brightness was above 600 nits (it can look washed out in direct sunlight), but that's a quibble.
I also have no complaints with the health, activity, and sleep tracking. I used the OnePlus Watch 2 along with the Oura Ring, Garmin Forerunner 165 Music, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and a few other smart rings. I saw some normal minor discrepancies, but nothing special. The OnePlus Watch 2 also adds dual-frequency GPS. It's a common addition to more premium or rugged smartwatches these days, but it mainly results in slightly more accurate GPS data in challenging environments. My test results were pretty similar to the Ultra 2 and my phone, both with dual-frequency GPS. Good things if you're the type who likes the outdoors.
But while these are huge improvements, it's not perfect. While I liked the addition of a new shortcut button, I wish it were customizable; As it stands, it's limited to simply launching a quick menu for your workouts. The watch, like many newer Wear OS watches, only supports Android. There's also no cellular capability, which sucks if you want to leave your phone at home to run. Likewise, the OnePlus Watch 2 doesn't have fall detection, EKGs, native period tracking (you can download a third-party app), or body temperature tracking. Most of these omissions aren't the end of the world if all you want is basic activity tracking. It just means that this is not a watch where you can comfortably leave your phone at home.
Multi-day battery life
The OnePlus Watch 2 has some fancy stuff under the hood that translates into excellent battery life. The essential thing is that you have two processors: the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 and the BES2700 MCU. The W5 handles power-hungry tasks and runs Wear OS 4. The BES2700 runs tasks in the background using a proprietary operating system. Things are passed between the two and the result is a long-lasting battery. It also helps that there is a 500 mAh battery.
The time depends on your use. If you turn off the always-on display, keep notifications to a minimum, and exercise for about 30 minutes with GPS on, you can get several days of enjoyment. The most I got was about four days before power saving mode was activated and then about another day after that mode was activated. very well and it's longer than what you'll get on an Apple, Samsung or Google smartwatch. With the screen always on, I got between 1.5 and two days. That's standard, although it's not bad at all.
In power saving mode, the watch loses Wear OS, but you can still receive notifications and track health/activities. OnePlus says it may take about 12 days. I never used the watch alone in power saving mode. That defeats the purpose of having a flagship smartwatch, but it's nice to have if you forget your charger at home.
To get great battery life, OnePlus made a big trade-off in the design. This watch only comes in a 47mm size.
That 47mm watch case is the reason you can fit a 500mAh battery. But it increases the weight to 80 g with the strap. I have small wrists. I felt the force of gravity on the watch every time I ran. Yo In fact I felt it when I put on my leather jacket. The watch was so thick that I barely had enough room to fit my wrist over the bracelet.
If you have larger wrists, this won't be a problem. But there is no other option for everyone else. That's a bummer. Most major smartwatch manufacturers offer at least a small and large size. They're making the same tradeoffs: smaller ones tend to be more comfortable, but larger ones have better battery life. Consumers understand this and most are happy to choose the compensation that best suits them. Here, that choice has been made for you.
Filling a void
OnePlus has a real chance here to take over as the “default alternative.” It's the first Wear OS 4 watch not made by Samsung or Google, and it beats both in battery life. Unlike its predecessor, it nails the basics. At $300, it's a competitive price. While there is room for improvement, it is ideal for people who want something stylish without too many bells and whistles.
In fact, I kept the 10 additional OnePlus Watch 2 smartwatches during testing. Part of me was afraid that the one I opened was riddled with errors. This way you would not have to request alternative units. I could definitely tell if a unit was faulty or if the clock was another absolute disaster. But I never needed to open a second watch. Now that I've finished my review, I can see how silly I was being. This watch is the exact opposite of its predecessor. For once, that's a good thing.
