This previous week, I wrapped up a week-long journey to Barcelona, Spain, for the annual Cellular World Congress. The present is crammed to the brim with cell tech bulletins, and what higher method to take a look at out a type of than by carrying it for the entire journey?
I am speaking in regards to 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 primarily based on our opinions, and I wished to see which I most popular carrying for such an extended journey. Nothing mistaken 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 fitting, each paired with the identical cellphone. I sat on planes for hours on finish, walked many blocks day and evening, spent tons of time within the Fira Barcelona Gran By way of transferring between cubicles and halls, and put these watches by the paces to see which one I most popular.
I got here away with combined opinions, as neither watch does every thing effectively, however every does particular issues extraordinarily effectively. Should you’re seeking to spend $300 on a brand new smartwatch, this is why you will need to think about one over the opposite.
Step counting and well being monitoring
In a head-to-head health monitoring competitors, OnePlus by no means stood an opportunity. The corporate talked huge about its health monitoring capabilities on the OnePlus Watch 2 through the unveiling in Barcelona, however my expertise would not match the corporate’s rhetoric. Conversely, the Pixel Watch 2 has the total weight of the Fitbit app behind it.
As Harish famous in our OnePlus Watch 2 assessment — and I’ve additionally skilled within 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 hassle utilizing it for health monitoring sooner or later.
On my busiest day in Barcelona, I walked 27,246 steps in accordance with the Pixel Watch 2. In the meantime, the OnePlus Watch 2 logged simply 24,978 steps. Whereas it is troublesome 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 rather a lot much less however nonetheless discovered the OnePlus Watch 2’s 9,217 step rely was far lower than the 11,077 counted by the Pixel Watch 2. Daily, 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 primary day delivered yet one more spherical of too-low numbers from the OnePlus Watch 2. The gathered whole well being knowledge from the journey lined up with the 10-15% decrease numbers I noticed from the OnePlus Watch 2 throughout the board.
Well being monitoring stats on the OnePlus Watch 2 had been frequently 10-15% decrease than the Pixel Watch 2.
The one potential metric that OnePlus may have gained is its twin GPS monitoring functionality, which is rated to supply much more correct GPS monitoring in some conditions. Sadly, I did not run throughout any scenario the place the Pixel Watch 2 failed to trace my walks precisely across the metropolis and I discovered no discernable distinction between the info in my 6-day take a look at.
Notably, Google’s Fitbit app gives a considerable quantity of well being knowledge in comparison with OnePlus’ OHealth app. Along with this, well being knowledge is synced to a Google Fitbit account so you may view it on different units. OnePlus would 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 many worst issues about any fashionable smartwatch is the truth that all of them have a singular charger. Should you occur to overlook your charger on an extended flight throughout an ocean — as a pal of mine did — you are going to be recent out of luck when you had been carrying 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 occasions earlier than I needed to cost the OnePlus Watch 2 as soon as.
This enabled me to get by the primary 4 days with out fear, and I may have gone longer if I had used the power-saving mode if I actually wanted it.
Whereas the Pixel Watch 2’s battery life is not unhealthy compared to most different Put on OS smartwatches, the OnePlus Watch 2’s battery life makes nearly each different smartwatch look unhealthy. 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 evening. In any other case, I would be confronted with a useless battery midway by the subsequent day.
Messaging and apps
Each the Pixel Watch 2 and OnePlus Watch 2 help the identical apps downloaded by the Google Play Retailer, however one watch is rather a lot nicer to make use of apps on due to its dimension.
The Pixel Watch 2 might be essentially the most snug smartwatch I’ve ever worn and a whole lot of that consolation comes from the scale. It is tiny, however that additionally means apps and duties like texting simply aren’t very enjoyable to make use of on it.
Apps and typing had been much more gratifying 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 2 watches sustaining the identical stage of performance — and utilizing the identical Gboard keyboard!
A 19% bigger show dimension would not seem to be a lot on paper, however on a wrist, that bigger show leaves additional room for keyboard keys and different vital software program buttons.
The large draw back is that the OnePlus Watch 2 would not have a rotating crown, so I frequently needed to wipe finger marks off the display through the day. Actually not a deal breaker for me, however it could be good to have to try this much less typically.
The decision
Should you’re not somebody who cares a lot about well being monitoring, the OnePlus Watch 2 is a terrific selection. That is very true for a visit to a different nation, because the multi-day battery life makes it simple to put on your watch and benefit from the sights as an alternative of worrying about battery life alongside the way in which.
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 tug my cellphone out of my pocket. That may very well be an enormous sport changer if you end up in a public place and really feel unsafe holding your cellphone in your hand.
However, if well being monitoring knowledge is an important smartwatch function 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 a lot 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 through the years, however for now, the Pixel Watch 2 is the watch to purchase when you’re monitoring exercises and steps or simply ensuring you get a very good relaxation.
