OnePlus Watch 2R vs Watch 2: What’s the Difference?
Jul. 16, 2024But, where does that leave the OG Watch 2? What are the differences that set these two apart? If you have a flexible budget, should you stop at the Watch 2R or go all the way for the Watch 2? I have both the smartwatches with me here at the Beebom office. So, I have tried answering all these questions with this quick comparison between the OnePlus Watch 2 and the OnePlus Watch 2R. Read on!
Design Is the Only Change
Launching as the OnePlus Watch 2R, the company’s latest offering is identical to its predecessor in terms of specifications, battery, and other factors except the design. OnePlus Watch 2R comes withSnapdragon W5and Wear OS 4 similar to OnePlus Watch 2. Moreover, the battery capacity and health sensors also the same on both watches. So, we have compared the two smartwatches on design, which is the only differentiating factor.
Right off the bat, the Watch 2R felt lighter. Turns out, it’s made out ofaluminuminstead ofstainless steelwhich its pricier sibling uses. Stainless steel is definitely better and slows down the aesthetic aging of your smartwatches.
At the same time, stainless steel makes the OnePlus Watch 2 a tad bit heavy and somewhat uncomfortable for those who have thin wrists. On the other hand, once you slap on the Watch 2R, you will forget it exists till it vibrates to welcome incoming calls and notifications.
TheWatch 2 is also military-gradetested, adding to its durability. I’m a very clumsy person and often bump and scratch my smartwatches against surfaces. In the three months that I’ve been wearing it, not a single dent or scratch has been able to break the watch’s skin. While I’m not brave enough to put the Watch 2R through a scratch test, although durable, I doubt it’s as tough.
Then comes the dial design itself, which the OnePlus 12R does better in my humble smartwatch-loving opinion. You get to seedual-tone chronographic markingsin the bezels this time, which certainly makes theWatch 2R look more stylish. Conversely, the Watch 2 looks like a typical smartwatch, lacking that vintage flavor. If this bezel was rotatable, it’d have made me a very happy man.
The OnePlus Watch 2R doesn’t fix thenon-rotatable crownproblem of its senior, which made me frown. But, the good thing is that it doesn’t have that peculiar texture to make it come off as rotatable in the first place. So, that helps swallowing this pill a bit easier.
I haven’t been fond of the Watch 2’s second button either. It’s awkwardly placed, shaped, and not at all tactile. On the other hand, theWatch 2R brings two circular crownsthat are much easier to operate.
However, OnePlus has certainly done somecost-cutting with the Watch 2R’s strap quality. The OnePlus Watch 2’s strap is made out offluoro-rubber, while the Watch 2R usessiliconestraps.
For those unaware, fluoro-rubber is more premium and doesn’t wear as easily. It’s also not as much of a lint magnet as silicone and doesn’t get greasy with sweat. It will still leave that anti-tan-zone line on your wrist, though. No solution for that.
The pricing difference is what makes me seriously doubt the Watch 2’s existence in the first place. As mentioned earlier, while the Watch 2 costs Rs 24,999 in the subcontinent, the Watch 2R is priced at Rs 17,999. While the Watch 2 does adorn those build quality advantages, there’s no reason for it to be priced as high as it is. Had it arrived with LTE functionality, it would have made sense.
From the 60Hz AMOLED display and health sensors to running onWearOS 4and being powered by theSnapdragon W5chipset, everything is the same on these two watches. So, imagine buying a watch for 25k, only to see it go for 18k with a better-looking design in a few months.
Moreover, while the Watch 2R’s global variant comes with eSIM support, the Indian variant does not. These choices are Greek to me and make me wonder why OnePlus decided to launch the Watch 2R in India in the first place. It certainly beats the purpose of Watch 2’s existence in the subcontinent, making it difficult to justify its Rs 7,000 price increment.
Sagnik is a tech aficionado who can never say “no” to dipping his toes into unknown waters of tech or reviewing the latest gadgets. He is also a hardcore gamer, having played everything from Snake Xenzia to Dead Space Remake.
