The OnePlus Watch was announced alongside the OnePlus 9 series in March, and went on sale in April. The wearable was panned heavily in reviews for its poor usability, missing features, inaccurate health tracking, and more.
OnePlus is now trying to make amends by rolling out an update to fix some of the common issues reported by OnePlus Watch users. The company has also provided a list of features it will be adding to the wearable via future software updates.
This OnePlus Watch Update Improves GPS and Heart Rate Monitoring
The latest OTA (over the air) update for the OnePlus Watch improves its GPS performance, optimizes heart rate monitoring, enables notification app icons for frequently used apps, and improves system stability.
Below is the full change-log of the update:
- Improved GPS performance
- Improved accuracy of activity tracking (walking and running)
- Optimized heart rate monitoring algorithm
- Enabled notification app icons for the most frequently used apps
- Improved raise-to-wake function
- Optimized notification syncing algorithm
- Fixed some known bugs
- Improved system stability
While not enough, the update will improve the overall usability of the OnePlus Watch. It will also give the company enough time to work on future software updates for the wearable to fix its other shortcomings.
Always-on Display and Remote Camera Control Are Coming to the OnePlus Watch
In a post on the OnePlus forums, OnePlus has also shared a list of features it will be bringing to the OnePlus Watch via future software updates. Among other things, the company confirms that it will be adding Always-on Display support to the wearable.
The OnePlus Watch features two-day battery life thanks to its efficient RTOS (Real-Time Operating System). OnePlus initially did not add Always-on Display support to its smartwatch due to battery life concerns. Following user feedback though, the company has decided to add this feature to the smartwatch via a software update in the future.
The company also plans to add support for 110+ workout modes, 12-hour time format, and remote camera control to the OnePlus Watch. The remote camera control feature will let you use the OnePlus Watch as a remote shutter button when the camera app on your Android device is open.
Below are the features the OnePlus Watch will be getting via future software updates:
- Add Always-on Display feature
- Add remote camera control of Android smartphones (Android phones running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and above) from OnePlus Watch
- Add 12-hour time format
- Add 4 languages: German, Italian, Spanish, and Polish
- Enable all 110+ workout modes
- Enable AI watch face
The OnePlus Watch is OnePlus' first smartwatch, so it was bound to have some issues. However, no one expected it to launch with a bunch of missing features, including the inability to show the time in 12-hour format. Instead of abandoning the product though, OnePlus is working on fixing all its shortcomings via software updates.