CheckMag | Top 5 Wear OS Smartwatches including the OnePlus Watch 2

The OnePlus Watch 2 isn’t just a huge upgrade over the OnePlus Watch released in 2021 but is one of the best Wear OS smartwatches you can buy in 2024, especially if battery life is your focus. Launched at €329/£299/$299, the OnePlus Watch 2 boasts a battery life that lasts up to 100 hours which is about 4 days, an impressive feat for a Wear OS watch. It achieves this thanks to having what it calls a ‘Dual-Engine Architecture’ which is made up of two processors and two operating systems.

On one hand, the OnePlus Watch 2 has a Snapdragon W5 processor paired with Wear OS for intensive tasks, and on the other hand, it has a BES 2700 chipset paired with RTOS for background tasks, notifications, health sensors, etc. The smartwatch offers the possibility of extending its battery life up to 12 days in power save mode, making it perform similarly to a basic fitness tracker during this setting. You can grab the OnePlus Watch 2 for $299 on Amazon.

The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (curr. available on Amazon for $339) is a stylish and premium Wear OS smartwatch with a rotating bezel, but its health features put it ahead of its rivals. Available in two sizes as well as Bluetooth and LTE models unlike the OnePlus Watch 2, Samsung’s smartwatch packs a host of health features.

It has a temperature sensor, a Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) sensor for body composition analysis, an ECG sensor for determining irregular heart rhythm, blood pressure reading, and advanced sleep monitoring with snore detection, alongside the standard heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, and stress monitoring. However, buyers should note that select health features are not available in all markets as they are subject to approval by a country’s health agency.

Just the way the Pixel smartphones showcase Android at its purest, so does the Pixel Watch 2 (curr. available on Amazon for $349) showcase Wear OS. The software is fast and smooth on the Pixel Watch 2 and there are many apps and ways to customize your watch. The Pixel Watch 2 also has Fitbit integration, providing access to advanced health metrics and personalized resources to get fit. Google’s smartwatch also boasts a handful of advanced health features such as ECG for AFib detection, am advanced stress detection sensor, and a temperature sensor. Although it comes in one size, it can be purchased in Bluetooth and LTE variants.

Xiaomi returned to making Wear OS smartwatches with the launch of the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro, and it’s one of the more affordable models on the market. Available in Bluetooth and LTE models (curr. €214 on Amazon), the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro has a Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chipset, a more powerful one than the chip in the OnePlus Watch 2. It also has a stainless steel case, a rotating crown, NFC, and a battery life that lasts up to 65 hours (55 hours for the LTE model). It doesn’t have ECG but there is a BIA sensor for measuring body composition similar to the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. The usual Wear OS features are available including Google Assistant and access to the Play Store.

A few features make Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 5 stand out from the competition. Apart from boasting an impressive build that is US-MIL-STD 810H certified, the TicWatch Pro 5 has two displays - an OLED display and an ultra-low-power FSTN display that sits on top. The latter, in combination with the large 628 mAh battery, and a low-power mode dubbed Essential mode, can see the watch last for weeks on a single charge. Even with this mode turned on, features such as heart rate, SpO2, compass, and calorie info are still accessible.

Other features of the TicWatch 5 Pro are a Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chip, AFib detection, a 5-satellite system for accurate tracking, and fast charging. It is available in only one size and doesn’t have an LTE version. Although it launched for $349, the TicWatch Pro 5 periodically gets significant discounts. Currently, it is available on Amazon for $264.