Google made its debut into the smartwatch segment with the then-called Android Wear OS, six years back on the LG Watch. Thenceforth, the platform has had its ups and downs like the full-scale Android. However, the platform has rebranded to Wear OS and upgraded with meaningful software improvements over the past few years. Many OEMs including fashion brands like Fossil are coming up with smartwatches powered by the WearOS.
Recently, OPPO joined the WearOS bandwagon with ‘OPPO Watch’ in an attempt to create a broader ecosystem. Besides, the company also launched wireless earphones — neckbands and TWS in the various price segments.
Let’s get rid of the elephant in the room! Yes, it looks like an Apple Watch in terms of hardware design or the packing, but that doesn’t take away the fact it is an appealing WearOS device that performs well on most fronts. We got hold of the 46mm watch in Black color and used it for almost three weeks.
Design
The OPPO Watch doesn’t sport an original design as such. Apart from the uncanny resemblance, the OPPO Watch features a dual-curved display, something that you may have never seen before on a smartwatch. In fact, it looks like a miniaturised version of Find X2 Pro, considering the frame and back panel.
The frame is made up of 6000 Series Aluminum, while the back has plastic with the central module sensor made out of ceramic. The OPPO Watch houses a couple of buttons on the right side — the top is for the Home/app drawer, while the lower with the green accent is programmable and doubles up as a power button when you press-hold it. We also got a microphone in-between the two buttons. A speaker grille is on the left side, similar to Apple Watch. Both the buttons offer good feedback and are easier to press. Turning back, we have the heart-rate monitor setup and pins for charging.
The proprietary straps are soft on hands and made up of materials that OPPO calls Fluororubber, feels kind of like a silicone band with more rigid construction. It means buying a replacement won’t be easy as other WearOS watches. It can detach with a quick button press on the back.
Display
The OPPO Watch sports a 1.91-inch (402 x 476 pixels) curved AMOLED screen with 100% DCI-P3 Color Gamut. It has a screen-to-body ratio of 72.76% and 326ppi. The display is vibrant and rich in colors, blacks are deep, texts look sharp, and have impeccable brightness. The ambient sensor really cranks things up when you step outside, meaning no trouble seeing your watch even under bright light conditions. With the curved display, it feels good to use WearOS-based gestures for navigating.
The colorful icons and ColorOS elements make the visually good, and OPPO has done an impressive job optimising the performance. In my usage, I didn’t see any slowdowns, and it was generally smooth and fluid experience.
Swiping down and up will let you access the quick settings panel and notifications respectively. By swiping left, you get a breakdown of daily activities that showcases step, workout time, calories, and activity session. There are other options like ‘Always-on’ display, brightness adjustments, changing the watch face, and others.
Performance
The OPPO Watch features Qualcomm Snapdragon 3100 & Ambiq Micro Apollo 3 processor. It has 1GB RAM and 8GB ROM under the hood. It’s worth mentioning that Ambiq SoC takes over during low-power tasks, resulting in better battery life.
In terms of sensors, it packs a 3-axis accelerometer sensor, Gyroscope sensor, Geomagnetic sensor, Barometric pressure sensor, optical heart rate sensor, and Ambient light sensor. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11n 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, built-in GPS, and NFC for payments.
As far as fitness features are concerned, the OPPO Watch comes with five inbuilt workout modes. It also has an integrated app called 5-Minute Workouts that lets you do quick stretching in the middle of your work with guided sessions. If that’s not enough, the OPPO Watch, being a part of the Google ecosystem, brings lots of workout options including Walking, Running, Biking, Strength training, Challenges, and other workouts.
During outdoor activities, acquiring GPS was a mixed bag for me ranges between connecting in seconds to not connecting at all. While we are not sure about the reason behind it, the inconsistency in GPS connection bothered me. But, the distance tracking (after acquiring GPS) was accurate. Even the step counter and heart-rate measurements were close enough compared to Apple Watch 3.
The OPPO Watch does a pretty good job at sleep tracking. It comes with other pre-loaded apps like timer, stopwatch, voice recorder, breathing exercise, and others.
Battery
The OPPO Watch comes with a 430mAh battery with Watch VOOC flash charge technology. If you are using it as a fitness companion, don’t expect more than 10 hours. Otherwise, the watch delivers a day’s worth of use with ease. You can enable the power-saving mode if you need your watch to last longer. The ‘very-average’ battery life is compensated by fast charging, where the 46mm can be charged from 0 to 46% in 15 minutes.
Conclusion
OPPO Watch — The best Android Wear smartwatch right now you can get without any major shortcomings. It offers a great balance between style, performance, and price. However, you can skip it, if you prefer the original design.
The OPPO Watch 41mm version comes in Elegant Black, Rose Gold, and Fog Silver colors at Rs. 14,990, and the 46mm version in Black and Rose Gold at Rs. 19,990. It is available for order from Amazon.in and Flipkart.
Competition
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
- Honor Magic Watch
- Galaxy Watch Active 2
- Amazfit T-Rex
Summing it up, here are the
Pros
- Excellent display
- Reliable performance
- Fluid user-experience
- Packs a lot of features
- VOOC fast charging
Cons
- Average battery life
- Proprietary straps
- Familiar design