Oppo will reportedly release the Oppo Watch 5 and Oppo Watch 5 Pro later this year, a pair of Wear OS watches that, like their predecessors, look very similar to the Apple Watch with its curved square display. The Oppo Watch Series 5 and 5 Pro, according to the leaks, will have almost twice the battery capacity of the Apple Watch Series 8, increasing its ability to use features such as sleep tracking.
Top Apple Watch models suffer from short battery life, though not as drastically as Apple would believe. For example, the Apple Watch Series 8 draws quite a lot from the 308mAh battery, only getting about 18 hours of juice from a full charge, judging by Apple’s estimates. However, in our Watch 8 review, we said: “In our initial testing, the Watch 8’s battery can last for 38 hours on a single full charge – far exceeding Apple’s 18-hour projection.” The Google Pixel Watch is no match for this, with just 24-26 hours of actual use.
According to leak Digital Chat Station via GizmochinaThe Oppo Watch 5, codenamed “Comet”, will have a 570mAh battery. Even the previous model, the Oppo Watch 3 (Oppo reported to omit the “4” moniker as the number is considered unlucky in Asian countries) lasted over a day and a half even with heavy use and up to 14 days of battery life – save mode, with battery 400mAh.
The Oppo Watch 3 Pro came with a 550mAh battery, meaning the 5 Pro could have twice the battery capacity of the Apple Watch Series 8. Along with a similar-looking curved display, Wear OS users (who also have the new improved Wear OS 4 coming later this year) could have an Apple Watch clone that not only rivals Apple’s rival, but far surpasses it.
Analysis: It will take more than the battery
It would certainly be nice to have a watch that supports Wear OS 4 that will last more than a day or two with heavy use, but it’s not just the design of the screen or the watch’s run time that captures the watch user’s imagination.
The Google Pixel Watch and Apple Watch integrate seamlessly with their respective networks, look great, and are carefully crafted. Their fitness and wellness data algorithms are particularly impressive, with the Pixel Watch drawing on Fitbit’s expertise from the last decade, and Apple harnessing all the power of Apple Health and Apple Fitness+.
We’re not sure Oppo can offer a comprehensive and aesthetic user experience like Apple and Google, but its Android phones are excellent (I’ve personally been using the Oppo Find X2 Pro for years) and the new Oppo Watch 5 series will certainly run the latest Wear OS when it lands.
This could be a real contender for some of the best smartwatches for a) users who want a true Wear OS experience, and b) people who love the look of the Apple Watch but don’t want to switch from Android. Watch this space for further official announcements.