OnePlus has been rumored to be working on a smartwatch for years now, but the project never came to fruition. The evidence is stronger than ever for a OnePlus Watch hitting the the market soon, but surprisingly it won’t be using Google’s Wear OS platform.
Max J, a fairly reliable OnePlus tipster, claims that the OnePlus Watch will not be using Wear OS, a bit of a shock given the company’s tight ties with Google and the Android platform.
Generally speaking, Wear OS is the de facto platform for smartwatch makers who don’t have the resources to craft their own wearable platform from scratch. Brands such as Fossil and Mobvoi are most notable for using Wear OS, but even Oppo uses it in regions outside of China.
So, what’s the plan for the OnePlus Watch? Right now, we’re entirely unsure. Obviously, the product will still pair up with the company’s Android smartphones, but without Wear OS we have no indication at all of what kind of operating system OnePlus will be using on its first smartwatch. Oppo and Xiaomi have used forks of Android and Huawei uses a barebones OS for its popular wearables too. Max did further clarify to 9to5Google that Wear OS won’t be on this watch at all, not even a modified/skinned version.
The OnePlus Watch is currently expected to release sometime next year, delayed from its previously-expected launch of last month.
More on OnePlus:
- OnePlus Watch should have been released this month, but has apparently been delayed
- OnePlus Buds Z are now available for $49.99, and they are much better than you’d expect
- OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 Edition goes official with unnecessarily gigantic camera module
Author: Ben Schoon
Source: 9TO5Google
