The OnePlus Watch 2R is the best budget Android watch I’ve tested, and now it’s another $50 off

I’m always looking for better battery life in my smartwatches. I expect weeks of life in a fitness watch, but OnePlus impressed me last year with the OnePlus Watch 2R by delivering 3–4 days and the full Wear OS experience with Assistant. It slipped under the radar for many Android fans, but its deal price now makes it worth a second look.

The OnePlus Watch 2R normally costs $229 — already a good value — but drops down to $179 on OnePlus’s site with the discount code “JUNE25.” It’s not that much cheaper than the Galaxy Watch 7 at $199, to be fair, but some Android fans should seriously consider my dark-horse favorite watch from last year.

For about half the price of the upgraded OnePlus Watch 3, you get the same performance as most other Wear OS watches, but paired with 500mAh capacity and OnePlus’s unique coprocessor that’s more efficient at running background tasks. My Galaxy Watch Ultra hits about the same battery life with 590mAh capacity, and it costs and weighs much more.

The OnePlus Watch 2R is on the thick side for a watch, but since it weighs 22g/0.8oz less than the OnePlus Watch 3, I don’t think you’ll mind. And I think you’ll like its sporty look, with the silver case and 24-hour GMT scale bezel around the display.

Need evidence? I held a smartwatch beauty pageant with my family last Christmas, and the Watch 2R beat the Pixel Watch 3, several Galaxy Watches, an Apple Watch, and some fitness watches; it only lost to a hybrid watch, which barely counts. For non-techie people, the Watch 2R makes an impression.

OnePlus Watch 2R or 3?

Meanwhile, the OnePlus Watch 3 costs about double the 2R ($349), but you get several key hardware upgrades like a functional crown, new health sensors, a brighter display with faster refresh rates, an extra year of software support, and an upgraded coprocessor.

The downside is that it’s quite heavy compared to the 2R, but OnePlus will launch a smaller Watch 3 43mm on July 8, though we don’t know the official price or battery life yet. You can save $30 by subscribing to OnePlus’s newsletter, so assuming the price hasn’t changed, you must choose whether $319 for the best experience or $179 for the Watch 2R fits your budget.

Even though the Watch 3 43mm will be technically better, the Watch 2R doesn’t feel like a compromise compared to other brands. It’s due to receive Wear OS 5 soon, and most likely Gemini with it, so the software will still feel fresh. And it’ll spare you the headache of frequent charging you get with most smartwatches.

OnePlus Watch 2R alternatives

The Galaxy Watch 7 is a good alternative right now at $199. It’s our current pick for best Android watch, at least until the Galaxy Watch 8 supplants it, and it’ll get one more year of support despite arriving the same year as the Watch 2R.

But I still think some people will prefer the OnePlus Watch 2R option, simply for that extra efficiency and charging speed. It’ll depend on which type of Android phone you have: Samsung watches have a lot of exclusive features requiring Galaxy phones, while the Watch 2R works seamlessly on any Android brand.

You can also go even cheaper with a Galaxy Watch FE or TicWatch Pro 5, both majorly discounted right now on Amazon. Of the two, the Pro 5 has comparable performance, display quality, and battery life, but Mobvoi’s slow updates and lack of Google Assistant make it a little harder to recommend. And Samsung’s Fan Edition hardware is too outdated, in my opinion. Look at your options, but consider the Watch 2R first.