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OnePlus CEO confirms the OnePlus Watch doesn't run Wear OS
- In an official forum post today, Pete Lau confirmed the upcoming OnePlus Watch will not run on Wear OS.
- Instead, the smartwatch will run on an unspecified real-time operating system (RTOS).
- It’s likely the watch will have similar functionality (and limitations) as Amazfit/Zepp watches.
OnePlus has confirmed a few times now that we will see the company’s first smartwatch on March 23. It will launch alongside the highly-anticipated 2021 flagship phones from the brand: the OnePlus 9 series.
Today, though, company CEO Pete Lau confirmed an aspect of the upcoming OnePlus Watch we’ve been wondering about for literally years. In a response to a question from a OnePlus forum member, Lau confirmed the watch’s operating system will be an unnamed RTOS, or “real-time operating system.” This is a tacit confirmation that it will not run on Google’s Wear OS, which has been common speculation.
Here are Lau’s own words:
We chose to go with a smart wear operating system developed based on RTOS because we believe it provides you a smooth and reliable experience while offering a great battery life, covering some of the biggest concerns we’ve been hearing from people looking to buy a smartwatch.
Lau’s statement means that the OnePlus Watch’s software will probably be quite similar to what we see on watches from companies like Amazfit and its sister brand Zepp. The software on those watches features a very limited selection of apps with literally no third-party app support. However, they usually see great battery life and fast performance, which are things Wear OS doesn’t do well.
Wear OS haters will likely be happy with this news, while Wear OS fans will obviously be miffed. We’ll find out more about the upcoming OnePlus Watch in less than a week. In the meantime, check out our rumor hub.