When OnePlus launched its first smartwatch three years ago, the company chose not to run Google's WearOS platform due to battery life concerns, instead opting for a custom-built lightweight OS called RTOS (Real-time OS). And indeed, the original OnePlus Watch offered nearly double-digit battery life on a single charge, but without Google's platform, the OnePlus Watch had almost no meaningful app support.

OnePlus has not made the same mistake twice. The just-launched OnePlus Watch 2 runs the latest WearOS 4, so it has access to all of Google's useful apps like Google Assistant, Maps, and widely used third-party apps like Spotify. But OnePlus didn't exactly abandon RTOS either. In fact, the OnePlus Watch 2 still runs RTOS, it's just hidden behind WearOS. To keep things from being bogged down OnePlus is giving each OS its own silicon, which means the OnePlus Watch 2 has two chips inside, which the company calls "Dual Engine Architecture."

If this sounds like a complicated way of doing things, rest assured it's paid off, because the OnePlus Watch 2 has significantly better battery life than the Google Pixel Watch 2 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 while not missing any features those watches offer.

About this review: OnePlus provided us with a OnePlus Watch 2 for testing; the company did not have input in this review

OnePlus Watch 2: Pricing and Availability

The OnePlus Watch 2 has an official retail price of $300. It's available for pre-order now on Amazon or OnePlus' website, with open sale beginning March 4th on OnePlus.com and March 11 on Amazon. During the pre-order period, OnePlus is offering a minimum of $50 off if you trade in any watch in any condition, $200 off if you also purchase a OnePlus 12, or $100 off if you purchase a OnePlus 12R or OnePlus Open.

Once open sales begin, OnePlus.com will still offer 30% off the watch for anyone who purchases a OnePlus 12, OnePlus 12R, or OnePlus Open. Amazon will offer 30% off to all Prime members.

Hardware overview

It's a typical circular watch

The OnePlus Watch 2 doesn't attempt anything bold with its design the way Google's dome-shaped Pixel Watch did, nor is it blatantly copying the Apple Watch's form factor the way Oppo's first smartwatch did. Instead, the OnePlus Watch 2, like the original, sticks to the basic conventions of what a wristwatch should look like. But OnePlus does a good job of construction, giving the product premium materials like a stainless steel chassis and sapphire crystal glass, along with subtle curvatures along the protruded ridge that houses two physical buttons. The straps that come with the watch are the rubbery vinyl types I dislike (I've been spoiled by Huawei smartwatches which come with vegan leather straps), but the fit is comfortable, and the straps can be removed and exchanged easily.

The main selling point of the OnePlus Watch 2 is that it runs Google's WearOS platform without the compromises that come with it, namely poor battery life. Both Samsung and Google's latest and best smartwatches can last roughly one and half days with normal use, and if you go light, maybe two full days at most. The OnePlus Watch 2, however, can last at least two full days with normal use, and four days with controlled, lighter usage.

This extra battery endurance is achieved with the aforementioned dual-chip stragtegy: the Watch 2 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 chip to handle WearOS and all the more intensive smartwatch things like navigating on Google Maps or using Google Assistant. But for less power-intensive tasks, like tracking steps, keeping alarms and, uh, keeping the time, the watch relies on the BES 2700, an "efficiency chip" powering the lightweight RTOS. This means the Watch 2 only really turns to the more power-hungry W5 and WearOS when it needs to do, as opposed to something like the Google Pixel Watch which is running WearOS at all times.

The 1.43-inch, 466x466 OLED screen produces vivid colors, and its maximum brightness of 1,000 nits is good enough to see outdoors. As far as a smartwatch screen goes, I have no real complaints. Even the 60Hz refresh rate, which is lower than what some other watch offers, didn't bother me because the watch's animations appear fluid and fast enough.

