OnePlus has a small portfolio of wearables, especially smartwatches. Despite its bankable hardware, the OnePlus Watch 2 launched earlier this year had some evident cutbacks. These include the lack of LTE connectivity, the half-baked crown button, and the absence of now-standard health features such as ECG and body weight composition. With its next watch, OnePlus appears to be addressing some of those, a recent certification listing in China has revealed.
The OnePlus Watch 3 is being primed for launch and was recently spotted on Chinese electronics certification and regulatory body TENAA (via GSMArena). Besides giving us a glimpse of the familiar design, the listing also reveals the addition of LTE connectivity, which wasn’t an option on the OnePlus Watch 2. The newer OnePlus Watch 3 is confirmed to feature an eSIM, and while it is currently limited to certain Chinese operators, we can expect broader support with the global launch.
As for the design, OnePlus doesn’t appear to have reinvented the wheel. The OnePlus Watch 3 is set to retain a circular dial with two buttons on the side. The sole image available as part of the listing does not completely divulge the shape of the buttons, but it looks like there will be two circular buttons instead of just one from last time — although the rotating functionality of the top button is still unconfirmed.
In addition to retaining the circular dial, OnePlus has tweaked the previously plain bezel. In its place, there is now a tachymeter dial inscribed with markings for hours but without finer markings for seconds. Of course, it wouldn’t function like a tachymeter (although a few watch faces with chronographs wouldn’t hurt), so the lack of minute markings is not very objectionable.
Besides the design and the presence of LTE functionality, the TENAA listing confirms a 500mAh battery, which remains unchanged from the current generation. We can’t convey with confidence any upgrades to the charging mechanism or the sensors on the back of the smartwatch, since it’s not visible. The silicone strap with the OnePlus Watch 3 appears to have a different diamond-cut pattern instead of straight lines and a seemingly slimmer body. The listing also confirms the OnePlus Watch 3 runs on Android, which translates to Wear OS.
Other details of the OnePlus Watch 3 are limited, but it is speculated to run an upgraded Snapdragon Wear W5 Gen 2 platform based on another listing on the Indian certifications platform, BIS. As for its availability, despite a string of early certifications, the OnePlus Watch 3 may not launch soon. The exact timeline is unclear, but a trusted leaker recently remarked on a delayed launch. Whether that happens around the second generation of OnePlus Open or even after that is something that we will learn in the coming months.
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