Comparing the OnePlus Watch Lite and OnePlus Watch 3: A Detailed Review

I have previously reviewed the OnePlus Watch 3 and the OnePlus Watch 3 43 mm, and I think they are by far the best WearOS watches I have used to date. I have gone on to recommend them to friends and colleagues, and the general consensus is that they are excellent smartwatches that strike an impressive balance between functionality and battery life.

Recently, the OnePlus Watch Lite was launched, which, as you can probably guess, is a more affordable alternative to the Watch 3 with slimmed-down features and design. The OnePlus Watch 3 has an RRP of £319, while the Lite is priced at £179. That is a significant price difference of £140, which naturally raises the question of what compromises OnePlus has made to achieve this lower price point.

The main reason the OnePlus Watch Lite is so much more affordable is that it is not a WearOS watch. Instead, it runs OxygenOS Watch 7.1, which is a proprietary real-time operating system developed by OnePlus. This makes it more comparable to watches from Xiaomi, Honor, Huawei and, to a lesser extent, Garmin. It has extensive features built into it, but you cannot install third-party apps on the watch for additional functionality. If you are someone who relies on Spotify, Google Maps navigation, or other third-party applications on your wrist, this will be a notable limitation.

One of the standout features of the Watch 3 was its incredible battery life, with it lasting around 5 days in smart mode. However, with the Lite using a more basic OS, it offers significantly better battery life – up to 7 days during typical usage or 4 days with the Always-On Display enabled. For those who find frequent charging frustrating, this extended battery life could be a decisive factor.

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OnePlus Watch Lite vs OnePlus Watch 3 Specification

Design and Unboxing

One of the first things I noticed when unboxing the OnePlus Watch Lite was just how thin it is. At only 8.9 mm from top to bottom, it is remarkably slim for a smartwatch and looks more like a traditional timepiece when worn on the wrist. This thinness is a genuine achievement, as many smartwatches tend to look bulky and obviously electronic. The Watch Lite manages to avoid this pitfall entirely.

The box contents are straightforward – you get the watch itself with a pre-attached strap, an integrated charging cable, a user guide, and a warranty booklet. OnePlus has sensibly included the charging cable but note that the charging base is sold separately, which feels like a slight cost-cutting measure. For most users, the cable alone should be sufficient, but those who prefer a stand will need to factor in the additional cost.

The casing is constructed from 316L stainless steel, which gives it a premium feel that belies its price point. You can choose between a silver or black finish, both of which look smart and professional. The build quality is genuinely impressive for a watch at this price – there is no flex or creaking when you handle it, and the rotating crown has a satisfying click with subtle haptic feedback.

The default strap is made from fluororubber with a stainless steel buckle. I found it comfortable for extended wear, including during workouts and while sleeping.

The strap of the watch features subtle red stitching detail, adding a nice touch of visual interest without being too flashy. Additionally, the watch is compatible with standard 22 mm bands, allowing for easy swapping with leather, metal, or fabric alternatives to suit your style preferences.

Weighing just 35 grams for the watch body alone (59 grams with the strap), the Watch Lite is significantly lighter than most smartwatches, making it comfortable for sleep tracking and extended wear. After wearing it continuously for over two weeks, I experienced no skin irritation or discomfort, which is not always the case with other smartwatches I have tested.

The OnePlus Watch Lite pairs with smartphones using the OHealth app, available for both Android and iOS devices, providing cross-platform compatibility. Setting up the watch is simple, requiring only a few minutes to enable Bluetooth, scan for the device, and follow on-screen prompts. The app allows for dual-phone pairing, enabling connection to two smartphones simultaneously, regardless of operating system.

The OHealth app boasts a clean interface with customizable watch faces and over 350 options available for download. The Bluetooth connection between the watch and phone remained stable throughout testing, with notifications coming through consistently. The watch’s 1.46-inch AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 3000 nits offers sharp text and vibrant colors, even in direct sunlight.

The OxygenOS Watch interface is intuitive and responsive, with swiping gestures providing easy access to settings, notifications, and health insights. The inclusion of a rotating crown adds a premium touch to the watch, enhancing the overall user experience. Pressing the crown button will take you to the app menu, allowing you to zoom in and out for a clearer view of the app icons. The haptic feedback while scrolling through menus adds a satisfying tactile experience.

The touch screen features Aqua Touch technology, ensuring responsiveness even when wet. This is especially beneficial during workouts or in rainy conditions. I tested this by using the watch immediately after swimming, and it functioned accurately without any issues.

The Always-On Display mode is available and works effectively, although it does reduce battery life from approximately 7 days to 4 days. You can choose from a variety of AOD watch faces, and the implementation is power-efficient enough that the trade-off seems reasonable for those who prefer having the time always visible.

**Health Monitoring and Insights**

The OnePlus Watch Lite excels in health tracking, offering a range of sensors for comprehensive monitoring. It includes heart rate monitoring, SpO2 tracking, sleep analysis, wrist temperature measurement, fall detection, cycle tracking, and breathing exercises. Additionally, there is a 60-second Wellness Overview feature that provides a quick snapshot of your overall health status.

The heart rate sensor delivered accurate results in my testing compared to a dedicated chest strap monitor. The readings were consistent and reliable during rest and exercise. Continuous heart rate monitoring throughout the day did not noticeably impact battery life, and historical data can be reviewed in the OHealth app.

