It’s been almost three years since OnePlus launched its only smartwatch. Kinder Liu, the COO and President of OnePlus has called this hiatus a ‘reflective pause’. The soul searching seems to have worked, the OnePlus Watch 2 is a much-improved version of its predecessor that was let down by a Custom OS and a lack of apps that that allowed users to leverage the hardware. The OnePlus Watch 2 is powered by Google’s Wear OS but that’s not the only reason why this wearable needs to be on your radar. 

Boardroom and wilderness proof 

OnePlus tells us that the Watch 2 takes design cues the distinctive K-shape design of the OnePlus 12 series. The round watch face that echoes the series' camera deco is part of that inspiration. It comes in two colour options; we’re partial to the Radiant Steel variant that we checked out. It’s fashioned with an elegant grey strap. You can swap the watch bands with conventional 22mm watch straps that you use for fashion watches. A leather band quickly transforms it into a watch that’s ready for a client meeting. This one’s ready for your outdoor pursuits too.  The Watch 2 features a 2.5D sapphire crystal cover, making it more scratch-resistant. This is a material you usually find in smartwatches that cost thrice as much. The watch chassis is crafted in stainless steel for added rust and corrosion resistance. It’s certified to the latest MIL-STD-810H US military standard. The  IP68 resistant rating and 5ATM water resistance make it snorkel proof.  

Best of both worlds?  

OnePlus opts for a hybrid user experience that integrates the latest version of Google’s Wear OS with its own custom OS. It’s a clever choice. It features OnePlus’s self-developed Dual-Engine architecture powered by two different flagship chipsets (Snapdragon W5 performance chipset and the BES 2700 MCU Efficiency chipset). The BES2700 Efficiency Chipset runs RTOS and handles background activity and simple tasks, while the Snapdragon W5 tackles powerful tasks, like running your favourite Google apps. Set up is a breeze and you get access to popular Google apps like Maps, Assistant, and Calendar, plus support for more third-party apps like Spotify.   

Ticks the wellness boxes? 

OnePlus offers a raft of wellness features available through the companion app – Ohealth, include tracking modes for more than 100 sports. I was impressed with the auto start-stop during a 16-km bicycle ride on a recent trip to Kerala where I took a couple of short stops. The stress level monitoring and sleep tracking worked well in our tests. You get all the regular wellness features like step and calorie tracking, VO2 Max and SpO2 tracking. The Watch 2 misses out on period tracking and doesn’t offer a temperature sensor or ECG monitoring. There’s also no fall detection that’s becoming a common feature in premium smartwatches.  

Wrap up 

One of the key selling points for the Watch 2 is battery life and fast charging (1 to 100% in 60 minutes). While OnePlus claims 100 hours with Smart Mode or 48 hours with heavy use, we think this might boil down to your usage patterns that include GPS usage for workouts and display settings. It lasted almost three days in our tests which gives it a significant edge over other premium options. This despite a vibrant 1.43-inch (466 x 466 pixels / 326PPI) display. There’s only one size option (47 mm) that might not work for tiny wrists. We would have also like to see an LTE option that allows you to ditch your smartphone when you’re heading for a run or ride and need to stay connected. After more than a week with the OnePlus Watch 2, we can say that it’s one of the best Wear OS2 smartwatches out there. It’s not just a huge improvement over its predecessor but is one of the best smartwatches you can buy under Rs 25,000.  

The One Plus Watch 2 comes in Black Steel and Radiant Steel and starts at Rs 24,999.  

There’s an instant discount of Rs 2,000 on select credit cards.