OnePlus launches its first-ever smartwatch at a very reasonable price

It's been a long time coming, but the OnePlus Watch is here. The company unveiled its first-ever smartwatch at its hardware event alongside two new flagship phones: the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro.

In terms of design, the OnePlus Watch has a rounded, 46mm stainless steel case with a 1.39-inch touchscreen display. It only comes in Midnight Black, but you can customize its look with different watch faces and swap out the watch strap with third-party options.

OnePlus is also offering the smartwatch in a "Cobalt Limited Edition," which is a bit more durable than the classic version. The case is made of cobalt alloy (which is twice as hard and corrosion-resistant as stainless steel), while the display is sapphire glass.

Rather than opting for WearOS, Google's smartwatch platform that runs on most Android smartwatches, OnePlus decided to go with its own proprietary operating system. Currently, the watch can only be paired with Android smartphones (running Android 6.0 or newer) but it will also work with iPhones (running iOS 10 and higher) in the future.

The OnePlus Watch comes in Midnight Black. Credit: oneplus

As far as features go, the OnePlus Watch comes equipped with built-in GPS, a heart-rate monitor (for rapid heart-rate alerts), an SPO2 sensor (to track blood oxygen levels), stress detection, and reminders for inactivity. The watch is waterproof up to 5 ATM (50 meters) and is IP68 certified, which means it's dust- and water-resistant.

It also has over 110+ workout modes, including Parkour Mode (yes, you read that correctly), and automatic detection for running and jogging. While your activity is tracked on the smartwatch, you'll also be able to check your stats via a separate OnePlus Health app.

When it comes to battery life, the OnePlus Watch packs a 402mAh battery, which the company claims can last up to seven days for "active users" (for those who use it everyday), and up two weeks of "sustainable use" (if you use it infrequently).

The watch also uses OnePlus' Warp Charge technology, providing a full day's worth of battery life with a five-minute charge. Meanwhile, a 20-minute charge will give you up to one week of juice.

The OnePlus Watch also comes with 4GB of standalone storage, allowing you to store up to 500 songs. That way, you don't have to rely on your phone for music when going for a run.

One thing worth noting: According to OnePlus, the watch "is compatible with most Bluetooth earbuds," so it might be a good idea to make sure yours play nicely with the watch before making your purchase.

It's also compatible with the OnePlus TV — when you pair it to the watch, it'll act as a smart remote control. So, it'll lower the volume when a call comes in and turn the TV off once it recognizes that you're asleep.

As for price and availability, the OnePlus Watch will set you back $159 for the Classic Edition, while pricing for the Cobalt Limited Edition has yet to be confirmed. It will officially go on sale starting April 14.