Design and workmanship: Titanium instead of stainless steel
The OnePlus Watch 4's design is reminiscent of its predecessors, but it appears somewhat more premium and modern. This is primarily due to the new titanium alloy case, which replaces the previous combination of a titanium bezel and stainless steel case. This is also reflected in the weight: at 43 grams without the strap, the Watch 4 is around 13 percent lighter than the OnePlus Watch 3, which weighed almost 50 grams. The case thickness has also been reduced from 11,75 to 11 millimeters, although this makes hardly any noticeable difference.
In terms of size, the OnePlus Watch 4 is currently only available with a 47mm case, which can make it appear somewhat bulky on particularly slender wrists. Since OnePlus later released a more compact 43mm version of the Watch 3, there is certainly hope that the Watch 4 will also be available in a smaller variant in the future. The watch comes in two color options: Midnight Titanium with a matte black case and strap, and Evergreen Titanium with a brushed titanium case and a subtle green strap.
OnePlus hasn't changed anything about the controls compared to its predecessors. On the right side of the device is a rotating crown for scrolling through apps and menus, which offers a satisfying click. It's complemented by a quick-launch button below it, providing direct access to the training functions.
OnePlus continues the consistently high build quality of the previous generation with the Watch 4. Additional durability is ensured by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and a robust construction meeting IP68, IP69 and MIL-STD-810H standards.
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Display and hardware: Familiar with few innovations
For the display, OnePlus continues to use a 1,5-inch LTPO OLED panel with a resolution of 466 x 466 pixels and a pixel density of 310 PPI. Content is displayed sharply, colors appear vibrant, and the viewing angle stability is beyond reproach.
OnePlus has primarily improved the brightness. While the Watch 3 reached up to 2.200 nits, the Watch 4 now achieves a peak brightness of up to 3.000 nits under certain conditions. Content remains easily readable even in direct sunlight, while the LTPO technology dynamically adjusts the refresh rate depending on the content, thus minimizing energy consumption.
There's less change in the hardware, however. Inside, the familiar dual-chip combination of the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 and the BES2800 chip is still at work. While it's a few years old, it still performs well. Apps launch quickly, menus respond without noticeable delays, and the Watch 4 switches smoothly between different applications. Due to the virtually unchanged hardware, there's no performance leap compared to its predecessors. Especially considering future Wear OS features and AI applications, a more modern chip would have given the watch more headroom for the coming years.
Connectivity remains unchanged. Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band GNSS with support for GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, Beidou, and QZSS, 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, and NFC for Google Wallet are still included. OnePlus has again opted not to offer an LTE or eSIM version for the fourth generation. This means the smartwatch still relies on a connection to a smartphone for many functions. Those who frequently travel without their smartphone but still want to make calls, receive messages, or stream music will find more flexible alternatives from Samsung, Google, or, in some cases, Huawei.
Software, health and sports: Solid fare with Gemini
In terms of software, the OnePlus Watch 4 is among the first smartwatches to ship with Wear OS 6 pre-installed. OnePlus overlays this with its own OxygenOS Watch 8 interface, which largely mirrors the familiar look of its predecessors. Long-term software support remains unclear. While OnePlus has guaranteed three years of software and security updates for the Watch 2 and Watch 3, the manufacturer has not yet specified a concrete update guarantee for the Watch 4.
The user interface is generally smooth and uncluttered, while Google services like Maps, Wallet, and the Play Store are seamlessly integrated. OnePlus is particularly promoting the Gemini integration as a new feature. Using the voice assistant, users can compose messages, create appointments, answer questions, or set reminders without having to pick up their smartphone. This works quite well, but still requires a connection to a compatible Android smartphone.
The OnePlus Watch 4 offers almost a full range of health features. In addition to continuous monitoring of heart rate, blood oxygen, and wrist temperature, the smartwatch also supports ECG measurements. This is complemented by the so-called "60-Second Wellness Overview," which collects and clearly summarizes various health metrics within one minute. The sensor suite includes heart rate and SpO2 sensors, as well as temperature, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, and ambient light sensors.
The OnePlus Watch 4 also boasts a wide range of sports features. More than 100 sports modes are available, including specialized analyses for disciplines such as running, tennis, badminton, swimming, and skiing. Runners, in particular, benefit from advanced training metrics like cadence, ground contact time, vertical oscillation, and running power, which provide significantly deeper insights into their performance than traditional fitness trackers.
Nevertheless, the OnePlus Watch 4 remains primarily a smartwatch and not a specialized sports watch. Compared to models from Garmin, Coros, or Polar, its training and recovery analyses are less comprehensive. Features such as native GPX navigation, offline maps, or particularly in-depth training planning are also absent.
Positioning via the dual-band GPS is generally reliable, although the recorded routes may occasionally show minor deviations. Most dedicated sports watches are more accurate in this regard. However, for everyday training runs, bike rides, or hikes, the accuracy is perfectly adequate. The Watch 4 doesn't offer much new in this area compared to the OnePlus Watch 3.
Battery life: Still one of its greatest strengths
Battery life was already one of the greatest strengths of the OnePlus Watch 2 and OnePlus Watch 3, and this remains unchanged with the Watch 4. This is again thanks to the combination of the Snapdragon W5 and BES2800 chipset, which switches between smartwatch operation and particularly energy-efficient background processes depending on usage.
According to the manufacturer, up to five days of battery life are possible in smart mode, and up to 16 days in power-saving mode. These figures are almost exactly the same as those of the OnePlus Watch 3.
In our tests, with the always-on display enabled, continuous health monitoring, and several recorded workouts per week, we easily achieved three to four days of battery life. Both the Google Pixel Watch 4 and many Galaxy Watch models typically need to be recharged after only one or two days.
If the battery does run out, the smartwatch can be fully recharged in about 50 minutes. Thanks to the fast charging function, just a few minutes on the charging puck are enough to gain enough power for another day.
