OnePlus has recently unveiled the “R-version” of its second-generation smartwatch, the Watch 2. Named the OnePlus Watch 2r, this smartwatch is an enhanced version offered as a more accessible alternative to the premium OnePlus Watch 2. While some high-end features such as sapphire glass protection and military-grade durability have been omitted, the Watch 2r does not compromise on the essentials. Have these cost-saving measures affected the smartwatch’s overall functionality? Let us find out:
Design
The OnePlus Watch 2r features an all-aluminium frame with a circular design and a smooth texture. Despite its thick appearance, the frame does not add much weight, ensuring a comfortable wearing experience. The bottom of the watch, which houses the health sensors and magnetic charging pins, is made of plastic but has a glass-like finish that feels premium. The front of the smartwatch is equipped with a glass top encasing the 1.43-inch display, surrounded by notably thick bezels. The bezel, designed with a two-tone aesthetic and chronometer-style numbers in grey on the black ring, adds a sporty flair to the watch.
The watch comes with 22mm straps made of high-quality rubber, which are comfortable and lend a premium feel. Since the OnePlus Watch 2r uses the same size band as the OnePlus Watch 2, users can easily swap them out for bands designed for the higher-end model.
In terms of durability, the OnePlus Watch 2r boasts an IP68 rating, offering protection against dust and water ingress, as well as waterproofing up to 5ATM. Although it lacks a stainless steel body and sapphire glass protection, the watch still feels robust and provides impressive scratch resistance.
Overall, the OnePlus Watch 2r is comfortable to wear all day, thanks to its balanced weight distribution and soft rubber straps. However, the thicker frame might not be ideal for users with smaller wrists.
Display
The OnePlus Watch 2r has a 1.43-inch AMOLED display of 466 x 466 resolution. While the display size is adequate for most tasks, the thick bezels slightly detract from the overall viewing experience. Nevertheless, the display delivers vibrant colours and performs well in outdoor conditions, offering ample brightness. The auto-brightness function operates smoothly, adjusting the brightness level according to the environment. The display operates at a 60Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth animations and sliding tiles. Additionally, the watch includes an Animation Booster option within the settings, enhancing the fluidity of live watch faces. The always-on display feature also offers smooth transition effects from select watch faces, adding to the overall visual appeal.
Software
The OnePlus Watch 2r is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 chip paired with a BES2700 efficiency chip, enabling it to operate on a dual operating system. In Smart Mode, the watch runs on Google WearOS, allowing compatible apps to function and providing access to advanced features. When switched to Power Saver mode, it transitions to a Real-Time Operating System (RTOS), which conserves battery life while still handling essential tasks such as health and fitness monitoring, media control, and Bluetooth calling.
RTOS performs well on the smartwatch, offering a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. However, there is a slight lag when opening menus or swiping through tiles. It is also worth noting that while switching to Power Saver mode is seamless, the smartwatch requires a restart to return to Smart Mode, which takes a few seconds.
Bluetooth calling and compatibility
The smartwatch is equipped with a built-in microphone and speakers for Bluetooth calling via a connected smartphone. While the microphone delivers impressive voice reception, the built-in speakers fall short, with low volume levels during calls. This can make it challenging to take calls on the watch in outdoor settings or noisy environments.
The OnePlus Watch 2r is compatible with all Android smartphones. During testing, it was paired with a OnePlus, a Samsung, and a Google Pixel smartphone, providing a consistent experience across all devices. However, pairing with a OnePlus device offers some exclusive features, such as automatic syncing of alarms from the smartphone to the watch’s alarm app.
Companion app
The companion OHealth app is straightforward and easy to use. It provides a quick overview of fitness and health data on the home screen, with more detailed information available in specific sections. The app also offers customization and control options for the watch, such as swapping watch faces, managing notifications, organizing tiles, and installing apps on the watch remotely.
It should be noted that the app does not offer any fitness coaching feature and does not allow users to download health and fitness metric data for sharing with third-party training apps.
Health and Fitness tracking
The OnePlus Watch 2r offers all the essential health monitoring features, including heart rate monitoring, stress tracking, SpO2 measurement, and sleep tracking. These features are easily accessible directly on the watch. However, there is no overall score or metric that consolidates the data to give a comprehensive health overview. While the OHealth app allows users to view these individual metrics side by side, the addition of a daily health score or summary report would have been a valuable feature.
In contrast, fitness tracking is more advanced. The watch includes multiple exercise modes such as outdoor running, indoor running, walking, skipping, swimming, and more, along with dedicated sports modes for activities like soccer, basketball, badminton, table tennis, and others. During testing, the amount of data available on the watch for certain tracking modes like Outdoor Running was impressive. Metrics such as average and peak heart rate, heart rate zones, stride length, vertical oscillation, ground contact time (GCT), balance, and even the biased foot based on GCT can be viewed on the watch. However, these metrics are easier to interpret on the companion app, which presents them in bar graphs, while the watch displays them on a chart that can be harder to read. Additionally, the route map for Outdoor Running, based on GPS tracking, is only visible on the app, not on the watch.
OnePlus has optimized some of the sports tracking modes quite well. For instance, in Badminton mode, the watch tracks swing speed, overhangs, rally time, and more. However, some sports modes, like Soccer, are more basic, only tracking fundamental data such as calories burned and heart rate.
Battery
The OnePlus Watch 2r is equipped with a 500mAh battery. While the company claims up to four days of battery life, the actual performance depends on usage and the number of enabled features. In Smart Mode, with all tracking features and notifications active, the Watch 2r managed to last until the third day with some battery life remaining. However, using features like Improved Location Accuracy and extended periods of dedicated sports tracking can shorten the battery life.
In terms of charging, the Watch 2r takes about 50 minutes to fully charge. It also supports quick charging, allowing the watch to reach 40 per cent in just over 10 minutes.
Verdict
The OnePlus Watch 2r does not lose out on much despite being a more affordable smartwatch in the OnePlus Watch 2 series. It delivers a durable design, a quality display, satisfactory performance, and solid battery life. These features make the Watch 2r a reliable everyday smartwatch. However, for those seeking more advanced health or fitness tracking capabilities, there are other alternatives available in the market.
