The Oppo Watch goes global with Wear OS on board
Oppo has announced international release plans for its first smartwatch, the Oppo Watch. The device was launched in China earlier this year with a customized version of Android, but Oppo is shipping the global model with Google’s Wear OS on board.
Oppo describes the Oppo Watch as the world’s first smartwatch with a dual-curved display, meaning the OLED panel curves on two edges like many of the company’s phones. It’s available in 46mm and 41mm sizes with optional LTE connectivity in the larger model. The 430mAh battery charges in 75 minutes and gets half full in 15.
I’ve already tested the Chinese version of the Oppo Watch, and I found the hardware to be pretty good, but it’s impossible to avoid the fact that it looks an awful lot like an Apple Watch. As I wrote at the time:
Overall I think this watch looks fine in a vacuum, but there’s no getting around it: people are either going to think you’re wearing an Apple Watch or realize you’re wearing something that just looks like an Apple Watch. It’s up to you whether that’s what you want out of your wristwear.
I liked what Oppo did with the software on the Chinese version, including some of the built-in apps. Wear OS will no doubt be an improvement in terms of making the device useful outside China, but we’ll have to see whether Oppo has been able to replicate the same functionality with less control over the operating system.
Oppo says the watch will roll out from today in select markets, but hasn’t given broad details on exactly where and when that’ll be. We do have pricing information for a couple of key regions, though. In the UK, the 46mm Oppo Watch will cost £369 ($484) and the 41mm will be £229 ($300), while in India it’ll be Rs. 19,990 ($267) for the 46mm and 14,990 ($200) for the 41mm.
Oppo has announced international release plans for its first smartwatch, the Oppo Watch. The device was launched in China earlier this year with a customized version of Android, but Oppo is shipping the global model with Google’s Wear OS on board. Oppo describes the Oppo Watch as the world’s first…
