OnePlus is holding a new product launch event in China on Thursday (June 27), where the company is expected to reveal several new non-phone devices.
We already know a new Pro version of the fantastic OnePlus Pad will be announced. The company is also expected to announce a new smartwatch, though there are conflicting reports about what it will be called.
Promotional materials on the Chinese social media site Weibo have shown off a device that OnePlus is calling the Watch 2, which the company is designing to release with the newly announced Ace 3 Pro handset. The new phone will feature OnePlus' new "glacier battery," if it stands up to the hype, it sounds like a battery revolution in the works.
It's a little confusing because OnePlus never released the Watch 2 smartwatch in China, and the Ace 3 Pro will most likely be a China-exclusive phone. Initial speculation was that the smartwatch reveal on Thursday would be a Chinese version of the OnePlus Watch 2. It's a fantastic wearable that vastly improves on the original OnePlus watch and sits comfortably as one of the best Android smartwatches.
However, Android Police spotted a tweet from regular leaker Max Jambor that simply reads OnePlus Watch 2R. Android Police did see a new watch on an Indian regulator site with the model number OPWWE234, which is similar to the Watch 2's OPWWE231. It lends credence to the theory and Jambor, even if that original tweet is annoyingly vague and offers no factual information.
From some of the promotional images we've seen on Weibo from OnePlus, the watch we expect them to reveal looks a bit different from the Watch 2. The band is textured instead of smooth, and the frame around the watch's face looks more like a traditional watch than the usual circle of glass that rounds into the edges like most smartwatches.
The knobs also appear to be different, with two on the right side of the watch. The Watch 2 features one knob and a button.
If the new watch is the Watch 2R, it will usually be a more budget-friendly version. OnePlus reserves the R moniker for cheaper variants like the OnePlus 12R versus the OnePlus 12 phone. The 12R is $500, compared to the flagship 12, which sells for $800.
Despite only launching the OnePlus Watch 2 in the US earlier this year, there has been speculation that OnePlus might unveil the OnePlus Watch 3, but the prevailing rumors seem to point to a cheaper Watch 2R. Thankfully, we'll find out soon to put the speculation to bed.
