OnePlus launched the Watch 2R after the Watch 2. This new watch offers almost the same great specifications but costs $70 less. You still get dual OS, dual processor, about 100 hours of battery life and the same RAM and storage. All the sensors and features of the Watch 2 are also included in it.
So, what’s special about the Watch 2R and how does it compare to the Watch 2? And most importantly, how does it perform in daily use? After wearing it for over a week, here’s my OnePlus Watch 2R review. Let’s get into it!
First look: Differences between the Watch 2 and Watch 2R
The OnePlus Watch 2R is much lighter than the OnePlus Watch 2. The Watch 2 weighs around 80 grams with the strap, while the Watch 2R weighs around 59 grams. This difference in weight is due to the material used. The Watch 2 is made of military-grade stainless steel while the 2R uses aluminium alloy. Aluminium is not as strong as steel but is comfortable and lightweight making it more suitable for all-day wear.
The straps are also different. The OnePlus Watch 2 has a fluoro-rubber strap, which is more premium and durable, while the Watch 2R uses a silicone strap. Silicone is a little more prone to lint, but both straps are the same size and are interchangeable.
In terms of design, the Watch 2R has unique dual-tone chronographic markings on the bezel, giving it a distinct look. The Watch 2, on the other hand, follows a more common smartwatch design. I personally prefer the minimalist approach of the Watch 2, but design can be subjective.
The Watch 2 has one non-rotatable crown button and one standard button, while the 2R has two non-rotatable crown buttons, which I found more appealing. Below are more details on their functions.
Overall, the Watch 2R is lighter with a chronographic design, although slightly less sturdy. Apart from these differences, both watches are pretty similar. Here’s the spec sheet comparing the OnePlus Watch 2 and Watch 2R.
| Speciality | OnePlus Watch 2 | OnePlus Watch 2R |
|---|---|---|
| Construction material | MIL-STD-810H, 5ATM + IP68 | Aluminum alloy frame, 2D sapphire crystal glass |
| weight | 49 grams (without strap), 80 grams (with strap) | 37 grams (without strap), 59 grams (with strap) |
| Durability and Water Resistance | MIL-STD-810H, 5ATM + IP68 | 5ATM + IP68 |
| Battery | 500mAh, up to 100 hours in smart mode, 48 hours with heavy usage, 12 days in power saver mode | Similar to Watch 2 |
| Charging Speed | 60 minutes for full charge, 10 minutes for 24 hours power | Similar to Watch 2 |
| GPS | Dual frequency(L1+L5) | Similar to Watch 2 |
| Strap quality and size | Fluororubber, 140-210mm | silicone, 140-210 mm |
| Display | 1.43-inch AMOLED, 466 x 466 pixels, 1000 nits brightness | Similar to Watch 2 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Generation 1 + BES2700BP MCU | Similar to Watch 2 |
| OS | Wear OS 4 + RTOS | Similar to Watch 2 |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5G/2.4G, Bluetooth 5.0, Dual frequency GPS (L1+L5) | Similar to Watch 2 |
| RAM and storage | 2GB RAM + 32GB storage | Similar to Watch 2 |
| colour’s | Wi-Fi 5G/2.4G, Bluetooth 5.0, dual-frequency GPS (L1+L5) | Forest Green, Gunmetal Grey |
| price | $299.99 | $229.99 |
With nearly identical specs and features, the OnePlus Watch 2R makes the Watch 2 unnecessary, unless you prefer the stainless steel look.
Wear OS + RTOS = 100 hours of battery life
The Watch 2R uses a unique dual OS system combining Wear OS and RTOS (real time operating system). No, you don’t get to choose which OS to use. It runs on RTOS by default, which is lighter and more efficient on the battery. When you need Wear OS features like calls, notifications, or using apps like Spotify or Google Wallet, Wear OS kicks in with the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip. You won’t notice the switch, but this setup helps save battery life.
Simply put, the Watch 2R runs mostly on RTOS to save battery, and switches to Wear OS for specific tasks. This allows the Watch 2R to deliver around 100 hours of battery life in smart mode. I turned on AoD (always-on display) and still got over 3 days of battery life. It also has a power saver mode that delivers around 12 days of battery life.
