OnePlus' new '100-hour battery life' smartwatch may give the Pixel Watch a run for its money

OnePlus is set to unveil its follow-up to the OnePlus Watch at Mobile World Congress on February 26th, and the company is confident this new release will transition it from "Flagship Killer" to "Ecosystem Builder."

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The goal, as is the case for every wearable company, is nothing short of winning the title of Best Flagship Smartwatch of the Year. How will OnePlus accomplish such a lofty goal (especially with Apple and Google dominating the space)? 

According to the company's community blog today, the Watch 2 will have its "best-ever battery life and a design that epitomizes both elegance and durability."

Of course, OnePlus' original outing also offered impressive battery life and a certain elegance. What's different this time around is that OnePlus has created a smartwatch that is every bit as functional as it is beautiful. With a stainless steel chassis, sapphire crystal watch face, and two colorways (Black Steel and Radient Steel), this device comes off as far more than a standard smartwatch to look like it would be just as at home on the wrist of James Bond.

Battery life on the Watch 2 is expected to deliver up to 100 hours in full Smart Mode, which blows away every other watch on the market. What "Smart Mode" is remains in question, but it's still quite the feat regardless.

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As far as specs go, so far it's only been rumors, such as a 1.43" AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chipset, and the possibility of shipping with WearOS 4. With the resurgence in WearOS as a platform, this is the perfect time for OnePlus to take advantage of Google's expansive OS. 

One of the biggest issues with the original OnePlus Watch was its proprietary operating system, which failed to include basic functionality, such as voice assistant, always-on display, and support for third-party apps or watch faces. As well, the original OS had limited notification options and inaccurate fitness and sleep tracking. WearOS fixes all of those issues.

You can read the official announcement of the Watch 2 release on the OnePlus Community Blog and stay tuned for ZDNET's hands-on coverage during Mobile World Congress next week.