Forget Apple Watch 6 — OnePlus Watch launch looks imminent

OnePlus Watch rumor
The OnePlus Watch is said to have a circular design like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 (Image credit: Future)

The OnePlus Watch seems to be not far from going on sale, perfectly timed to provide an Android answer to the Apple Watch 6.

A reference to OnePlus' first-ever smartwatch can be seen in the listings of the Bureau of Indian Standards, as spotted by Twitter leaker Mukul Sharma.

As you can see in the screenshot taken by Sharma below, the OnePlus name and the smartwatches category makes the leak pretty easy to figure out.

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Usually, electronic products go through national regulators, to make sure they comply with all relevant standards, just before launch. This isn't necessarily always the case, but it's certainly a strong sign that the OnePlus Watch is almost ready to go on sale.

Previous OnePlus Watch rumors have claimed it will use a round casing, which makes it different from the square Oppo Watch, made by its sister company. We'd expect the two companies to share parts, but it looks like OnePlus is using a unique design of its own making.

Powering the watch will likely be the Snapdragon Wear 4100 chipset, the top silicon for wearables made by OnePlus' long-standing partner Qualcomm. And Google's Wear OS will provide the software brains.

From what we've heard about the Snapdragon Wear 4100 chip, it promises up to 85% faster performance and 25% longer battery life. There should also be support for new sensors, such as a built-in camera, but that doesn't mean the OnePlus Watch itself will make video calls.

OnePlus is likely preparing for one more big launch event this year, likely in October. It's here where we'd expect to see the OnePlus 8T debut, as well as a possible new OnePlus Nord handset for the mid-range market. It also seems like the ideal place to show off a new smartwatch.

Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.