OnePlus is rolling out a new software update for the OnePlus Watch that adds two major new features to it: Always-on Display and the ability to use the wearable as a remote camera shutter.

The OnePlus Watch was heavily panned in reviews after its launch last month due to the lack of a number of basic features, including the inability to show time in 12-hour format.

The OnePlus Watch's Always-On Display Mode Has a Lot of Limitations

OnePlus quickly acknowledged all the issues with the OnePlus Watch and promised to fix most of the annoyances with future software updates. The company also promised to add an Always-on Display mode to the wearable following user requests.

True to its promise and just a couple of weeks after the announcement, the company has started rolling out an update for the OnePlus Watch that adds Always-on Display.

As the name suggests, Always-on Display will keep the display on the OnePlus Watch in an always-on low-power state where it will show the time and date. Other health metrics like your heart rate, step count, etc., are not shown in this mode.

There's a major downside with this feature, though. OnePlus notes in its announcement on the OnePlus forums that using Always-on Display will reduce the battery life of the wearable by about half. The OnePlus Watch has a rated battery life of 14-days on a single charge, so with Always-on Display enabled, expect to get about a week's battery life with it.

Another important thing to note is that the Always-on Display watch face will be different from the regular watch face you select. OnePlus is offering four different always-on watch faces to choose from, but they are all very basic.

OnePlus Watch specs

The Watch Also Gains a New Marathon Workout Mode

Apart from Always-on Display, the update also adds the ability to use the OnePlus Watch as a remote shutter for your phone's camera app. It also adds a new Marathon workout mode, which you can use to track your marathon workouts.

There are some other bug fixes and stability improvements in the update as well. The full change-log of the update is as follows:

  • Add Always-on Display dial
  • Remote Control Camera function
  • Add Marathon workout
  • Improvements:
    • Optimize system UI details
    • Fix known issues and improve system stability.

There's still a lot of work that OnePlus needs to do on the OnePlus Watch. The company has promised to add support for four new languages, enable 110+ workout modes, add a new AI watch face, and more.

Given that the company was quick to add Always-on Display to the watch, the other promised features should also make it to the wearable in a few weeks.