MWC 2024: OnePlus Watch 2 is the brand’s first ‘real’ smartwatch

OnePlus is not entirely new to wearables. With a number of affordable fitness trackers, the brand decided to take on heavyweights like the Samsung Galaxy Watch and the Apple Watch series a few years ago with the first OnePlus Watch.

Why you may not remember this, is because the OnePlus Watch was a forgettable device. Going with a proprietary operating system that didn’t match the app support of true smartwatches at the time, even a few special editions here and there couldn’t save the OnePlus Watch.

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Now the brand is back with its second attempt at a smart wearable with the OnePlus Watch 2 at MWC 2024, and things look much better this time around.

OnePlus Watch 2: What’s new?

The OnePlus Watch 2 comes with a circular dial and a metallic design, but the highlight here is the software. Running Google’s own Wear OS 4, the OnePlus Watch 2 actually has support for supported apps from the Play Store. Something it’s first-gen watch missed out on.

The wearable also comes with two separate chipsets – a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 and a BES 2700 MCU. Why, you ask? The answer is for more efficient computing.

While the Snapdragon chip will run Google Wear OS on the watch, the other chip handles the less powerful RTOS software which consumes lesser resources as well.

This dual-OS mechanism allows the OnePlus Watch 2 to use one side of its internal architecture when it is on standby or running basic background tasks. The Snapdragon chip, which is much less forgiving when it comes to battery life, only kicks in when required.

This results in a claimed 100-hour battery life for the OnePlus Watch 2, which is miles ahead of most proper smartwatches that come with third-party app support. The Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch series, for instance, need to be charged about once a day.

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There is a catch, though. The 100-hour figure only holds true if you’re largely using the Smart Mode, which keeps features like the always-on display (AoD) and GPS navigation turned off.

The OnePlus Watch 2 also comes with up to 2GB RAM and 32GB local storage, along with a 500mAh battery that supports fast charging through the brand’s proprietary pogo-pin charger. Other features include IP68 water resistance, a sapphire crystal and a stainless-steel body.

The watch supports over 100 sports tracking modes and has your usual suite of health metrics like a heart-rate scanner. The OnePlus Watch 2 is priced at USD 299.99 (about Rs 24,900), but we will have to see how much it costs in India when it gets a local launch here. While you wait for the wearable to come to a store near you, feel free to check out other cool tech announced at MWC 2024.