OnePlus Watch 3 Now Comes in a Smaller Size, But Battery Life Is Halved

OnePlus announced five new products today, but only two are on sale in the United States—the new OnePlus Buds 4 wireless headphones and a new version of the OnePlus Watch 3, which was first unveiled in February.

The new OnePlus Watch 3 is a 43mm version, offering a more compact and easier-to-wear alternative to its original 47mm wearable. In PCMag’s review of the 47mm Watch 3, we noted it was a shame the brand only launched it in one size. It may still prove large for some people who are used to 40mm Samsung Galaxy Watch models or the 41mm Apple Watch.

The watch is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 and runs Wear OS 5 software. Although the display has shrunk to 1.32 inches, the resolution remains the same as that of the larger watch: 466 by 466, equal to 352ppi.

What’s the downside? OnePlus had to trim the battery life to shrink the watch, which was one of the best elements of the 47mm version. The original estimated 120 hours of use from a single charge. It even took our title for best watch for battery life in PCMag’s best smartwatch guide.

This new version halves that estimate to 60 hours, or around 2.5 days. That’s a notable step down, but it still beats the performance of a lot of other smartwatches available today.

(Credit: James Peckham)

The 43mm version is $299.99, $50 cheaper than the standard Watch 3. The brand is also offering trade-in discounts, meaning you can get an extra $50 off with an eligible device. It’s on sale now in either Black Steel or Silver Steel colorways.

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The other big release is the OnePlus Buds 4. These come with better noise cancellation than the brand’s last-gen earbuds with 55dB Hybrid ANC tech. This should improve how much you can tune out the outside world. OnePlus also says call quality should be improved with better AI tech. There are dual drivers here, with an 11mm woofer and 6mm tweeter.

(Credit: OnePlus)

These new earbuds are available to buy now for $129.99. Your color choices are Storm Gray or Zen Green, as pictured above.

Elsewhere in the world, the brand also announced two new smartphones and a tablet that are unlikely to show up in the US: the OnePlus Nord 5, Nord CE 5, or OnePlus Pad Lite.

The new Nord phones look to be solid midrange devices with new OnePlus AI features in tow and impressive specs, especially considering the prices. The OnePlus Pad Lite is the latest cheaper tablet from the brand.

In the US, OnePlus continues to focus its attention on its latest top-end Pad 3. PCMag recently reviewed that tablet, giving it four out of five. Our review said, “The OnePlus Pad 3 packs an impressive display, a powerful processor, and intuitive software into a thin and light design for an impressive competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy tablet line.”

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