A company long known for affordable phones is preparing to step onto a crowded stage with a smartwatch, hoping this second attempt will finally be taken seriously. At Mobile World Congress on February 26, OnePlus is expected to unveil the Watch 2, a successor to a device that stumbled mainly because its software could not keep pace with its modest price and promising build. The new model is being offered as proof of a broader ambition: to be remembered not just as a bargain maker but as a builder of connected ecosystems. Whether that ambition survives contact with real wrists and real batterie
OnePlus Watch 2 Promises 100-Hour Battery and WearOS, Aiming to Challenge Pixel Watch
The first watch's problem wasn't hardware. It was the software inside it.
Mark
Why does a second-generation budget watch merit attention?
Mimi
Because the first one failed for a fixable reason. The hardware was fine, but its own operating system had no voice assistant, no always-on display, and no third-party apps.
Mark
And WearOS is the fix?
Mimi
That's the expectation. It would cover those gaps in one move.
Luke
Expectation is the word to hold onto. WearOS 4 is rumored, not confirmed. The article says the specs so far are only rumors.
Mark
What about the 100-hour battery?
Mimi
It's the headline number, up to 100 hours in full Smart Mode, which the writer says beats every other watch on the market.
Luke
But the writer also says nobody knows what Smart Mode is. A battery figure without its conditions isn't something we can compare yet. And it's the company's claim, not a tested result.
Mark
So what is actually confirmed?
Luke
The February 26 unveiling, the stainless steel body, sapphire crystal, the two colors, and OnePlus's own battery and design language. The display and chip are rumors.
Mimi
Hands-on coverage next week should settle a lot of it.
El Pulso
- The first OnePlus Watch launched with a proprietary system that lacked a voice assistant, always-on display, and third-party apps, leaving it behind rivals.
- OnePlus is pushing to shed its budget reputation by unveiling the Watch 2 at Mobile World Congress on February 26.
- Headline promises of up to 100 hours of battery life in Smart Mode draw attention, but what that mode actually does remains unexplained.
- Rumored WearOS 4 support would close the old watch's software gaps, though the full specifications are still unconfirmed.
- Independent hands-on coverage from ZDNet next week will test whether the battery claims and rumored features hold up beyond the press release.
A company long known for affordable phones is preparing to step onto a crowded stage with a smartwatch, hoping this second attempt will finally be taken seriously. At Mobile World Congress on February 26, OnePlus is expected to unveil the Watch 2, a successor to a device that stumbled mainly because its software could not keep pace with its modest price and promising build. The new model is being offered as proof of a broader ambition: to be remembered not just as a bargain maker but as a builder of connected ecosystems. Whether that ambition survives contact with real wrists and real batteries is a question the coming days will answer.
On February 26, at Mobile World Congress, OnePlus plans to unveil the Watch 2, the successor to a smartwatch that never found its footing. The company hopes this model will carry it beyond its identity as a maker of inexpensive phones and toward something broader: an ecosystem builder.
The first OnePlus Watch was affordable, but ZDNet judged it held back by too many shortcomings. Its proprietary operating system lacked a voice assistant, an always-on display, and support for third-party apps and watch faces. Notifications were limited and fitness and sleep tracking were inaccurate. Its battery life and elegant look were real strengths, but the software undercut them.
The Watch 2 is meant to answer those failings. OnePlus promises its best battery life yet and a design blending elegance with durability, with stainless steel and sapphire crystal in Black Steel and Radient Steel finishes. The headline claim is up to 100 hours in full Smart Mode, a figure that would outlast every watch on the market, though Smart Mode itself is still unexplained. Other specifications, including a 1.43-inch AMOLED display, a Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip, and possibly WearOS 4, remain rumor. WearOS would address the old watch's biggest weaknesses.
The ambition is large, since the goal in wearables is to be named the best flagship smartwatch, a field dominated by Apple and Google. The comparison point is the Pixel Watch.
What comes next is simple. The official announcement will appear on the OnePlus Community Blog, and ZDNet promises hands-on coverage the following week to show whether the claims survive outside the press release.
On February 26, at Mobile World Congress, OnePlus plans to show the world the OnePlus Watch 2, the follow-up to a smartwatch that never became a real contender. The company is betting this one will carry it past its old identity as a maker of cheap flagship-beating phones and toward something broader: an ecosystem builder.
The first OnePlus Watch was inexpensive, and ZDNet's assessment is that it suffered from too many problems to compete. Chief among them was its proprietary operating system. That software lacked a voice assistant, an always-on display, and support for third-party apps and watch faces. Notification options were limited, and fitness and sleep tracking were inaccurate. The watch did offer strong battery life and a measure of elegance, but the software held it back.
The Watch 2 is meant to answer that. In a post on its community blog, OnePlus said the watch will have its best-ever battery life and a design that combines elegance with durability. The hardware described is a stainless steel chassis and a sapphire crystal face, in two colorways: Black Steel and Radient Steel, as the source spells it. ZDNet's writer says it looks like something that would suit the wrist of James Bond, and calls the device as functional as it is good-looking.
The headline claim is battery life of up to 100 hours in full Smart Mode. ZDNet notes that figure would beat every other watch on the market. It also notes that what Smart Mode actually is remains unexplained, so the number comes with a question attached.
The rest of the specifications are still rumor. They include a 1.43-inch AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chipset, and the possibility that the watch ships with WearOS 4. If that last one proves true, it would address the old watch's biggest weakness, since WearOS covers the gaps in voice assistance, always-on display, third-party apps, notifications, and tracking accuracy. ZDNet argues the timing is good, given the platform's recent resurgence.
The ambition is large. As with every wearable maker, the goal is to be named best flagship smartwatch of the year, in a field where Apple and Google dominate. The headline's comparison is to the Pixel Watch, which is the kind of competitor OnePlus is implicitly measuring itself against. For context, ZDNet also points to the $399 OnePlus 12R, which it describes as possibly the best cheap phone of 2024.
What comes next is straightforward. The official announcement is on the OnePlus Community Blog, and ZDNet says it will provide hands-on coverage from Mobile World Congress the following week. That will show whether the confirmed claims, the rumored specs, and especially the 100-hour battery figure hold up outside a press release.
Citas Notables
The Watch 2 will have its best-ever battery life and a design that epitomizes both elegance and durability.— OnePlus, via its community blog
Quieres la nota completa?
Lee el original en ZDNet ↗
Technology