Joe Maring / Digital Trends
How do you fend out in the smartwatch Earth ? How do you seek to do something young and unique with vesture in 2024 when so many companies seem to be coasting by ?
That ’s what OnePlus is trying to figure out with theOnePlus Watch 2 , and in many way , it has succeeded . The OnePlus Watch 2 , while not perfect , is one of the more interesting Wear OS watches we ’ve seen in a while — and that ’s for the most part due to a intercrossed excogitation unlike any we ’ve seen before .
Joe Maring / Digital Trends
Digital Trends spoke with Justin Liu , the worldwide manager of OnePlus ’ wearable division , to get a right discernment of what makes the OnePlus Watch 2 tick . And in doing so , we learn some of the vigil ’s most engrossing secrets .
The OnePlus Watch 2’s most unique feature
“ It ’s similar to intercrossed cars , ” gag Liu when talking about the OnePlus Watch 2 ’s unique dual - silicon , twofold - OS system . In a nutshell , this smartwatch packs two processor — each one palm its own operating system — and has the singular ability to swop between each ecosystem based on the task at hand .
For complex labor like map navigation and contactless payments , it banks on Wear type O apps running atop a powerfulQualcomm Snapdragon W5 processor . As substance abuser swap to basic tasks like checking presentment or measuring heart rate , the smartwatch transitions to the low - business leader Bestechnic BES 2700 bit .
It ’s a unique computer hardware - software try that , despite all skepticism , manages to deliver stellar results in one primal area where every mainstream smartwatch fails : battery life . In fact , OnePlus says the sole role behind the whole undertaking was to get more hours out of the 500 mAh battery . As Liu told us , “ We did not do the two systems just for the sake of it . ”
A complex switch for battery gains
Digital Trends ’ tough - to - please section editor Joe Maring hailed the battery living of the OnePlus Watch 2 as “ stupendous , ” labeling it one of the best out there . In my own experience , it ’s the only smartwatch that has n’t give me the proverbial shelling living nightmare .
“ The exploitation of the Dual - locomotive architecture took more than a year , with the participation of 200 individuals from the OnePlus squad , ” Liu said . The execution has been terrific , without any obvious operable carmine flags , pull through for some inherent Wear bone hiccough .
One would expect the OS / Si unconscious process to be janky or at least show some sort of operational latency , but gratefully , that ’s not the case . In fact , the whole OS + silicon switching cognitive process is automatic , and OnePlus has managed to shave the window to “ millisecond level . ” I never remark the switch happening visibly for any task that I launched . Liu also highlighted this in our schmoose , saying , “ For users , they just do whatever they like . They do n’t need to think about RTOS [ real - time operating system ] or Wear OS because the two organisation can run and switch seamlessly . ”
That beg the question : How did OnePlus sort task that need low - power silicon and those require the might of the best wearable processor out there ? Task frequency . For resort task such as checking the ticker cheek ( for clock time , bombardment position , activity stats ) , taking a peep at notifications , and swiping across heart and soul function tile , among others , the smartwatch dips into the low-toned - ability CPU reserves .
Making sense of usage patterns
basically , the higher the frequency of a smartwatch task , the higher the likeliness of RTOS jump out into action . When exploiter need the Wear OS smarting , such as when using Google apps or other third - party software package build for the Android - based platform , the Qualcomm processor jump into natural action .
“ For sure tasks like running , when Power Saver mode is engaged , certain functionality like interpreter guidance and post - run visual route summary on the sentry is n’t available , ” explains the OnePlus executive .
Now , this is not a hard - write in code scenario . Instead , the functional bound are fluid . Take , for example , Instagram . In the Power Saver mode , which boots the smartwatch in the RTOS ecosystem , you get a assorted travelling bag of capability .
you could see Instagram direct message ( DM ) apprisal , like incoming message , and even afford them on your phone with a single tap . However , you ca n’t reply to content . For that , the watch needs to reboot into the more powerfulness - hungry wearing group O modal value to unlock more Instagram - related potentiality .
Similar restrictions hold to a tidy bunch of other third - company apps . “ It is able of running third - party party apps , but presently , it is not an open - rootage scheme , and we look forrader to collaborate with more developers in the future , ” Liu add together in respect to the RTOS flavor running on the OnePlus Watch 2 .
On the positive side , the experience of interacting with app notifications is unvarying to an acceptable extent , irrespective of whether RTOS or wear down OS is running the show . But at the ending of the day , being able to interact with these apps and their resource - hungry notification , even in a limited capability , is still quite an accomplishment .
“ Our squad expend a lot of time ferment with Google technologist to get notifications to also run on RTOS . This has helped save a significant electric battery life , ” Liu tells us .
I seldom felt disabled when using the OnePlus Watch 2 — for two nucleus reason . First , the OnePlus Watch 2 ’s battery life is amazing , which means I rarely had to boot it into Power Saver modality , even after staying away from the charger for over two solar day . Second , even in Power Saver mode , most of the meat systems — such as notification and media playback control , activity log , workout trailing and biosensing ( heart rate , quietus , pedigree oxygen depth psychology , etc . ) , consternation , atmospheric condition info , and slumber logging — are operable .
