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| The OnePlus Watch Lite will be unveiled on December 17. |
Tech enthusiasts, mark your calendars. OnePlus has officially set its next launch event for December 17, where it’s expected to pull back the curtain on a refreshed portfolio of devices. While the spotlight often shines on smartphones, a new contender in the wearable space is generating significant buzz: the OnePlus Watch Lite. Fresh details have emerged, painting a picture of a smartwatch that promises affordability but represents a stark departure from the company's recent path.
Gone are the bulky frames of wearables past. According to OnePlus, the Watch Lite is engineered for all-day comfort with a notably slim and lightweight design. It measures just 8.9 mm thick and tips the scales at a mere 35 grams. Encased in stainless steel, it will feature a vibrant 1.46-inch AMOLED display. Interestingly, the watch employs a dynamic brightness system, capable of a blazing 3,000 nits peak brightness in sports mode for outdoor visibility, while dialing back to a more battery-efficient 600 nits for everyday use.
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| The OnePlus Watch Lite will have a 10-day battery life. |
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| The OnePlus Watch Lite will be compatible with Android and iOS. |
This streamlined device doesn’t skimp on core health and connectivity features. Confirmed tracking includes continuous heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen level (SpO2) measurements, and advanced sleep tracking. For the on-the-go user, it packs NFC for contactless payments and dual-frequency GPS for more accurate location tracking during workouts. In a welcome move for a broader audience, OnePlus has confirmed compatibility with both Android and iOS devices.
Perhaps the most eye-catching specification is the promised battery life. OnePlus claims the Watch Lite can deliver up to 10 days on a single charge. This impressive stamina, however, comes with a significant caveat. Such longevity strongly suggests the watch is not running WearOS by Google. As a point of comparison, even the most efficient WearOS watches struggle to reach this mark. For instance, the well-regarded OnePlus Watch 3 (curr. available on Amazon for $249.99), which boasts one of the best battery lives in the WearOS arena, offers up to 5 days in its smart usage mode.
This move away from WearOS positions the OnePlus Watch Lite less as a sequel to the Watch 3 and more as a refined successor to the original OnePlus Watch, which also used a proprietary RTOS. While that model faced criticism for its software limitations, OnePlus appears to be betting that a sleek design, robust core features, and exceptional battery life at a lower price point will win over a specific segment of users.
The launch event itself is shaping up to be a multi-product affair. Alongside the watch, OnePlus is heavily teasing its next smartphone, with more details steadily emerging. For those interested in the full scope of what’s coming, you can find the official event details on the OnePlus launch page. Furthermore, tech sites like GSMArena are already covering the finer specs of other anticipated devices, including the chipset powering the upcoming OnePlus 15R.
When it arrives, the OnePlus Watch Lite will be available in two classic colorways: Silver and Phantom Black. By focusing on essentials and marathon battery life, OnePlus is clearly aiming to capture the budget-conscious fitness tracker market. Whether this lightweight contender can overcome the software stigma of its predecessor will be one of the key questions answered on December 17th.
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| The OnePlus Watch Lite will have a stainless steel case. |