4 surprising things we just learned about the OnePlus Watch 3

Summary

OnePlus is launching its next wearable gadget, the Watch 3, on February 18.
Pricing is yet to be confirmed, but we know that the smartwatch will be available in black and green colorways.
The company is offering a $30 pre-release discount on the Watch 3, which is available via its official storefront.

OnePlus has officially confirmed the release date for its upcoming third-generation smartwatch, the Watch 3. According to the company, the wearable will launch in both the US and in Europe on February 18 at 5am PT / 8am ET.

We aren’t sure of exact pricing figures yet, but we’ve learned a number of key details regarding the OnePlus Watch 3 and what it’ll bring to the table. Here are the four most important pre-release takeaways we know of in advance of the device’s launch later this month.

OnePlus Watch 3

The Watch 3 is OnePlus’ third-generation wearable wristwatch. It runs on Google’s Wear OS platform, and offers up to five days of battery life.

1 OnePlus’ new smartwatch is a stamina champ

OnePlus promises up to five days of Watch 3 battery life

OnePlus

With its Watch 3, OnePlus is talking a big game in the battery life department — the company describes the wearable’s stamina as ‘unstoppable’ when in Smart Mode. More specifically, the smartwatch is quoted at five days or 120 hours of use. With power saver mode switched on, this figure jumps to 16 days of juice on a single charge.

…OnePlus is talking a big game in the battery life department.

To achieve this impressive longevity, OnePlus is doubling down on what worked with its previous-generation Watch 2: the inclusion of two separate processors under the hood. The Watch 3 will ship with the Snapdragon W5 chip for performance-based tasks, in addition to a new BES2800 chip for efficiency-related tasks.

In addition, the Watch 3’s 631mAh battery pack is notably larger in capacity than it’s predecessor’s 500mAh cell — OnePlus is leveraging silicon carbon battery technology this year, much like it did with its recently released OnePlus 13 flagship smartphone.

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2 The Watch 3’s digital crown receives a major level-up

Rotation is the name of the game for this third-generation product

OnePlus

Last year’s OnePlus Watch 2 was generally well regarded by reviewers and smartwatch fans alike, but the gadget’s lack of a rotating digital crown proved contentious. Thankfully, for its third-generation Watch offering, the company is righting this wrong.

“With the ability to both press and rotate, the rotating crown makes navigating through apps and menus efficient and intuitive – and ultimately the user experience even better,” says Celina Shi, chief marketing officer, OnePlus Europe (via TechRadar).

Tactile, rotating crowns are a staple of wristwatches, and they tend to feel right at home when incorporated into digital timepieces. While I tend to prefer the rotating bezels found on older Samsung wearables, digital crowns remain the next best option in my opinion.

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3 The Watch 3 arrives in two distinct colorways

The wearable will be available for purchase in both black and green variants

OnePlus

OnePlus has confirmed that the Watch 3 will be available for purchase in two distinct colorways at launch: obsidian titanium (black), as well as emerald titanium (green). The former includes a black titanium bezel, a stainless steel body and buckle, and a black-colored strap made of rubber.

The emerald titanium variant, meanwhile, ships with a silver titanium bezel, a stainless steel body and buckle, and a green-colored rubber strap. “This distinctive emerald titanium finish, which was inspired by nature, exhibits the ideal balance of dynamic athleticism, signifying development and energy,” says OnePlus.

Regardless of which color scheme you spring for, the OnePlus Watch 3 should be fairly scratch resistant from the front side. Both variants ship with a sapphire crystal watch face, which is a material that is far more resistant to wear and tear than the tempered glass found in many other smartwatches like the Google Pixel Watch 3.

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4 OnePlus is offering a $30 discount on the Watch 3

OnePlus

Leading up to the Watch 3’s February 18 launch date, OnePlus is offering a limited-time $30 discount on the wearable. This promo can be claimed by heading over to the company’s official ‘Coming Soon‘ web page, and hitting on the ‘subscribe’ button at the top of the screen.

It’s worth noting that to receive the $30 discount promo, you’ll need to create a OnePlus account if you don’t already have one set up.

Additionally, subscribing to receive the Watch 3 promo unlocks a chance to win additional OnePlus hardware, free of charge. Specifically, the company will be giving away a OnePlus Pad 2 tablet and a pair of OnePlus Buds Pro 3 — full terms and conditions can be found over on OnePlus’ website.