OnePlus has now launched its third-generation OnePlus Watch in global markets. The OnePlus Watch 3 was previously expected to launch alongside the OnePlus 13 series, but it’s only now that the wearable has officially appeared. OnePlus has included a new design with a rotating crown, enhanced health features, and upgraded performance and sensors. Let’s take a look.
Table of Contents
1. Titanium Design with Rotating Crown
The OnePlus Watch 3 comes in two design options: Obsidian Titanium and Emerald Titanium. Both versions feature a stainless steel body with a titanium alloy bezel surrounding the screen (providing good durability against accidental bumps).
The Obsidian Titanium version comes with a black fluoro rubber strap, while the Emerald Titanium version comes with a green fluoro strap.
The crown is now functional and can be rotated for navigation. However, the watch weighs 81 grams, which is heavier than the Galaxy Watch Ultra‘s 60.5 grams and the Apple Watch Ultra 2’s 61.5 grams.
The OnePlus Watch 3 has a 5ATM rating (meaning it can withstand water pressure up to 50 meters), and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, and has passed the Military Grade MIL-STD-810H testing certification.
It can also handle vibrations, shocks, and solar radiation, and can be used in extreme cold and hot temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Celsius to 70 degrees Celsius.
2. A Large AMOLED Display
The smartwatch features a 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 466 x 466 pixel resolution and up to 2200 nits of peak brightness. The display is protected by a sapphire crystal face with a hardness of 8+ on the Mohs scale. For your information, the OnePlus Watch 2 had a 1.43-inch panel.
This results in a total dial size of 46mm. Unfortunately, this is the only size option available, which means it may be too large for people with smaller wrists.
3. Dual Processor Setup
The OnePlus Watch 3 features a dual-engine architecture with two processors: the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 SoC (the main processor, handling demanding tasks like running the OS and apps) and the BES2800 chip (used for continuous, low-power tasks such as tracking data from various sensors). This design improves power efficiency.
This is paired with 32GB of onboard storage (slightly less will be available to the user, as the system also requires space). The watch also includes 2GB of RAM.
4. Dual Operating Systems
The OnePlus Watch 3, like its predecessors, features a dual operating system. It uses Wear OS 5 by Google for core smartwatch functions, including running apps and performing all the tasks a Wear OS smartwatch can handle. This is complemented by RTOS, a lighter operating system designed for more basic, power-efficient tasks.
This dual operating system, combined with the dual-processor setup, contributes to improved battery life. OnePlus has committed to two years of software updates, suggesting the watch could be updated to Wear OS 6 and likely even Wear OS 7.
Beyond the typical Wear OS and RTOS features, the OnePlus Watch 3 offers some unique functionalities. You can swipe on the watch to control short-form videos, such as Reels, without touching your phone.
It also allows you to remotely control your OnePlus phone’s camera, enabling group photos and providing a live preview directly on the watch. The watch even supports customizable video watch faces, adding a stylish touch.
5. Health Features like ECG and Wrist Temperature
It was previously rumored that the OnePlus Watch 3 would borrow features like ECG and wrist temperature sensing from the Apple Watch. And indeed, OnePlus has now included ECG (not available in North America) and wrist temperature monitoring. It also features a 16-channel blood oxygen sensor, an optical heart rate sensor, and an optical pulse oximeter sensor.
You can monitor your health with a 60-second health check-in, which provides key insights into your overall well-being. It can also assess vascular health (arterial stiffness), monitor sleep (including sleep quality score and snoring risk assessment), and track heart rate (with high/low heart rate notifications) and SpO2.
There are over 100 sport modes, including skiing, running, tennis, badminton, swimming, rope skipping, mountain climbing, walking, cycling, elliptical training, and rowing.
6. New Silicon-Carbon Battery
Yes, you read that correctly. OnePlus is using the same silicon battery technology it used in the OnePlus 13 on its OnePlus Watch 3. This technology allows the manufacturers to fit more battery capacity into the same size and weight.
The OnePlus Watch 3 has a 631mAh battery, compared to its predecessor’s 500mAh cell. OnePlus claims a battery life of up to 16 days in Power Saver mode, up to 5 days in Smart mode (which most users will likely use), and up to 3 days with heavy use in Smart mode. A 10-minute charge is said to provide a full day of use.
7. Plenty of Connectivity
The OnePlus Watch 3 has precision dual-frequency GPS and is capable of receiving both L1 and L5 band satellite signals, along with Beidou, GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and QZSS. It supports Bluetooth calling, NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, and dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz/5GHz). Unfortunately, there’s no LTE option.
OnePlus Watch 3: Pricing and Availability
The OnePlus Watch 3 is priced at $329.99 in the US and is available for pre-order. There are several offers available, including a $30 discount with the coupon code TIME1010, an additional 10% off with a student discount, and an extra $50 off with a trade-in.
In Europe, the watch is priced at €299.00, with a €30 discount using a coupon, a 10% student discount, an additional €30 off with a trade-in, and free earbuds (worth up to €199). The watch has not yet launched in India, but when it does, expect a launch price between ₹25,000 and ₹30,000.
