We now know when we’ll likely see the OnePlus Watch 2, at least if rumors from well-known leaker and writer Max Jambor are to be believed.
According to a post on X (formerly Twitter), the OnePlus Watch 2 will be launched at Mobile World Congress in late February, and it will also come with a massive upgrade the first OnePlus Watch lacked: Wear OS.
OnePlus Watch 2 is launching at Mobile World Congress! Looking forward to the next WearOS Watch!
— Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) January 19, 2024
The first OnePlus Watch was a lackluster attempt in many ways, but one of the biggest missteps was OnePlus’s decision to use its own operating system instead of Google’s Wear OS. While Wear OS has its problems, it’s a strong platform to build onto, already coming with support for Google’s services and app store.
OnePlus’s OS, by not building on top of what already existed, had to start from scratch — plunging the smartwatch into the early days of wearables, where apps were a luxury and “user-friendly” was just a pipe dream. If Jambor’s statement is to be believed, OnePlus has learned its lesson this time around and will show off a much-improved smartwatch at MWC in late February.
It’s the first we’ve heard of a new OnePlus smartwatch in some time, with the last rumors coming in November of last year. According to those leaks, the OnePlus Watch 2 will further establish its own visual flair and distinctive design, with a flattened right edge that calls back to Casio’s G-Shock watches, along with a round dial.
Those same rumors also pointed towards the watch using the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 processor, making the second watch a rather more powerful wearable than the first OnePlus Watch. Also mentioned was a 1.43-inch OLED display, though keep in mind that all of those leaks were supposedly based on a prototype in testing, so take all details with a pinch of salt.
We don’t have long to find out how truthful these leaks are, though, as Mobile World Congress isn’t too far now. MWC 2024 is due to take place in Barcelona, as ever, and will run from February 26 until February 29.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.