Bare-bones to rewarding evolution
“ At the very beginning , Power Saver modality was only designed to secernate time , but we found that exploiter also have other prerequisite while the machine is in Power Saver mood , ” says Liu .
But as the company researched among its community of smartwatch users and gathered their feedback , OnePlus sensed the need for serving up a dispirited - power manner that does n’t nuke meat features .
The end result was a Power Saver mood that still functions like a full - fledged RTOS - based smartwatch , akin to the first - gen OnePlus Watch . “ This is quite uncommon , ” remarks Liu regarding the functions you may access on the OnePlus Watch 2 alone in the RTOS or Power Saver mode .
OnePlus sensed the pauperization for serving up a modest - mogul mode that does n’t nuke core features .
There are still some rough border , especially with grumpy - equipment syncing , as OnePlus inches ever closer to create a sloshed ecosystem of its own , à la Apple . For representative , even the Do Not Disturb mode on OnePlus phone wo n’t sync with the OnePlus Watch 2 in the wayFocus Mode work across the Apple Watch and iPhones .
“ We will be working to broaden the image of apps that can be synced in the time to come , ” Liu tells Digital Trends . Interestingly , in the development phase , the aforementioned perks were not planned .
There are a few other hiccups and accuracy issues with trailing , but nothing that ca n’t be polished with some algorithmic tuning and software shining . I ran into some limitations with watch faces when switching the index profile . And I missed Google Assistant when Power Saver mode was enable .
It delivers where it matters
But at the end of the Clarence Day , the result is a rewarding smartwatch experience without shrewish electric battery concerns . With heavy function , the OnePlus Watch 2 is claimed to redeem 48 hours of battery life , while more restrained use take those longevity bod to 100 hours . Those numbers are quite subjective and get with a whole bunch of use star .
In my own experience , durinf heavy exercise with always - on modal value enabled ( and with a tradition ticker face apply ) , I easily managed two days without looking for the magnetic charging Robin Goodfellow . That ’s miles forward of what myApple Watch Series 8or theSamsung Galaxy look on 6can selective service .
With Smart Mode enabled , OnePlus is promise a 100 - hour shelling living . The full I could reach , with my unique usage radiation pattern , was around 74 hours . Those are awful figure , considering the GPS was active in the scope while logging my cycling Roger Huntington Sessions .
When you do n’t demand all the chime and whistle of Wear OS , and RTOS is enough to handle your smartwatch demand , the OnePlus Watch 2 call to go as long as 12 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. without require a charge . Once again , those numbers can much be extend to with a very selective usage design , but if you go by the conventional use case radiation diagram of a pure RTOS smartwatch , the new OnePlus offer will be honest for at least a week .
Now , I have a love - hatred kinship with smartwatches , primarily because I do n’t demand another distracting blind in my living , and I really care some gadget exemption for my limbs before I go to sleep . But even during the test phase , when I had to track my eternal rest approach pattern at night and push the vigil as common during the day , the OnePlus wearable left its rivals far behind in battery endurance .
The onlyrealdrawback to all of this ? The OnePlus Watch Watch 2 is big . It has a 47 millimeter case , making it very like in size to theApple Watch Ultra 2 . It ’s the only size you’re able to get the OnePlus Watch 2 in , and it all come back to electric battery life .
“ We decided to focus most of our resource on addressing this biggest pain full point for substance abuser : battery life , ” Liu order . “ To address this issue , we postulate to make certain that the battery size was enough . ” A big battery command a big smartwatch , hence the tumid sizing of the OnePlus Watch 2 . Thankfully , other size options are n’t off the table . “ In our production planning in the future , we will consider different sizing for the watch , ” Liu total .
The ecosystem long shot
OnePlus could also use some help from Google ’s Wear OS squad here , and some extra love life from app developers . WhatsApp presentment proved to be a incubus while hunt down two-fold accounts , as they bypassed the Do Not Disturb modality options for the secondary visibility . Telegram was downright dire with incoming call alerts on the OnePlus Watch 2 .
It ’s high time that these deep - pocketed developers pay some attention to their smartwatch experiences as well . As for OnePlus , it has aced battery targets for now , but shield more challenging goals for its wearable endeavor . “ With the addition of the smartwatch , the ecosystem of OnePlus can deliver a better experience at an unprecedented level . It can deliver a comprehensive experience with the family of our flagship products , ” Liu said .
“ Our end is not only to create a gimmick that provide a unlined experience within the OnePlus ecosystem , but also to make it a platform for builders within the Android ecosystem , ” reason out Liu . I am waiting eagerly for the OnePlus Watch 2 to deliver on its ecosystem promises .
pull through for computing form factor — Windows or Chrome OS — OnePlus now command a similar profundity in terms of a widget ecosystem as competitor like Samsung and Apple . All it needs right now is to focus on the machine interplay and make it all much rewarding for an intermediate substance abuser on a day - to - daylight foundation .
ferment buyers into invested loyalist . That ’s the wearable nirvana . Otherwise , we are just looking at a exalt biosensing gizmo strapped to the wrist .
