What you need to know
- OnePlus CEO has confirmed that the upcoming smartwatch will not run Wear OS.
- The OnePlus Watch will run RTOS with a focus on connectivity with other OnePlus devices.
- More information about the OnePlus Watch will be revealed on March 23rd.
Who needs leaks when the company is spilling the beans on its products before launch? In a similar fashion to how LG launches its smartphones, OnePlus has been teasing its upcoming OnePlus 9 smartphones, posting images and divulging new information via blog posts. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has been pretty active on the community forum, answering questions about products like the upcoming OnePlus Watch. On Wednesday, he confirmed a major piece of news regarding the watch; it won't run Wear OS.
In a community blog post, OnePlus went over some of its inspiration for creating its first smartwatch, which was to build an affordable device that seamlessly connects with all its devices. When answering a question from a forum member on whether or not the OnePlus Watch will run Wear OS, Pete Lau stated that the focus was to alleviate pain points for those familiar with smartwatches:
We chose to go with a smart wear operating system developed based on RTOS because we believe it provides you a smooth and reliable experience while offering a great battery life, covering some of the biggest concerns we've been hearing from people looking to buy a smartwatch.
It's a bit surprising, not only because Pete Lau once talked up wanting to work with Google on improving Wear OS, but also because the OPPO Watch ran Wear OS and was released by OnePlus' parent company, both whom now share hardware resources between them. At the same time, OnePlus never confirmed Wear OS as the choice platform for its upcoming smartwatch, but given the company's close relationship with Google, it was always expected.
This may come as a disappointment for lovers of the best Wear OS watches hoping for a strong, new addition to Google's smartwatch family. On the bright side, the watch will run RTOS, a lightweight smartwatch platform found on some of the best Android smartwatches like the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini, ensuring that the watch may actually have great battery life.
Full details about the OnePlus Watch will be unveiled at the OnePlus 9 launch event on March 23rd.