What I like

Smooth UI, good battery life

One of the features I absolutely need from a smartwatch is the ability to receive, and respond to, text messages directly on device, without needing to touch my phone. This sounds like a basic ask, but most smartwatches from Chinese brands like Huawei and Xiaomi do not let me do this. And while all WearOS devices can technically do this, most of them run on such underpowered chips that the process was tediously slow. The OnePlus Watch 2, I'm happy to report, manages to get this part down. When I get an incoming text, my wrist is alerted with a solid vibration from the watch, then from there, I can read the message (whether it's from Telegram, or WhatsApp, or WeChat) in its entirety. I can respond directly on my wrist via pecking on an on-screen keyboard or voice dictation. The latter works well, but the former is a bit difficult to do, given the cramped screen for a QWERTY keyboard. Still, I have engaged in casual conversation with the watch without issues.

I also like the smooth animations, despite the 60Hz panel. OnePlus has always been good at this, and the Watch 2's UI zips around without stutters or noticeable frame drops. There are little touches, like in the app carousel screen being able to zoom in and out via pinching gestures.

The health tracking is on point. OnePlus advertises more than 100 workout modes, but I am always skeptical about how a wrist-worn tracker can truly tell the difference between, say, badminton or tennis, roller skating or skateboarding. What's important is the heart rate tracking and step counts are accurate, and they are. I went on a walk earlier and the watch's dual-brand GPS was able to track the walk, which I was later able to see the exact route.

As mentioned earlier, the OnePlus Watch 2 also gives me noticeably better battery life than recent offerings from Samsung and Google. OnePlus advertises 100 hours of battery life with the watch in "smart mode," which is really just a fancy way of saying don't do the most intensive tasks like track workouts or navigate on Google Maps. "Smart mode" does include most smartwatch features we use daily though, such as step tracking, getting alerted for incoming calls and notifications, and keeping the date and time. Honestly, I think most people's normal daily routine wouldn't go over the mentioned usage cases too much so I think for most people, 100-hour battery life (basically four full days) is achievable.

Let's say you're more active, and you do hit the gym or go for a run daily. Or you use Google Maps on the watch to navigate bike rides. In that case, then the OnePlus Watch 2 won't meet the four-day endurance, but still give you full two days of use from my testing, which is still better than anything Apple, Google, or Samsung offers. Basically, the OnePlus Watch 2 is a watch I can take on a weekend trip (lasting 2-3 days) without needing to bring a charger, and I can't say that about the other guys.

What I don't like

​​​​​Companion app could be better

No product is perfect, so there are nitpicks to be had. The Watch 2's crown being physically rotatable but not actually do anything is baffling, especially since many other smartwatches, including those from Apple, Google and Huawei, all have rotatable crowns. The screen being completely flat with no raised bezels could raise durability concerns. The Watch 2 is also not compatible with iOS, so it's a wearable for Android users only, though this last point seems moot considering most iPhone users would buy an Apple Watch anyway.

To really use the watch, you also need to download Oppo/OnePlus's OHealth app, which isn't the most comprehensive app in terms of showing health data. The selection of watch faces are also a bit uninspired in my opinion, though some of them do allow customizable complications, which means I can put different widgets onto the watch face for quicker access. However, the types of widgets I can put are limited to just very basic information like battery percentage or step count. I can't, for example, put a Spotify or WhatsApp widget to immediately jump into those apps (which are available on WearOS), nor could I even have a widget that shows me my next appointment. These are all things the Pixel Watch and Apple Watch do better.

Should you buy the OnePlus Watch 2?

You should buy the OnePlus Watch 2 if:

• You want a smartwatch with good battery life and WearOS capabilities
• You want a good Android smartwatch that checks all the boxes and doesn't break the bank

You should not buy the OnePlus Watch 2 if:

• You are not bothered by needing to charge your watch at least once a day
• You want more protection for the watch screen
• You use an iPhone (but that should be a given)

The OnePlus Watch 2 continues OnePlus' recent run of great products. But unlike the OnePlus Open or the OnePlus 12, the Watch 2 doesn't have a particularly large value advantage over direct competitors — meaning it isn't priced low enough to immediately appeal to consumers who may already be eyeing a Pixel Watch or Galaxy Watch. Because of this, and lack of carrier presence, I think it will fall under the radar. But those who opt for this watch won't be disappointed. It does everything it promises.