OnePlus could be getting into the smartwatch game to take on the Apple Watch 6. And according to a listing on the Infocomm Media Development Authority website (spotted by 91Mobiles), the wearable will be called the OnePlus Watch.
When we spoke to OnePlus about the OnePlus Nord phone and product line, we came away with the impression that OnePlus has more up its sleeve than just phones, earbuds, and TV’s for Asia. So it’s not a huge surprise that the OnePlus Watch could be its next non-phone device.
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Rumors about a OnePlus Watch have been bubbling away for a few years, though nothing substantial came from them. In that time Apple has further iterated on the Apple Watch, now in its fifth generation.
While the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 impressed us, there certainly is more scope for new smartwatches to enter the fray and try to take on the Apple Watch.
A former OnePlus employee told our sibling site TechRadar that OnePlus has been "actively been looking into a smartwatch for the last year." That doesn't tell us a great deal about what to expect from the OnePlus Watch, but it does go some way to suggest that a smartwatch from the Chinese tech company is in the works.
Interestingly, the leak and listing comes at a time when Oppo has just revealed the Oppo Watch; a smartwatch that has a very similar design to the Apple Watch.
Now OnePlus has always maintained that it’s a separate company to Oppo despite some striking similarities between their phones — the OnePlus 8 Pro has a lot of similar features to the Oppo Find X2 Pro — and that they are both effectively a subsidiary of BBK Electronics. So it’s not surprising that OnePlus could be working on a smartwatch after Oppo has one ready, as both companies do share the same manufacturing lines and supply chains.
Regardless of the crossover, the OnePlus Watch will need to bring something a little special to the smartwatch arena. We’re expecting the Apple Watch 6 to be revealed in September, and that’s tipped to come with a new design (no more Digital Crown) as well as more powerful specs and a whole host of wellness and health features, including the ability to monitor mental health.
The Apple Watch 6 is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 12. But we don’t expect to see the OnePlus Watch for a while, based on these early leaks. So it has time to come up with a slew of features to challenge the Apple Watch 6 for the title of best smartwatch.
