Surprise OnePlus Watch Will Disrupt Apple, Samsung

OnePlus has not-so-subtly revealed that the company’s first smartwatch is on the way. This isn’t OnePlus’ first crack at the wearable whip, it reportedly had a watch prototype developed in 2015 – early in the firm’s existence – but it ultimately decided against a release. The important question is: what will the new device mean for major smartwatch rivals like Apple and Samsung? Quite a lot.

Google’s Pixel 5 has just landed, but is it any good? Watch my review here.

Before OnePlus released its wireless buds, I wrote about how the company’s focus on smart connectivity between its devices would be the key selling point. Buy a OnePlus device and be rewarded with ecosystem-specific exclusives: like the ultra low-latency mode the Buds automatically switch to when gaming on a OnePlus phone.

A Fast Company interview with OnePlus CEO Pete Lau in May explained where the company plans to take this ecosystem vision in the future. “As early examples, the company points to how its smart TV has a shortcut for switching between apps and can automatically reduce volume when a call comes in on OnePlus phones”, the story explains.