OnePlus Watch Won’t Run on Wear OS by Google, Will Feature unencumbered design, affordable price

HIGHLIGHTS

·       A stunning and burdenless design that separates itself from the crowd. To us, no detail is too small;
·       Seamless connectivity between OnePlus smartphones, audio peripherals, smartwear devices, and even OnePlus TVs, making smart control over all these devices simple and intuitive;
·       A best-in-class experience at an affordable price point, so that more of our global OnePlus users can enjoy our signature burdenless, seamlessly connected experience.
·       OnePlus Watch will not run-on Google’s Wear OS platform

     OnePlus Watch launch is set for March 23rd alongside the OnePlus 9 series. The company already confirmed the OnePlus Watch design will include a circular dial. Now, the company has detailed key OnePlus Watch features. OnePlus says that it was looking for other devices that users use most often along with their smartphones for an interconnected experience and this led their attention towards smartwatches. The company noted that “it aligns with our mission to create a burdenless experience.”

     

       OnePlus Watch software

       In an official forum post today, Pete Lau confirmed the upcoming OnePlus Watch will not run-on Wear OS. Instead, the smartwatch will run on an unspecified real-time operating system (RTOS). It’s likely the watch will have similar functionality (and limitations) as Amazfit/Zepp watches.

        Here are Lau’s own words:

     “We chose to go with a smart wear operating system developed based on RTOS because we believe it provides you a smooth and reliable experience while offering a great battery life, covering some of the biggest concerns we’ve been hearing from people looking to buy a smartwatch.”

     
OnePlus Watch price

       As mentioned earlier, OnePlus Watch will be the brand’s first smartwatch. Lau said OnePlus saw “smartwatches as more than just instruments that indicate the time and heart rates, but powerful devices capable of elevating our personal digital experience to new heights.”

Lau said that OnePlus will offer a “best-in-class experience at an affordable price point” so that is a major cue right there. It is very likely that the OnePlus Watch will not cost as much as something like say an Apple Watch or even a Samsung Galaxy Watch. Those smartwatches have their benefits, one is, you don’t need a tethered smartphone to use them all the time, they have their own app store, and just generally speaking, they are actual “smart” watches. Expected Price will be <INR12000.

       OnePlus Watch features

•     46mm dial
•     IP68 rating
•     Automatic workout detection
•     Swim, sleep, stress & heart rate monitoring.
•     Remote control for OnePlus TVs
•     4GB onboard storage
•     Warp Charge tech (provide a day’s battery in just 20 min. of charging)

       While OnePlus CEO Pete Lau hasn’t revealed much in his forum post, he said the smartwatch will offer “fashionable design, provide seamless connectivity and deliver a best-in-class user experience.” The OnePlus Watch will offer a stunning and ‘burdenless’ design with seamless connectivity between OnePlus phones, audio peripherals, smart wearable devices, and even OnePlus TVs. The smartwatch is said to come in standard and LTE variants and double up as a remote control for OnePlus TVs. It will also feature Warp Charge technology, which will provide a week's power in 20 minutes.

       Verdict

       It's still very early in the OnePlus Watch's life cycle to make any educated guesses about how the device will perform, especially with key details about the watch’s features still to emerge.

       We're hoping to see some fun features included with the OnePlus Watch. With a number of competing smartwatches already available, the OnePlus Watch will need some compelling capabilities to set it apart from the rest of the pack, especially the Apple Watch Series 6 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 3. Fitness and health tracking features seem like they’ll be a must have, though, and OnePlus would also do well to include complementary features in any upcoming phones.

       Expect to hear a lot more about the OnePlus Watch between now and its release on March 23.