Oppo Watch - version of the version uneven

The first generation of a product usually turns out to be the most interesting, but also the quickest to replace it with a second, improved version. Oppo's debut on the smartwatch market is a little different, because the first Oppo Watch is a very successful device (if only we decide on a larger size).

This article is from archived iMagazine 10/2020

Despite the fact that smartwatches, contrary to the intentions of some companies, did not become any competition for exclusive watches, the quality of materials and their design made them permanently present on the wrists of many people who had previously preferred fitness or classic wristbands timepieces. Oppo Watch, entering a completely formed market, could not therefore differ in quality from the best to properly determine the position of the brand. It is available in two sizes and two colors, as well as with optional LTE (but only in the larger model). The case is made of shiny aluminum, the front is glass, and the case back with sensors is ceramic (in 46 mm models) or plastic (in 41 mm models). The strap is made of fluorine rubber, which is non-allergenic and very pleasant to the touch. The straps are interchangeable, but strangely Oppo does not sell them separately, so you have to rely on other manufacturers. I tested the 46 mm variant without LTE, in black. Overall, it suits me very well, although I don't have a particularly wide wrist. Thanks to the fact that only two oblong buttons protrude from the case and the screen curves, the watch makes a great, minimalist impression, and as one of the few smartwatches it looks good even when the screen is off. I haven't seen the smaller version live, but according to the specification, its screen is already flat, so it probably doesn't look as spectacular anymore. This is not the end of the differences between the two models (I mention them in the following paragraphs). The color of Oppo Watch is puzzling - only in the sun I noticed that the black case is actually a very dark navy blue, it can also be seen in the manufacturer's graphics. I like it, but describing the color as "black" is not entirely true.

No smartwatch with an advanced operating system lasts particularly long on the battery, and the problem has remained unresolved since the beginning of the existence of such devices. Oppo Watch uses two processors, and the purpose of this procedure is to reduce energy consumption while maintaining optimal performance. The first, more efficient, is the Snapdragon Wear 3100, supported by Apollo3 from Ambiq Micro. The real working time of the watch is still average. In normal operation mode, you need to charge it every day, even if you don't record your workouts. Without the use of GPS, it lasts a day, so you can also measure your sleep and recharge it during the day. I used it in this way and it is convenient, because thanks to VOOC, it takes just over an hour to fully charge the battery. When tracking activity for approximately 2.5 hours the battery lasted from 7am to midnight and still had about 15-20% charge. This is also a good result, but nothing that stands out from the competition. Theoretically, the Oppo Watch can last much longer, up to about 3 weeks without charging, but it must run in power saving mode. This means that the screen is dimmed and only shows the time, date, battery and step count. However, it does not show any notifications, so its role is reduced to a watch with a pedometer, and by pressing the side button, you can also measure your heart rate. Theoretically, 21 days of work look good only on paper - I don't buy a smartwatch not to use most of its functions. Saving energy will work when we forget to take a charger for a weekend trip, after all, it's better to have at least a watch than not have it at all. For charging, a charger with pins magnetically attaches to the lid. It is not the most comfortable, because not only can you put the watch in it the other way around (especially when we put the fully discharged device on the nightstand in the dark), it is flat enough that the watch strap pushes it out of it. The set does not include a power supply, you have to buy it separately or use the one from the phone, as long as it has a USB-A socket. Oppo Watch supports fast charging, the larger model recharges from 0 to over 40% in 15 minutes, while the smaller one, according to the manufacturer's data, will recharge to about 30% in this time. Both take about 75 minutes to fully charge.

