What you need to know
- Rumors about the OnePlus Watch 2 suggest it could continue to feature a circular design but with the inclusion of a physical button bump.
- The device may receive a slightly larger 1.43-inch AMOLED panel and the 2022 Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 SoC.
- Rumors also suggest it will run Wear OS 4 instead of a custom RTOS like the original.
Rounding out the week is a batch of leaks pertaining to OnePlus and what it could strive for with its next smartwatch.
A partnership between MySmartPrice and OnLeaks has drudged up the potential design changes and specifications of the OnePlus Watch 2. A few early renderings of the device seem to suggest the Chinese maker is sticking with the circular design of its first iteration from 2021 but with an easily noticeable difference.
The renderings show the existence of a metal body and a bump sticking off the righthand side of the watch, which appears to hold a couple of physical buttons. Early indications apparently point toward OnePlus looking to launch the device with black and white rubber straps, to likely match whichever watch body consumers desire.
It's also worth stating, as MySmartPrice has, that these renders were shaped based on prototypes of the Watch 2. It's highly likely what we're seeing now could change.
For its proposed specs, OnLeaks states the OnePlus Watch 2 may arrive sporting a slightly larger 1.43-inch circular AMOLED display. It also seems it may be upgraded to the Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, the same chip that Google has decided to pack into the likes of the Pixel Watch 2 this year.
Interestingly, while initial rumors stated OnePlus was interested in utilizing custom RTOS (again), Max Jambor on X stepped forward to say the device "will" run Wear OS 4 on launch. However, it's possible that it could run both, and Wear OS 4 will only be on the global variants of the watch. If that is the case, we could get a heavily customized version of Wear OS, similar to what we've seen with Samsung and Xiaomi.
#OnePlusWatch2 Design has been revealed in some gorgeous looking renders by @OnLeaks - I’ve seen quite a few comments asking about the OS it runs though. Let me reveal to you: The all new OnePlus Watch2 will run WearOS 4 ✅November 10, 2023
A bit of a refresher is in order, as the original OnePlus Watch featured a circular display. However, its physical buttons were flush to its right side. If the prototypes that the renders are based on make it through all channels, the existence of this interesting button-bump will surely strike a chord with consumers.
However, the specs for the upcoming watch are still pretty unknown. For example, the original debuted with 1GB of RAM and just 4GB of internal storage. Hopefully, OnePlus is looking to boost those numbers for a better experience since some newer Wear OS watches are reaching the market with up to 32GB.
Information is pretty scarce right now, and it's always best to take things with a grain of salt moving forward. There was a rumor, again by Max Jambor on X, that stated OnePlus could launch its Watch 2 at some point in 2024.
