OnePlus Watch 2 review

With its initial model, released in 2021, OnePlus made a difficult entry into the wristwatch market. It was riddled with flaws and missing many of the capabilities that competitors claimed.

The “Never Settle” brand has returned with the OnePlus Watch 2, its follow-up model, after a few years away from the market. Thankfully, there has been a significant software overhaul, as the most recent wearable now runs Google’s Wear OS rather of the company’s own software.

Even while it’s a significant improvement over the OnePlus Watch, not everyone will find the construction to their taste; I know it wasn’t.

Design & Build

• Black and Green strap options
• Cumbersome stainless steel build
• 5ATM water resistance

If you are a part of the OnePlus ecosystem, the Fluororubber strap is a great touch. It is available in Black Steel or Radiant Steel, matching the color options of the OnePlus 12.

The watch has a high-end appearance and feel because of the silver stainless steel chassis. But be careful—this glossy surface is prone to attracting fingerprints, so clean the gadget down from time to time. However, a stainless-steel construction has other drawbacks as well.

This is a thick and hefty smartwatch that weighs 49g (without the band) and is 12mm in thickness, making it appear absurdly big on my little wrist. I don’t think the strap fits me well, and it’s not as comfy to wear as other versions.

Either it’s too loose and the wearable slides up and down my arm, or it’s too tight and the body digs into my wrist bone.

These problems might not affect you if you have large wrists, especially if you’re a male. However, if you’re looking for a small, light smartwatch that you won’t even notice you’re wearing, this isn’t the one. Contrary to the Google Pixel Watch 2, many users are lusting for a bigger size.

Although the crown rotates, it does so only for aesthetic purposes and has no bearing on navigation. That’s unfortunate because it would be helpful in situations where the screen is locked, as when working out in the pool. According to 9to5Google, OnePlus made the design decision to include a rotating crown because they believe it to be more robust than a rigid one. It still irritates me greatly.

You can access the app drawer by clicking the crown, and you can launch Google Assistant by long pressing it. Workouts may be accessed quickly using the button beneath, and power is adjusted by long-pressing the button.

With its 5ATM (50 meters) rating, IP68 rating, and MIL-STD-810H standard certification, the OnePlus Watch 2 is meant to be resistant to extreme temperatures as well as shocks and impacts. It made it through a trip to my crazy 40-degree hot Pilates session and a dive in the pool.

Screen & Audio

• 1.43 AMOLED face
• 60Hz refresh rate
• Google Assistant support

The 1.43-inch AMOLED face of the watch is quite bold, which is a virtue of its size. With a face this size, the larger than average black bezel doesn’t really matter.

With a maximum brightness of 1000 nits and a resolution of 466 x 466, I had no problem viewing the screen in direct sunshine. Sharp, vibrant colors are displayed, along with deep blacks that are absent from non-OLED panels.

With its standard 60Hz refresh rate, the OnePlus Watch 2’s screen is fingerprint-mark-prone, but swipes and taps are nonetheless snappy.

If your phone is close by, you can answer calls on the OnePlus Watch 2, and my friends and family may could hear me clearly.

The speech recognition feature of Google Assistant is reliable, despite my northern accent, which some tech firms tend to find difficult to comprehend.

The speaker itself is neither the loudest or most striking; it is somewhat tinny. Additionally, I encountered some initial difficulties getting Spotify music to play straight through the Watch 2’s speakers. I fixed this by attaching a set of headphones to the watch, turning on some music, removing the earbuds, and then turning on the music once again.

Specs & Performance

• Dual processors
• 2GB RAM
• 32GB storage
• No LTE version

The OnePlus Watch 2 is distinct from other wearables due to its dual-chip design, which the company refers it as a “Dual-Engine Architecture.”

While the BES2700 CPU (with RTOS) enables the watch to have a long battery life, the Snapdragon W5 processor (with Wear OS 4) is for performance. 32GB of storage and 2GB of RAM are included, which is more than enough for downloading music on the device.

Daily performance is quick and adaptable. The Watch 2 only experiences a minor lag after restarting, but this is a common occurrence with most electronic devices.

There is no LTE option, despite the device supporting contactless payments via Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC. As a result, you cannot use the OnePlus Watch 2 as a stand-alone device to make and receive calls or messages. If you value that kind of independence, go somewhere.

Software & Features

• Wear OS 4.0 (finally!)
• Three years of software updates

The OnePlus Watch 2 is easy to use and has a smooth, straightforward interface thanks to the use of Google’s wearable operating system (the prior model used OnePlus Watch OS).

The Apple-style tile arrangement that comes with the Watch as normal may be changed to a list format, which is helpful if you’re like me and can’t remember all the different app icons.

All of the common Google applications, including as Calendar, Wallet, and Maps, are available here and function well. Additionally, third-party app compatibility is frequently utilized and includes WhatsApp and Spotify.

Notifications from your phone will also sync onto your wrist, and you can reply on the watch for some apps.

I first had problems connecting to WhatsApp, but the problem was fixed with a watch update. You can also add these applications to the Watch 2 through the Play Store if you would rather track your fitness with other apps like Google Fit and Strava.

One of the easiest things I’ve ever done is connect the Watch 2 to my phone. To link the wearable, just search for it using the OHealth app after downloading it. After that, simply make sure you provide rights for accurate tracking, including location tracking.

As OnePlus promised to provide three years of security patches and two Wear OS updates, it should be supported until 2027.

Fitness & Tracking

• 100+ workout modes
• Dual-frequency GPS
• No ECG

The OnePlus Watch 2 includes more than 100 options for working out. These range from mainstream activities like walking, jogging, and cycling to more specialized ones like pilates, golf, and even tango—perfect if you’re preparing for Strictly Come Dancing.

The Watch 2’s general tracking modes only record heart rate and calories in non-essential modes. Others, nevertheless, incorporate further metrics. It accurately documented the amount of laps and the strokes I used when switching up my strokes during a swim session, something less expensive wearables like Amazfit occasionally fail to capture.

If you’re a runner (Godspeed to you) or a keen walker, then the OnePlus Watch 2 has dedicated workout modes via the app that prompt you to keep jogging until you reach a specific goal. For example; burning 200 calories.

There’s dual-frequency GPS included on the smartwatch for improved tracking in dense areas, such as cities and forests. During a stroll around Soho, the Watch 2 was accurate in logging my path.

Auto-detect workouts are available for running, walking, rowing, elliptical, cycling and swimming, with the option for the watch to ask permission to record. I used it to track a walk automatically, and it was quite responsive.