Oppo Watch review: More than an Apple Watch clone

Brand: Oppo
Product name: Oppo Watch
Key specs: AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100, VOOC flash charging, Wear OS, NFC.
Price: ₹14,990 (base model)
Rating: 4/5

We’ve seen quite a few Apple Watch clones in the market but the Oppo Watch looks like the most successful copy so far. Oppo’s first smartwatch looks exactly like the Apple Watch but if you can get over the cringe, then you’ll notice that it actually looks really good. The Oppo Watch also comes with Wear OS and not ColorOS like the one launched in China. Oppo also upgraded the hardware with a Snapdragon Wear 3100 on this variant.

There was much to like about the Oppo Watch, and it’s by far the best Android smartwatch I’ve used, at least. To find out more about this wearable, here’s our detailed review.

The Oppo Watch comes in two size variants of 46mm and 41mm. The review unit that I received was the 46mm one. This one looks particularly big on my wrist, and if you’re someone with a small wrist then I’d recommend the 41mm variant. The display is great and quite attractive. Colours look really crisp and the touch interface is also very intuitive. There are two side buttons where one acts as the back button and the other as the power button.

This is the first Wear OS smartwatch I’ve used, and the experience has been great so far. With Google Play Store, you get access to an array of apps, something that lacks in other smartwatches. The Oppo Watch doesn’t have a cellular model, and it supports only Wi-Fi. You can still take calls on the smartwatch since it has a built-in speaker. The speaker’s volume however isn’t that loud even with the highest volume. It also has a built-in GPS and NFC.

The big screen is advantageous when it comes to replying texts on the Oppo Watch. It does take quite some time to get some replies out but if you have the patience you won’t mind. And there’s the smart reply feature as well for those quick suggestions which come really handy. There are the usual features like heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring and different exercise modes. You can also sync your workouts with the Google Fit app.

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I had no issues with the overall performance of the Oppo Watch. It works best with an Oppo smartphone as expected. While I did use it with a different Android phone, there were a few times the smartwatch would get disconnected. The Oppo Watch also doesn’t last for 36 hours as the company claimed. In normal mode with notifications turned on throughout, the Oppo Watch lasted for one and a half days. It has fast charging though so you'll get the smartwatch back to 100% in less than an hour.

Verdict

The Oppo Watch fills one major gap when it comes to Android smartwatches, and that’s software. It doesn’t compromise on hardware either along with a premium display. The battery life could have been longer though. The Apple Watch continues to be the most popular smartwatch but for an Android alternative, the Oppo Watch is a definite buy.