OnePlus has begun revealing more about its upcoming smartwatch, including the three-day AOD battery life and case materials.
After a veritable tsunami of leaks over the last few months, OnePlus has finally fully unveiled its third-gen smartwatch, the OnePlus Watch 3.
The brand returned to form with last year’s Watch 2, delivering a 100-hour Android smartwatch that outlasted plenty of its rivals. It’s playing the same hit this time, with the Watch 3 estimated to last five days in smart mode (120 hours). It’s a claim we’ve tested and backed up in our full review.
- Read our extended take: OnePlus Watch 3 review
The smartwatch will arrive in Europe and North America on 25 February for $329/£319, with pre-orders beginning today (18 February).
Big battery upgrade results in nearly three days of AOD life
The brand is touting improved battery energy density thanks to its Silicon NanoStack Battery. In real terms, this translates to reduced power consumption.
It’s also bringing a whopping battery unit upgrade. The Watch 3 will feature a 631mAh battery, up from 500mAh in the previous generation.
OnePlus’ calculations suggested the smart battery should last 120 hours, with 16 days available in the power-saving mode (up from 12 days). An estimate of battery life in ‘heavy use’ has also been shared, with the brand suggesting up to 72 hours is possible with the AOD turned on, 30 minutes of daily GPS use (with Spotify streaming), and a long list of the watch’s smart functions enabled.
Again, it’s something we found pretty bang on during testing of this latest generation.
For reference, we found that the Watch 2 generally lasted a second night of sleep during testing. However, it would need a quick top-up if you particularly hammered the GPS tracking or brightness settings during a cycle. So, this is a substantial upgrade.
Getting enough battery to see you through your next activity should also be easier with the Watch 3, too, with 10 minutes on the charger said providing a full day of power.
Design bits: New indices and not much else
After delivering a lighter, cheaper aluminum-cased Watch 2R in late 2024, the brand has returned to a stainless steel case for this latest premium model.
It features a titanium alloy bezel, with the Watch 2’s 2.5 sapphire crystal glass swapped for a 2D equivalent in all color variations. OnePlus suggests this will result in a brighter pop on the screen and a flatter display covering. We didn’t notice too much of a change in testing, though the screen does feel bigger—and we love the new indices on the bezel.
The watch will be available in two colors: green (the test model shown above) and black. The ‘Emerald Titanium’ version features a silver titanium bezel, a stainless-steel body and buckle, and a green rubber band. Meanwhile, the ‘Obsidian Titanium’ version replaces silver with black.