However, it does take a little while When a notification is shown or a Wear OS-specific app like Google Maps is openedThese actions take a few seconds to register as the system has to switch to Wear OS. Even when I swipe up on the Google Calendar tile, the watch takes a good second to display my next event. This impacts the user experience a bit but it’s not a deal breaker.
Interface and Experience: Simple but Big
The OnePlus Watch 2R is only available in a 44mm size, which might be too big for people with smaller hands. Although it is lightweight and won’t cause skin irritation over long periods of use, its large body hinders my movements, especially while sleeping. I would personally prefer a smaller size.
The watch offers a simple and easy to navigate interface. Swipe from the top to access quick settings like Bluetooth, sleep mode, brightness, and volume. Swipe from the bottom to access notifications. Being a Wear OS watch, you can reply to messages using emojis, voice typing, or the full keyboard. Swiping left or right moves your tiles around.
The Watch 2R has two buttons:
- top button: Press to return to the watch face from any page or open the app drawer. Long press for Google Assistant. Double press for most recent apps.
- bottom button: Press to open the Workout page with over 30 supported activities. Long press to open the power-off menu. Double press for Google Pay.
You can customize the long-press and double-press actions in the settings. The interface is straightforward, and the animations are smooth, but the design and overall UI need more polishing.
oHealth App: Simple but lacks features
With WearOS 4, you don’t need the Wear OS by Google app for setup. You can do everything from setup to tracking health data and changing settings right in the OEM’s app. For OnePlus, you use the OHealth app.
OHealth is clean and easy to navigate with three tabs: Health, Fitness, and Device. The Health tab tracks daily activity goals, heart rate, sleep, stress, and SpO2 data with detailed graphs. The Fitness tab shows stats for activities like walking, tennis running, and more. In the Device tab, you can change the watch face, tile, and notification settings.
While the app is informative and explains health metrics, it lacks customisation options compared to Samsung Health or Fitbit. For example, Fitbit lets you set a focus such as sleeping better, staying active or losing weight and the home page adjusts accordingly, bringing essential data to the forefront. Other health apps also offer mood tracking, calorie intake and period tracking, which are not there in oHealth.
Fitness & Health Tracking
Alongside the OnePlus Watch 2R, I also used the Samsung Watch 7 on my other hand for a few days to track and compare my health and fitness data. Here are the daily activity and running session results from both watches.
| OnePlus Watch 2R | Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Phase (1-day) | 6,768 | 6,980 |
| Uptime (1-day) | 22 minutes | 19 minutes |
| Active Calories (1-Day) | 335 kcal | 341 kcal |
| Steps (1-Run) | 540 | 572 |
| Calories Burned (1-Run) | 54 Kcal | 55 Kcal |
| Average Poor Performance (1-Run) | 54 SPM | 56 SPM |
The results of the OnePlus Watch 2R are at par with the Galaxy Watch 7. Heart rate, sleep, stress and SpO2 tracking results were similar. However, the OnePlus Watch lacks advanced health features like ECG, body composition and energy score. The Watch 2R does a good job at tracking health metrics but there are better options available at a lower price like the Galaxy Watch Series 4, 5 or 6.
What about other smart features?
When it comes to call quality, the OnePlus Watch 2R performs adequately. The built-in microphone and speakers work well enough for quick conversations. Sound clarity is good, and except for 1 time, people on the other end of the call reported no issues hearing me
One notable aspect of the OnePlus Watch 2R is its lack of wireless charging. Unlike some of its competitors, the Watch 2R only supports wired charging. However, it does feature 7.5W VOOC fast charging, which efficiently charges the 500mAh battery in just under 60 minutes. While wireless charging would have been a nice addition, the watch’s speed and battery life make up for it.
Another great feature of the Watch 2R is its dual GPS support. This is especially useful for outdoor activities like running and hiking, where accurate location tracking is a must. However, I did notice occasional signal drops, which doesn’t happen often with the Galaxy Watch 7. This is a minor issue, but worth noting if you rely heavily on GPS for your activities.
OnePlus Watch 2R review: Should you buy it
If you need a smartwatch to track weather information, basic health and fitness data, and navigate with Google Maps, as well as great battery life and fast charging, the OnePlus Watch 2R is a great option. Priced at $70 less than the Watch 2, it offers similar specs, features, and design. However, for advanced health tracking, choose a Garmin, Samsung, or Pixel watch.