Smartwatches with Wear OS work very well not only with Android (of course), but also with iOS. Just download two applications: Wear OS and Google Fit. The first one allows you to configure the watch and manage applications and watch faces (but they can also be downloaded directly on the device), the second collects activity data. Traditionally, everything works except sending weather data. Not only are the watch complications not refreshed regularly, but after some time they stop showing data at all (even after giving Wear OS permanent access to the phone's location and notifications). In addition, SMS and LTE support do not work on iOS, and while the lack of the first function can be suffered, I consider the limitation of mobile network support to be a big lack. Google Pay is supported, I often pay with my watch and I really appreciate this feature. The watch system works very smoothly and quickly, it has a classic Wear OS layout. To the left of the dial we have the assistant screen, from the top we pull out the control center, and from the bottom the list of notifications. On the screen to the right of the dial, there are widgets. We also have two buttons to operate, the upper one calls the menu, and the lower one is configurable and has the Oppo training application assigned by default. While using the watch, I had to restart it once because it stopped showing the face (but other UI elements, including a dot signaling a new notification, appeared). In addition, the music control screen is constantly displayed, even if it was played the day before (thankfully, this function can be turned off). Overall, though, I can't really complain about the system, especially since it's a pleasure to use thanks to the sensible interface and large curved screen. In the 46mm case size model, the screen has a diagonal of 1.91", 326 and covers 100% of the DCI-P3 palette. This is of course good news, because the colors actually look natural, but in the watch this parameter is not so important. I also like the curve of the screen, which is subtle and does not stretch the interface inelegantly. Unfortunately, the smaller version does not have it - its screen is flat and has lower sharpness (301 PPI). The Oppo Watch screen also has clear ghosting. I first noticed it during the breathing exercise, when the inscriptions in the middle left a mark. After turning off and backlighting the screen or full-screen animation, the problem disappears, however, I have never encountered such a problem in a smartwatch.

In addition to the smart function, Oppo Watch also has a lot of solutions for health monitoring and training recording. The watch uses Google Fit, which is present not only in the form of applications and widgets, but also special dials. The basic widget summarizes your active hours, exercise time, calories burned, and steps taken. In addition, we also collect cardio points that we get for performing exercises (they are registered both during training and automatically, in the background). There were also applications for practicing breathing (Oppo also made its own, so we have two, almost identical) and heart rate measurement (here the application is also duplicated). In addition, we also have classic training monitoring, unfortunately, both in the Oppo and Google Fit applications, you cannot edit the data fields. Fortunately, the interface is so clear that I did not feel a particular need for changes, although it can be disturbing if, for example, we want to focus on fat burning (so the heart rate zone and calories are important to us). Only sleep monitoring has no duplicate apps. The watch clearly shows its phases and quality, and the battery allows you to measure it every day. Oppo has also developed an additional application with quick, 5-minute workouts. They are divided into several categories, each exercise is illustrated, and the watch guides us through the training step by step. I find this application extremely useful and inventive, I hope that it will be expanded with new workouts.

Oppo has adapted its activity tracking smartwatch well. The larger version is water resistant up to 5 ATM, the smaller - up to 3 ATM. You can pair Bluetooth headphones with the watch and listen to music stored on it (however, you cannot download files to the watch with iOS). In addition, thanks to the insensitive to touch mode, you can lock the screen while swimming or sleeping so that it does not illuminate itself (it can only be turned on with a button). However, not everything works as I would expect from a high-end smartwatch. GPS takes a long time to catch a signal, even in open space it sometimes takes up to two minutes. The quality of the trace drawn is good, although there is a shift from one side of the street to the other, but it is not frequent enough to significantly affect the measured distance. In sports, it is also important how the watch behaves on the wrist, and Oppo Watch is extremely secure on it. The envelope is light, the strap is wide and comfortable, and the use is also facilitated by the ability to pause the workout with a button.

I have a big problem with the Oppo Watch rating. I tested this larger and at the same time much better model. The smaller version is a much worse device - with a weaker battery, slower charging, lower pixel density on the display (which is not curved), with lower water resistance, no LTE variant and a polycarbonate bottom, not ceramic. Theoretically, the range of functions is almost the same, but in practice the differences can significantly affect the comfort of use. Thus, I decided that it would be fair to evaluate only the 46 mm model. And this one is great and, although it duplicates applications and has occasional problems with the software, it perfectly fulfills both the function of a smartwatch and an activity measurement device. Oppo designed it really well, remembering not only about functions, but also about the fact that we wear such a device every day, so it must also be nice.

Design: 5.5/6Workmanship: 5.5/6Software: 5/6Performance : 5/65/6