What you need to know
- OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus Watch 3 will receive three years of quarterly updates through 2027.
- It previously told us that it would only receive two years of support, which is shorter than most other Wear OS watches.
- Both the OnePlus Watch 3 and 2 will receive two version updates up to Wear OS 7 and 6, respectively.
When OnePlus originally told us and other sites that the OnePlus Watch 3 would stop at two years of security updates, it was a frustrating disappointment. But it appears to have been a simple miscommunication: OnePlus contacted us to confirm that both the Watch 2 and Watch 3 will receive “3 years of quarterly security updates.”
They’ll also receive “3 years of software updates,” though not three version updates: the OnePlus Watch 2 launched with Wear OS 4 and will stop at Wear OS 6 in 2026. The OnePlus Watch 3 will eventually receive Wear OS 7 in 2027.
Compared to other Wear OS watches, the OnePlus Watch 3 will match the Pixel Watch 3 with three years of security support — though the latter will get one more version update and speedier support. Samsung, meanwhile, promises four years of version and security updates for its Galaxy Watches.
The OnePlus Watch 3 has incredible battery life for a Wear OS watch at five days per charge, beating Google and Samsung for longevity. But two years of security support made the Watch 3 harder to recommend when Google, Samsung, and Apple watches would get patched with fixes and enhancements for much longer. With this misunderstanding resolved, the Watch 3 looks more appealing to Android users.
OnePlus will still have slower version updates than Google and Samsung. The Watch 2 and 2R are due to receive Wear OS 5 between July and September, about a year after the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra launched with it. But that seems to have become the norm for third-party Wear OS watches, and later is better than never.
A less messy OnePlus Watch 3 launch than before
I originally wrote about my confusion and frustration with the Watch 3’s two-year update plan, so I’m relieved to have the issue clarified. Generally speaking, OnePlus’s Watch 3 messy launch has distracted from how excited we are about this watch’s potential.
OnePlus faced some amused mockery when someone spotted a “Meda in China” typo on the Watch 3’s bottom. It eventually delayed the watch’s release to April to fix the typo and sent the first batch of watches out with an apology letter, even though most people likely would never have noticed the tiny disclaimer hidden against their wrist.
More importantly, OnePlus promised that they are “working on” fixing two key Watch 3 downsides “this year.” Specifically, they know the 1.5-inch Watch 3 is too large for some wrists and are developing a smaller model; and they’re talking with carriers to try and bring LTE cellular support to their watches outside of China.
If you look past the critiques and self-inflicted errors, OnePlus has plenty to be proud of with the Watch 3, from its eye-friendly display to the impressive battery life that dwarfs the competition, not to mention its blazingly fast charging speed. The Watch 2-to-3 upgrades are significant enough that we already consider the Watch 3 one of the best Android smartwatches on the market.