Summary
From Apple to Google to Samsung, smartwatches have completely stagnated.
The Design Lacks Any Convection
On the surface, the Watch 2 specs are intriguing.
It features a 1.43-inch circular display with 326 pixels per inch.
Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek
The OnePlus Watch 2 specs, even if decent, dont tell the whole story.
Some of the Watch 2s silliest faux pas overshadow the better parts of the product.
For example, the plastic induction charger that comes with Watch 2 is cheap all around.
The OnePlus Watch 2 is an elegant, rugged, long-lasting, and high-precision timepiece that makes it easier than ever to live a healthy lifestyle. Powered by a unique Dual-Engine Architecture, the OnePlus Watch 2 features market-beating battery life of up to 100 hours in Smart Mode.
The USB-C cable resides on one side, however, and the uneven buttons are on the other side.
Also, the protruding circular top button spins, but its spinning does nothingno scrolling or anything like that.
There are a bunch of little things like this all around the Watch 2.
Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek
Its advertised as having 100 hours of life with general use or 48 hours of heavy use.
Thats significantly more than any other Wear OS watch or Apple Watch.
Its not more than some Garmin watches, but it also has a pleasant-looking color display.
Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek
I took it on three-mile runs and got email and calendar notifications throughout the day.
This approach seems risky for performance, but I never saw any glitches or issues.
An always-on display can be a divisive feature.
Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek
It can detect and record that information if you want.
It was a bit cumbersome during the day, but unbearable to wear to bed.
Others may feel differently, but Im bothered by anything on my wrist while sleeping.
Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek
This is one instance where the Watch 2s physical attributes dont match its ambitions.
The OnePlus Watch 2 has a lot of these counterintuitive aspects to it.
(you better turn on a screen lock setting to stop water from messing with the touchscreen.)
There are contradictions around every corner.
Another thing that limits the Watch 2 is its lack of a cellular model.
The time, distance, cadence, and pace all lined up nearly identically.
The thing I was really looking for was consistency.
The Watch was Pixel-y before the Pixel Watch existed.
It will be available to purchase on OnePlus.com and Amazon.
Should You Buy the OnePlus Watch 2?
It feels like any other bulky Wear OS-based smartwatch.
Without a cellular model, its also limited by the need to have your phone nearby.
A lot of the features and design choices it makes feel contradictory.
It doesnt quite know what it wants to be or who its target audience is.
I think your money is better spent somewhere else.
For the $300 and under price point, youre almost certainly better served with aPixel WatchorPixel Watch 2.
