OnePlus has launched its latest smartwatch in India and it’s the first smartwatch under the OnePlus Nord Series. The OnePlus Nord Watch features a 1.78-inch AMOLED screen with a 60 Hz refresh rate, an IP68 Zinc alloy metallic design, 105 sports mode, and up to 10-day battery life. Here’s what we have to say about the smartwatch in our OnePlus Nord Watch review.
OnePlus Nord Watch Specifications
- Display & Design: 1.78-inch (4.52 cm) AMOLED touch display, 368 x 448 pixels resolution, 326 ppi, 500 nits brightness, 60 Hz refresh rate, 70.7% screen-to-body ratio, Zinc alloy design
- Software: Proprietary, N Health app
- Protection: IP68 Certified, Dust and water-resistant
- Memory: 256 MB
- Sensors: 3-axis accelerometer, Optical heart rate sensor, and blood oxygen sensor
- Features: Bluetooth Calling, Fast One-tap Measurements, 24-hour Heart rate monitor, Blood Oxygen (SpO2) Measurement, 105 Sports modes, 100+ Watch Faces, Sleep Monitoring, Stress Monitoring, Women’s Health
- Connectivity & Audio: Bluetooth 5.2, no microphone & loudspeaker
- Battery & Charging: 230 mAh, up to 10 days battery runtime, up to 30 days standby time, USB Magnetic charger
- OS Compatibility: Android 6.0+, iOS 11.0+
- Dimensions: 45.2 mm x 37.2 mm x 10.4 mm (Excluding protrusions)
- Weight: 35.6g (without strap), 52.4g (with strap)
- Colors: Deep Blue, Midnight Black
- Strap: Silicon strap with stainless steel buckle
- Price: ₹4,999
- Offers: Flat ₹500 off on Bank offers (ICICI, Axis)
Design, Display, & Build
OnePlus has added its first Nord smartwatch and now the company has a mixed portfolio of tech gadgets under the Nord Series, we saw Nord smartphones, Nord Earbuds, and now the Nord Watch. The OnePlus Nord Watch flaunts a solid metallic build, an AMOLED display, an IP68 water-resistant design, and a bunch of health and fitness features.
Speaking of the design, the Nord Watch comes with a large 1.78-inch square display and a design made out of zinc alloy metal. This is one of the premium and durable designs we have seen so far, the Nord Watch can outclass many rivals in terms of design in this segment.
The smartwatch has a squarish dial, rounded corners with a glossy finish, and comes with an IP68 water-resistant rating which means it can resist water and dust up to certain limits. The watch offers replaceable Silicon straps with a stainless steel buckle on one side. The straps can be easily removed by sliding the latch on the sides. It comes in Deep Blue and Midnight Black color variants, we got the Midnight Black color as you can see.
About its display, the Nord Watch equips a 1.78-inch (4.52 cm) AMOLED touchscreen with a 60 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 368 x 448 pixels resolution (326 ppi). The screen appears to be quite bright, it has 500 nits brightness and a screen-to-body ratio of 70.7%. AMOLEDs are far better than LCDs when it comes to smartwatches, the black pixels help save the battery and give longer runtimes as far as we know.
The Nord Watch weighs about 52.4 grams with its straps (35.6 grams without staps) and has a 10.4 mm thickness. The bottom side has a heart rate sensor and a SpO2 sensor alongside the charging pins for its USB magnetic charger. The magnetic USB charger easily sticks to the backside and charges the watch. OnePlus says the battery can run up to 10 days on a full charge on typical usage.
On the right side, you have the Home/Apps button which takes you to the homescreen as well as lets you access the apps on the watch. Swiping from the left to the right or vice versa, you can access a bunch of functions of the watch including activities, workout modes, Heart rate monitoring, SpO2 measuring, weather, and more.
Features & User Interface
The Nord Watch offers a customized smartwatch interface, 105 sports modes, 100+ watch faces, fast one-tap measurements, 24-hour heart rate, Blood oxygen level (SpO2), Sleep data, Stress levels, and Women’s Health, but no Bluetooth calling while the rivals have started offering one.
Rivals such as the realme Watch 3 Pro offer Bluetooth calling functionality which helps you to directly use the smartwatch’s built-in speaker and microphone to make voice calls. This handy feature is certainly the best and most useful feature on a smartwatch. You don’t need to pull the phone out of your pocket, just answer directly from the watch.
The Nord Watch can track steps, distance, calories, sleep, heart rate, and more which you can view on the watch by swiping from the right to the left. You can also measure and track Hearth rate, Stress levels, Blood Oxygen (SpO2) levels, and Sleep data upon swiping. More details can be seen on the screen when you swipe bottom. It also comes with a One-tap measurement feature that gives you a glimpse of Hearth rate, SpO2 levels, and Stress levels in one go.
The Nord Watch offers smart functions like notifications, music control, calculator, call alerts, camera shutter, alarms, and sedentary reminders. The smartwatch also has health monitoring features, including menstrual cycle monitors for women. Tracking is quite accurate and we got a smooth UI experience altogether. The display is bright and clear and offers smoother performance due to its 60 Hz refresh rate.
There are a bunch of sports modes that can be accessed by pressing the power button once and choosing the sports icon. You get outdoor and indoor walking, running, and cycling modes, as well as climbing, hiking, jump rope, hula hoop, dog walking, yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, dance, combat, and many more modes.
You also get several watch faces that can be changed by long pressing on the homescreen and changing it to your liking. More watch faces can be accessed after pairing with the N Health app. Pairing the Nord Watch is quick and easy, it connects via Bluetooth 5.2 and uses the N Health app which is available on the Google Play store and App Store, you just need to download and install the N Health app on your smartphone. After pressing the ‘+’ button in the corner, scan the QR code which is shown on the watch and follow the pairing instructions on the app.
In the N Health app, you can view detailed results of your health tracking and keep a record, customize watch faces in the Face gallery, receive message notifications from apps you like, sync alarm clock and weather from your phone, turn On or Off incoming call alerts, and change sedentary reminder timings. You can use the N Health app to upgrade the firmware or restore the watch to factory settings.
Battery Life & Charging
Moving to its battery, the watch has a built-in 230 mAh battery that delivers a 10-day battery life for typical use, the battery life depends on user habits and usage frequency. It offers up to 30 days of standby time which is good. To charge the smartwatch, plug in the USB and use the magnetic connector that sticks to the backside.
Verdict – OnePlus Nord Watch
The OnePlus Nord Watch seems a great choice if you prefer style and comfort, it offers a great metallic design, a stunning AMOLED display, IP68 water resistance as well as smooth performance, and a bunch of useful fitness features including the one-tap measurement and Women’s health tracking. The watch lasts up to 10 days on full charge and up to 30 days on standby. Bluetooth calling and a dedicated GPS might be a letdown for some users, but it tracks all your fitness activities accurately and offers smart functions like call alerts, notifications, music control, camera shutter, sedentary reminders, and more. The OnePlus Nord Watch is available at ₹4,999 (or ₹4,499 with offers) and is recommended at this price.
