OnePlus Watch 2R review

You can always trust OnePlus to come up with eye-catching yet functional designs that appeal to those who prefer a large classic chronograph over sleek and trendy modern smartwatches with small dials. We saw this approach in the first OnePlus Watch and it continues with the Watch 2R. A major difference with the Watch 2 is the flat cover glass surrounded by the metal frame. This reduces the chance of scratches or breakage on accidentally bumping against objects.

However, the Watch 2 uses a sapphire crystal cover glass, while the more affordable 2R screen is protected by a 2D glass.

Another cost-saving measure is the choice of an aluminium alloy frame in place of the stainless steel chassis of the Watch 2. The glossy metal frame, the round flat cover glass and the double-button design give it the appearance of a classic watch, unlike the Watch 2, which has a more rounded design complete with a flat design for the second button. The Watch 2R is available in two colours — Forest Green and Gunmetal Grey and uses the standard 22mm strap size, making it easier to customise. It comes with a silicon strap.

The watch is IP68 rated for water and dustproofing and can withstand a liquid pressure of up to 5ATM, making it a great option for watersports and adventure sports enthusiasts.  At 59 grams, OnePlus has managed to make the Watch 2R almost 25 percent lighter than the Watch 2. The watch is thick at 12.1mm.

The features are the same as the OnePlus Watch 2. The watch uses a 1.43-inch AMOLED display that offers 600 nits of peak brightness. The screen’s 466 x 466 pixel resolution translates to 326 ppi of pixel density, which matches premium smartwatches in the market. The display is bright and legible with sharp text. The default fonts are sharp, making even data-dense watch faces effortless to read. Talking of watch faces, there are plenty to choose from, suiting all categories of users.

With Wear OS driving the system, the OnePlus Watch 2R comes with plenty of Google apps with many more to choose from the Play Store. Preinstalled apps include Google Maps, Google Assistant, Google Calendar and Google Wallet (not supported in India yet). If you have other OnePlus devices like a phone or tablet, the watch can seamlessly interact with these, creating an optimised ecosystem with Fast Pair.

The watch uses the same dual-engine architecture as that of its elder sibling with the Snapdragon W5 performance chipset driving Wear OS 4 and the BES2700 efficiency chipset running RTOS for optimised performance with better power efficiency while running background activities. A 500 mAh battery lets the device extract up to 100 hours of battery life in Smart Mode with full functionality and 48 hours in heavy-use scenarios. There’s still a Power Saver mode, which can prolong the battery life to 12 days according to OnePlus. We have been using the watch in Smart Mode, and getting easily over four days of battery life except while using power-intensive features like Google Maps. A 7.5W VOOC charging adapter tops up the battery in about an hour. Like the Watch 2, the Watch 2R supports L5 and L1 GPS frequencies with two separate antennas, improving location accuracy and reliability.

The OHealth companion app is a comprehensive platform for monitoring your health and fitness progress. The app provides in-depth analysis and monitoring features. There are over 100 sports modes available for tracking. Apart from regular health monitoring features like stress and SpO2, the watch offers an in-depth sleep analysis report that includes breathing rate and quality assessment, which is quite helpful in managing sleep apnea. And the watch does a great job in accurately tracking sleep and workout even if you break it into several short sessions.

The OnePlus Watch 2 has been one of the best, if not the best smartwatch available under 25k, and the Watch 2R carries the same feature set in a watch that retails for a significant 7k less. It is one of the best-looking watches at this price. The features are equally impressive, especially at the price it retails. The long battery life and optimisations such as hibernation mode while sleeping make it one of the most practical smartwatches, blending performance and value for money.