It is difficult to find smartwatches on the market that do not have shabby designs or are simply inappropriate for everyday use. The OnePlus Watch 2R is proof that you can make a good smartwatch without sacrificing design.
The OnePlus Watch 2R is the cheaper (and also a little lighter) version of the OnePlus Watch 2 that we recently had the opportunity to test thoroughly. It is on sale for 249 euros, considerably less than the 329 euros that its big brother costs.
This OnePlus smartwatch comes with Wear OS, Google’s operating system. In addition to a more elegant than average design, it also boasts autonomy for several days of use and comprehensive sports functionalities.
But I’ve come here to put this smartwatch from OnePlus to the test, so throughout this review I’m going to tell you what I thought of this smartwatch on a day-to-day basis after wearing it for over a week.
It is a smartwatch, it doesn’t look like one
OnePlus has taken great care in both the design of the watch and the dial that is active by default when you take it out of the box. In the case of the black model (the one I have tested), the background is the same colour as the strap with a red seconds hand that fits the whole thing perfectly.
There are smartwatches that, when you take them out of the box and see the dial they come with, make you wonder if they’re a smartwatch or a children’s toy. Luckily, in the case of the Watch 2R, it’s the former.
You should know that it is a large watch, only suitable for wrists of a certain size (otherwise it will look like it is “dancing” when you wear it).
It is large both because of the width of its face, which is available in only one size, and because of its thickness, 12.1 millimeters.
What I didn’t think was that it was heavy, it weighs just 59 grams with the strap on (compared to 80 grams for its bigger brother).
On the right side are the two buttons, and you can also navigate through the menus using the 1.43-inch AMOLED touch screen.
In my opinion, the screen looks fabulously good outdoors, even on these sunny summer days I haven’t had the feeling that it needed more brightness than the 600 nits (maximum peak of 1,000 nits) offered by the panel.
The watch is water resistant, although OnePlus does not specify which certification it is on its technical data sheet, so I can only assume it is the same IP68 of 5 ATM (50 meters depth) as its big brother.
An intuitive interface with the Google seal of quality
Wear OS is Google’s seal of approval for any smartwatch. It guarantees that you will have the best Android experience on your wrist, as is the case here.
On the right of the watch face you will find everything related to your physical activity, where you can see at a glance how many steps you have taken or how many calories you have burned, as well as your sleep record, your heart rate and your stress level.
I found the data collection to be very accurate, which is certainly helped by the dual-frequency (L1+L5) GPS that the watch incorporates.
It has lots of sport modes (over 100), six of which it recognizes automatically: running, walking, cycling, swimming, rowing machine and elliptical trainer.
Important! This watch has NFC, so you’ll be able to pay with Google Pay wherever you go.
The interface works very smoothly. It is just as good as more expensive smart watches.
The Watch 2R also has a microphone and speaker, so it is perfectly compatible with calls as long as you have your mobile connected via Bluetooth.
The OHealth app brings the watch’s functions to your mobile
On the Health screen of the OHealth application you will see the same sports and sleep records as in the previous section.
If you wish, you can delve deeper into each health section to see more detailed metrics on a day-to-day basis. In the case of sleep, you can see night by night how the quality of your sleep is, including differentiation of deep sleep, light sleep and REM.
On the other hand, from the watch’s settings menu you can choose from the different watch faces available (there are 100 native faces).
Remember that with Wear OS, you can install as many additional watch faces and apps as you want. The Google Play store itself comes pre-installed on the watch.
With 32 GB of internal memory, I doubt you’ll have any problems storing all the apps you need.
Plenty of battery, no, more than enough
Smartwatches are getting closer and closer to the several days of full use that you should at least expect from a device like this.
I have had the Watch 2R for two days without charging with daily use, and if I had bothered to use the battery saving mode it comes with, I would have approached the up to 12 days of autonomy promised by the brand (sacrificing many functions, of course).
Main differences between the OnePlus Watch 2R and OnePlus Watch 2
If you have come to this review with the aim of finding out the main differences between the brand’s two smartwatches, below I will summarise the changes between the two:
Case material: the frame of the OnePlus Watch 2 is made of stainless steel, while that of its more affordable sibling is made of an aluminium alloy.
Lower case: while the Watch 2R simply has a plastic case, the 2 has PC/PC plastic + fiberglass with two-color injection molding (one of its buttons is different from the Watch 2R).
Strap: the 2R strap is silicone, while the Watch 2 strap is fluorinated rubber. Both have a stainless steel buckle.
Screen display: both have almost identical screens, and the only difference is that, curiously, the 2R has a high brightness mode of 1,000 nits (the 2 does not, at least it is not mentioned in its specifications sheet), and the glass protector is 2D glass on the 2R, and 2.5D sapphire crystal (slightly curved at the edges) on the Watch 2.
Price: At the time of writing, the 2 R is 60 euros cheaper than the 2.
Otherwise, they have the same processor, the same sensors, the same connectivity and come with the same accessories in the box (watch base and charging cable included).
So, is it worth buying the OnePlus Watch 2R?
Good design, a battery that lasts for several days of use and a clean interface with Wear OS are the three features that I highlight positively about the OnePlus Watch 2R.
Good design because it has a quality finish to which the silicone strap gives it a sporty touch very suitable for young people (in body or soul); good battery, because if you don’t use it too much you can have it for several days without charging; and Wear OS which, in itself, is a positive point for any smart watch.
It would be great if it also had a version with data connectivity, but of course, then we wouldn’t be talking about this price.
