OnePlus Watch 2R review: A smart choice for fitness and everyday use

OnePlus Watch 2R

Smartwatches have become increasingly feature-rich in the last few years, and the OnePlus Watch 2R embraces the same template. It is a more affordable version of the OnePlus Watch 2 and retains most of its features, including premium design and build quality, fast performance, usefulness of a dual operating system, and excellent battery life.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have had the chance to use the Watch 2R extensively, here’s a detailed review of the OnePlus Watch 2R.

OnePlus Watch 2R review: Design

The OnePlus Watch 2R shares a lot of similarities with the Watch 2 in terms of the design language. It has a large circular watch face and two side buttons. But, while the OnePlus Watch 2 had a stainless-steel frame, the Watch 2R comes with an aluminum body. It also has a new 24-hour marking circular bezel with a dual-tone finish. The black and silver finish on the bezel complements the watch with its black straps.

This new aluminum build also means that the Watch 2R at 59 grams of weight is considerably lighter than the Watch 2. In our testing, we also felt that the lighter weight added less heft on the wrist, especially while doing some workout or playing football. The Watch has an IP68 rating, which leaves you with peace of mind while using it in the shower or for a swim.

The new silicone band on the Watch 2R also feels slimmer and comfortable to wear all day and doesn’t add any rash marks to the skin. It is also 22mm in size, meaning you can swap it with multiple bands of this size. There are two buttons on the sides, with the upper one acting as a Home button, and also doubling up to open the app list. The one on the bottom invokes a workout with a single press or can be further customized to start custom functions with a double or triple tap.

OnePlus Watch 2R review: Display

The Watch 2R has a 1.43-inch AMOLED panel with a 60Hz refresh rate and 466 x 466 resolution. In our testing, we had no problem while using it outdoors under direct sunlight, and all the on-screen content was easily visible. It also produces punch colours, and the auto brightness sensor is instantly activated based on the lighting condition you are currently in.

OnePlus has gone with a Panda glass protection on the display, instead of the sapphire crystal protection on the Watch 2. In our rigorous testing of the Watch 2R in the last two weeks, the display has had zero scratches or scuff marks, which is really impressive. The touch screen is smooth to use and has good viewing angles from all sides.

Like all Wear OS watches, the notification shade pops up when you swipe from the bottom. The quick settings come up when you swipe from the top. The Watch 2R has an Airplane model, touch lock, find my phone, bedtime mode, brightness adjustment toggle, and all the necessary functionalities in the notification panel.

OnePlus Watch 2R review: Software and performance

Like the OnePlus Watch 2, the Watch 2R comes with a combination of Wear OS by Google and RTOS running. This means that the Watch provides the best functionalities of the Wear OS alongside multiple fitness and health tracking features. The Watch 2R in our testing automatically detected simpler forms of workouts, such as walking, running, or cycling.

The Watch 2R can be paired with the OHealth app to view all the detailed metrics of the watch and to change watch faces. However, we couldn't find the application on the iOS App Store, which is a bummer. Coming to its interface, the OHealth app has a well-designed interface, with all the necessary information and customisations laid out in a clean and easy-to-understand format under various tabs.

The health and fitness data can also be synced with Google Fit and Google Health Connect. The Watch 2R’s overall interface is very clean and fluid, and we really liked the honeycomb-shaped app grid view, similar to the Apple Watch. It can be also changed to a Grid or List view with just a long tap. The keyboard and dial pad are also big and wide and can be used to send quick or short messages or replies or for calling.

OnePlus Watch 2R review: Battery

The Watch 2R has a 500mAh battery, and the company promises 100 hours of battery life in smart mode. In our testing of using the watch mostly in the smart mode, we got around three days of battery life. The use case involved sleep tracking, replying or reacting to a few notifications, a few calls, and an hour of gym or outdoor sports. So, these claims, we feel are accurate and fair from the company.

While using the smartwatch in the power saver mode, the watch delivered us close to eight days of battery life, depending on frequent use of the display with increased brightness, health monitoring turned on, sleep tracking on, and others.

In terms of charging speed, the Watch 2R takes close to an hour to fully charge and uses OnePlus’s VOOC charging at a 7.5W rating. If we charged it for a 10-minute pop-up, the smartwatch delivered us nearly a full day’s battery life with ease, which is really impressive. The best part is that a 20-minute charge propels 50% of charging.

OnePlus Watch 2R review: Verdict

The OnePlus Watch 2R is a very interesting wearable from OnePlus as it has all the basic functionalities of the Watch 2, at a slightly lower price. It can also handle most weather conditions, has a solid battery life, and the display is big and bright. However, it lacks the added health benefits of the competing Galaxy smartwatches such as ECG reading, blood pressure monitoring, and body composition reading.

But for most users, who want a good Wear OS smartwatch with a long battery life, a useful screen, and all the necessary health reading, the OnePlus Watch 2R at its Rs 17,999 asking price is still a great buy. We can also easily vouch for it over the Watch 2 unless you want a more premium build and a screen with fewer bezels, albeit at an extra cost.