With a lower price and lighter build, the $230 OnePlus Watch 2R is sure to appeal to Android fans looking for a reliable smartwatch without breaking the bank. Unfortunately, I don’t quite fit the bill.
Like the $300 OnePlus Watch 2, there’s a lot to like about the Watch 2R. The battery life lasts comfortably for days, the screen is clear, and there’s a convenient dedicated button for quickly starting a workout or launching an app. However, my biggest problem with the OnePlus Watch 2 extends to the OnePlus Watch 2R: its clunky design. While it’s lighter than the OnePlus Watch 2, it takes up just as much space on my wrist.
Size may not be the most important factor in a smartwatch, and many Android users may find that the size and fit are just right. Still, OnePlus seems to be ignoring those of us with smaller wrists, which makes petite smartwatches like the Google Pixel Watch 2 or Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 even more attractive.
If you can live with its large size, the OnePlus Watch 2R is a bit cheaper than the $300 Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and offers a larger display. Currently on sale for $262. I’ll need to take the time to test this watch alongside the 2R to see how they compare.
But after using OnePlus Watch 2R for nearly two weeks, here’s what I learned.
First off, what’s different about the OnePlus Watch 2R?
The OnePlus Watch 2 (left) is almost the same size as the new Watch 2R.
The Watch 2R is the budget version of the OnePlus Watch 2. The two watches also share the same sensors, battery, processor, and display size, so if you want more details on its key features like dual-frequency GPS and shortcut buttons, check out my review of the Watch 2 Full review.
The difference is mainly in design. Compared to the Watch 2’s stainless steel and fluoroelastomer strap, the OnePlus Watch 2R has a sportier aesthetic, with an aluminum alloy chassis and silicone strap. This makes the OnePlus Watch 2R look more like a Garmin watch (one of my colleagues even mistook it for a Garmin device), while the Watch 2 looks more like something you could wear to a dinner party.
The screen cover is also made of glass, while the Watch 2 is made of sapphire crystal. OnePlus’ more expensive watches also lack the Watch 2R’s high-brightness mode, which boosts screen brightness to 1,000 nits, according to the OnePlus website.
look at this: OnePlus Watch 2 review: Big battery, but otherwise lacking
But perhaps the biggest difference between the two watches is their weight. The OnePlus Watch 2 weighs 49 grams without the strap, while the OnePlus Watch 2R is significantly lighter at 37 grams. And the extra weight is noticeable.
The OnePlus Watch 2R still feels great on my wrist. It’s not as heavy as the OnePlus Watch 2, but it’s heavier than the Galaxy Watch 7 (44mm version) at 33.8 grams.
What I like about OnePlus Watch 2R
OnePlus Watch 2R and its charger.
OnePlus gets a lot of mileage with the Watch 2R, with battery life being at the top of the list. The OnePlus Watch 2R lasted more than two days on a single charge, dropping from 100% at 11:30 AM on July 27 to 10% at around 10:41 PM on July 29.
Battery life always depends on how you use your watch. For most of the two days, I left the always-on display on and activated the sleep tracking feature, which checks blood oxygen readings and breathing patterns to assess breathing issues, which also drains the body faster. Use up battery power.
Using GPS to track long periods of outdoor exercise can also impact battery life (I mostly record 10- to 20-minute outdoor walks, and most of my exercise is done indoors).
But when the watch runs out of power, it starts up quickly. The battery increased from 10% to 56% in 20 minutes, making it easy to charge the watch while I was taking a shower before heading out.
Although the sensors and components are essentially the same as those in the OnePlus Watch 2, I was surprised to find that the heart rate readings felt more accurate. When I reviewed the OnePlus Watch 2R earlier this year, the heart rate data during exercise didn’t always match what I was getting from my Polar chest strap monitor.
This is normal to some extent; chest straps are usually more accurate because they are positioned closer to the heart. But the gap between the two is wider than usual, often requiring me to reposition the watch to get good results.
Luckily, that’s not the case with the OnePlus Watch 2R. The watch fit snugly into my chest strap without any fuss about the fit. Best of all, the auto-pause feature seems very responsive. Whenever I pause briefly during a run to check my phone notifications or skip a track on Spotify, the watch almost immediately buzzes on my wrist to let me know it has paused my workout.
What I don’t like about OnePlus Watch 2R
I have a smaller wrist, which makes the larger OnePlus Watch 2R feel bulky.
My biggest complaint about OnePlus’ new smartwatch remains its size. It’s almost the same size, display size, and wrist circumference as the OnePlus Watch 2, but it’s too big for me. This isn’t uncommon with Android smartwatches, especially those with more sports-oriented designs like the Watch 2R (the TicWatch Pro 5, for example, is even slightly larger). For context, my wrist circumference is 5.5 inches, or 139mm, which is slightly less than the 140-210mm size listed on the company’s website for the OnePlus Watch 2R.
When I first heard that OnePlus had decided to release a second version of its 2024 smartwatch, I expected it to be a smaller version. The Watch 2R may be lighter and cheaper than the OnePlus Watch 2, but its sheer size makes it feel like it’s aimed at the same audience. Launching a smaller model would give people like me with smaller wrists a reason to consider a OnePlus Watch instead of something from Google or Samsung.
While the OnePlus Watch 2R offers an almost dizzying array of workouts, including jumping rope, dog walking, and about 10 different types of yoga, there’s no high-intensity interval training (HIIT) option. These are fast-paced, high-intensity cardio exercises that typically alternate between work and rest intervals in approximately 30-second increments.
This is a surprising omission considering that HIIT is quite popular, or at least it’s probably more popular than kite flying and tug-of-war, both of which are workout options on the Watch 2R. For example, sports and fitness website BarBend analyzed more than 6,000 search terms related to exercise and fitness and found that HIIT is the second most popular exercise method in the United States based on Google search volume.
OnePlus’ health app OHealth also feels a bit basic compared to other apps like Samsung Health, Fitbit, and Apple Health. While it does provide sleep scores and makes it easy to see daily progress at a glance, I haven’t seen overarching trends or insights in the main dashboard. The ability to process data to provide conclusions and insights is becoming increasingly important for wearable devices, so simply providing fitness and health statistics may not be enough to stand out.
Since the OnePlus Watch 2R shares much of the same hardware and software as the OnePlus Watch 2, my other criticisms of the watch may apply here as well. The Watch 2 lacks fall detection and is only guaranteed to receive software updates for two years. I’ve reached out to OnePlus to confirm if the same is true for the 2R and will update this story accordingly.
As I wrote earlier this year , the OnePlus Watch 2 could be a good choice for those who really just want a big screen, long battery life, and tons of workout options. The Watch 2R offers all of these features at a more affordable price, but you have to be a fan of larger watches to appreciate it.
Meet the OnePlus Watch 2’s big screen and eye-catching design
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