Wear OS’s new hybrid interface promises a big boost in power and performance for smartwatches. Today, OnePlus unveiled the OnePlus Watch 2 powered by Google’s Wear OS 4 operating system. The OnePlus Watch 2 has a dual-chipset architecture that takes advantage of Wear OS’s updated hybrid interface to achieve a stunning up to 100 hours of regular use while in Smart Mode.
Most Wear OS smartwatches have a dual-chipset architecture wherein a more powerful applications processor (AP) is paired with an ultra-low-power co-processor microcontroller unit (MCU). The AP handles complex tasks while less complex tasks are offloaded to the MCU. Google has managed to heavily optimize the interface between the MCU and AP, allowing for very seamless, intelligent switching. So for example, the AP can be put to sleep while the MCU handles sensor data processing.
Wear OS’s hybrid OS interface supports APIs for Display, Health Services, and Notifications. The best part for developers is that these optimizations are available without needing to do any code changes!
OnePlus uses the hybrid interface’s notification API to offload the processing of bridged notifications on the MCU so the AP doesn’t need to be woken up. Users can read and dismiss these notifications while the watch is powered by the MCU, and this can include advanced features like quick replies or remote actions. App developers just need to use the Wear OS Notification API.
Things like precise workout tracking, automatic sports recognition, and health data monitoring can be offloaded to the MCU thanks to Wear OS’s updated hybrid OS interface. Apps that use the Health Services API can get periodic access to sensor data. The MCU batches sensor data to optimize power use.
Lastly, watch faces built on the Watch Face Format – a declarative XML format to configure the appearance and behavior of watch faces – can be rendered on the MCU thanks to the updated hybrid OS interface.
Here’s a rundown of the key specs and features:
- Size: 47.0 x 46.6 x 12.1mm
- Weight: 49g (without strap)
- Build: Stainless steel chassis, 2.5D sapphire crystal face, IP68 rating, MIL-STD-810H certified
- Colors: Black Steel or Radiant Steel
- Strap: 22mm fluor rubber
- Display: 1.43” AMOLED round display, 60Hz refresh rate, up to 1000 nits peak brightness, 466×466 resolution (326 ppi)
- Chipsets: Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 + BES2700
- Positioning: Dual-frequency L1+L5 GNSS
- Sensors: Accelerometer, gyroscope, 8-channel optical heart rate, optical pulse oximeter, geomagnetic, light, barometer
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi + Bluetooth (no LTE)
- Battery: 500mAh. Up to 100 hours in Smart Mode. Up to 12 days in Power Saver Mode.
- Charging: VOOC fast charging (1 to 100% in 1 hour)
- RAM/ROM: 2GB + 32GB
- Software: Wear OS 4 based on Android 13 (W5 Gen 1) + custom RTOS (BES2700). 2 years of updates. Can be paired with Android 8.0+ devices only through the OHealth app.
With the launch of the OnePlus Watch 2, the OHealth app has been updated to support Android’s Health Connect platform. This lets you share health data collected by OHealth with other apps that support Health Connect, like Fitbit. OHealth includes tracking modes for > 100 sports, detailed sleep tracking analysis, and more.