Sleep tracking captures total sleep time, sleep stages, and provides a sleep score. However, the sleep analysis may seem basic compared to dedicated sleep trackers. While it accurately records sleep and wake times, the breakdown of sleep stages may lack detail compared to other devices. The OHealth app also lacks personalized sleep improvement recommendations found in competing platforms.

The wrist temperature sensor is useful for tracking trends over time, especially for women monitoring their menstrual cycle. The data syncs to the OHealth app, allowing users to view historical temperature readings along with other health metrics.

One notable feature missing in comparison to the Watch 3 is the absence of ECG functionality. While the Watch Lite has sensors on the case’s side, they seem to be for the 60-second health check rather than full ECG readings. If ECG monitoring is a specific requirement, the Watch 3 would be a better choice.

**Fitness Tracking**

The Watch Lite supports over 100 workout modes, including running, cycling, swimming, rowing, tennis, and skiing. Six activities can be automatically detected: running, walking, cycling, swimming, rowing, and elliptical training. The GPS tracking uses dual-band technology with support for various satellite systems, resulting in quick lock-on times and accurate route tracking.

For runners, the Watch Lite offers advanced metrics like ground contact time, stride balance, and fat burning zone tracking. These metrics can help users improve their running form and optimize training. The watch can also estimate lactate threshold for structuring training around specific heart rate zones.

With a 5ATM water resistance rating, the Watch Lite is suitable for swimming up to 50 meters depth. The Aqua Touch display technology allows navigation with wet fingers, making it convenient for swimmers.

However, the Watch Lite does not pair with external sensors like heart rate chest straps or cycling power meters, limiting integration for serious training needs.

**Notifications and Other Features**

The Watch Lite reliably delivers smartphone notifications for messages, emails, social media, and other apps. However, the notification handling is more basic compared to Wear OS watches. Users can view notification content and dismiss alerts but cannot reply to messages from the watch itself.

Bluetooth calling is supported, allowing users to answer and make calls directly from the watch when paired with the phone. The speaker and microphone quality are adequate for short conversations, but longer calls may be preferred on the phone. The ability to see incoming caller ID and accept or reject calls from the watch is convenient.

While the Watch Lite includes NFC, it does not support contactless payments, limiting NFC functionality to unencrypted key fobs and access cards. Users looking for contactless payment support may need to consider alternative devices like the Watch 3 or models from Samsung or Garmin.

Other features include music control, compass, barometer, torch, timer, stopwatch, alarm, and weather display. The weather app retrieves data through the phone connection, providing current conditions and forecasts. The compass and barometer are useful for outdoor activities and hiking.

The watch offers over 350 downloadable watch faces through the OHealth app, with the option to create custom faces using personal photos for added customization.

**Battery Life**

The OnePlus Watch Lite stands out for its impressive battery life. With claims of up to 10 days in optimal conditions and around 7 days during regular use, the battery performance is exceptional. My testing of the OnePlus Watch Lite showed consistent battery life of around 6-7 days with continuous heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, GPS workouts, and regular notification checking. This is impressive compared to other smartwatches. With the Always-On Display enabled, battery life dropped to approximately 4 days, which is still respectable compared to competitors. The charging speed is also impressive, with a 10-minute charge providing approximately 24 hours of use and a full charge from empty taking around 90 minutes.

The extended battery life of the Watch Lite is attributed to its proprietary RTOS and BES2800BP chipset, which are optimized for power efficiency. Without the overhead of running Android-based apps, the watch consumes power efficiently. This makes it a great choice for users who dislike frequent charging.

The OnePlus Watch Lite is priced at £179, but there are promotional discounts available, making it a good value purchase. For those who need Wear OS functionality, the OnePlus Watch 3 is priced higher at £319 but offers more features. Other alternatives in this price range include Xiaomi’s Watch S4, Honor’s Watch 5, Huawei’s Watch GT 6, and Amazfit’s T-Rex 3.

Overall, the OnePlus Watch Lite is a well-executed mid-range smartwatch that prioritizes comfort, battery life, and health and fitness tracking over smart features. It is a good choice for users looking for a slim, lightweight watch with long battery life and accurate tracking capabilities. While it may lack some smart features found in Wear OS devices, it offers good value for fitness-focused users. The Watch Lite may not be suitable for users who heavily rely on apps, contactless payments, or rich notification interactions. However, for individuals seeking a high-quality fitness-focused smartwatch with a premium look and long battery life, the Watch Lite is a great value at £179.

Pros:
– Remarkable battery life lasting around 6 to 7 days under typical usage
– Sleek and lightweight design that is comfortable for all-day wear and sleep tracking
– Very bright 3000-nit AMOLED display with exceptional outdoor visibility
– Accurate GPS and extensive fitness and health tracking capabilities
– Compatible with both Android and iOS, including dual-phone pairing

Cons:
– Lack of Wear OS support or access to third-party apps
– Absence of contactless payment functionality despite having NFC hardware
– Basic notification handling without the ability to reply
– No support for external fitness sensors

About the Author:
James, a tech enthusiast based in the UK, is the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget since 2007. With a passion for technology spanning computers, networking, mobile devices, wearables, and smart home gadgets, James brings a unique perspective to tech blogging. A fitness enthusiast who enjoys running and cycling, he also covers fitness-related technology on his blog. Vuelio consistently ranks Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With a dedication to technology and a drive to share insights, James aims to provide engaging and informative content to his readers. Transform the following sentence into a question:

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