This previous week, I wrapped up a week-long journey to Barcelona, Spain, for the annual Mobile World Congress. The present is crammed to the brim with cell tech bulletins, and what higher strategy to check out one of these than by sporting it for the complete journey?
I’m speaking about the OnePlus Watch 2, in fact, which made its debut in Barcelona. Our resident wearables editor, Michael Hicks, already in contrast the OnePlus Watch 2 vs Google Pixel Watch 2 based mostly on our evaluations, and I needed to see which I most well-liked sporting for such a protracted journey. Nothing improper with a second opinion, proper?
For the journey, I wore the OnePlus Watch 2 on my left wrist and the Google Pixel Watch 2 on the proper, each paired with the identical cellphone. I sat on planes for hours on finish, walked many blocks day and night time, spent tons of time in the Fira Barcelona Gran Via transferring between cubicles and halls, and put these watches via the paces to see which one I most well-liked.
I got here away with combined opinions, as neither watch does every thing nicely, however every does particular issues extraordinarily nicely. If you are trying to spend $300 on a brand new smartwatch, here is why you may need to contemplate one over the different.
Step counting and well being monitoring
In a head-to-head health monitoring competitors, OnePlus by no means stood an opportunity. The firm talked large about its health monitoring capabilities on the OnePlus Watch 2 throughout the unveiling in Barcelona, however my expertise does not match the firm’s rhetoric. Conversely, the Pixel Watch 2 has the full weight of the Fitbit app behind it.
As Harish famous in our OnePlus Watch 2 assessment — and I’ve additionally skilled in the weeks since — OnePlus’ monitoring stats are sometimes at the least 15% off. In my expertise, that made me need to take the watch off and by no means trouble utilizing it for health monitoring in the future.
On my busiest day in Barcelona, I walked 27,246 steps in line with the Pixel Watch 2. Meanwhile, the OnePlus Watch 2 logged simply 24,978 steps. While it is tough to gauge which one was extra correct by a single day, the remainder of my journey (and testing earlier than I left) tells me the Pixel Watch 2 is extra appropriate.
On one other day, I walked so much much less however nonetheless discovered the OnePlus Watch 2’s 9,217 step depend was far lower than the 11,077 counted by the Pixel Watch 2. Every day, the OnePlus Watch counted roughly 10-15% fewer steps than the Pixel Watch 2, a distinction that is greater than only a rounding error.
Likewise, a exercise at my resort on the first day delivered one more spherical of too-low numbers from the OnePlus Watch 2. The accrued complete well being knowledge from the journey lined up with the 10-15% decrease numbers I noticed from the OnePlus Watch 2 throughout the board.
Health monitoring stats on the OnePlus Watch 2 have been frequently 10-15% decrease than the Pixel Watch 2.
The solely doable metric that OnePlus may have received is its twin GPS monitoring functionality, which is rated to offer much more correct GPS monitoring in some conditions. Unfortunately, I did not run throughout any state of affairs the place the Pixel Watch 2 failed to trace my walks precisely round the metropolis and I discovered no discernable distinction between the knowledge in my 6-day check.
Notably, Google’s Fitbit app supplies a considerable quantity of well being knowledge in comparison with OnePlus’ OHealth app. In addition to this, well being knowledge is synced to a Google Fitbit account so you’ll be able to view it on different gadgets. OnePlus does not provide well being syncing or switch in any respect, however the firm is engaged on an replace so as to add it.
Battery life
One of the worst issues about any trendy smartwatch is the truth that each one of them have a novel charger. If you occur to neglect your charger on a protracted flight throughout an ocean — as a pal of mine did — you are going to be contemporary out of luck in the event you have been sporting the Google Pixel Watch 2.
On common, I acquired three full days out of a single cost on the OnePlus Watch 2, and a fourth if I wasn’t utilizing it a lot. That first day heading to Spain included a 10-and-a-half-hour flight, which meant my watch was in airplane mode and barely used any battery throughout that point.
I needed to cost the Pixel Watch 2 4 instances earlier than I needed to cost the OnePlus Watch 2 as soon as.
This enabled me to get via the first 4 days with out fear, and I may have gone longer if I had used the power-saving mode if I actually wanted it.
While the Pixel Watch 2’s battery life is not dangerous in comparability to most different Wear OS smartwatches, the OnePlus Watch 2’s battery life makes nearly each different smartwatch look dangerous. Over the six days I used to be away from house, I solely needed to cost the OnePlus Watch 2 one time.
By comparability, the Pixel Watch 2 required a charge-up every night time. Otherwise, I’d be confronted with a useless battery midway via the subsequent day.
Messaging and apps
Both the Pixel Watch 2 and OnePlus Watch 2 assist the identical apps downloaded via the Google Play Store, however one watch is so much nicer to make use of apps on due to its dimension.
The Pixel Watch 2 might be the most snug smartwatch I’ve ever worn and a number of that consolation comes from the dimension. It’s tiny, however that additionally means apps and duties like texting simply aren’t very enjoyable to make use of on it.
Apps and typing have been much more fulfilling on the OnePlus Watch 2 due to its bigger dimension.
The OnePlus Watch 2 has a a lot bigger show that is useless simple to sort on, and I discovered myself really having fun with replying on the watch. By comparability, I not often sort something on the Pixel Watch 2’s tiny show regardless of the two watches sustaining the identical stage of performance — and utilizing the identical Gboard keyboard!
A 19% bigger show dimension does not appear to be a lot on paper, however on a wrist, that bigger show leaves further room for keyboard keys and different essential software program buttons.
The large draw back is that the OnePlus Watch 2 does not have a rotating crown, so I frequently needed to wipe finger marks off the display screen throughout the day. Certainly not a deal breaker for me, however it could be good to have to do this much less typically.
The verdict
If you are not somebody who cares a lot about well being monitoring, the OnePlus Watch 2 is a terrific selection. That’s very true for a visit to a different nation, as the multi-day battery life makes it simple to put on your watch and revel in the sights as a substitute of worrying about battery life alongside the method.
The bigger show on the OnePlus Watch 2 additionally made it simpler to make use of apps, navigate, and reply to messages with out having to drag my cellphone out of my pocket. That might be an enormous recreation changer if you end up in a public place and really feel unsafe holding your cellphone in your hand.
But, if well being monitoring knowledge is the most essential smartwatch characteristic to you, the Google Pixel Watch 2 is the king. Not solely are the well being monitoring stats themselves much more correct — that features step counts, coronary heart price monitoring, stress knowledge, sleep monitoring, and others — however the Fitbit app is so significantly better suited to well being monitoring knowledge than OnePlus’ OHealth app.
I’ve little question that OnePlus will proceed to enhance and construct out its app over the years, however for now, the Pixel Watch 2 is the watch to purchase in the event you’re monitoring exercises and steps or simply ensuring you get a very good relaxation.