OnePlus promises two major Watch 3 changes, but they may not arrive until the Watch 4 – Android Central

In an interview, Dr. Lee Zhang acknowledged that the OnePlus Watch 3’s size and lack of LTE are problems to be solved.
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As much as the OnePlus Watch 3 has impressed us so far with its incredible battery life, we don’t know how long it would last with a lighter, more comfortable case size. But based on statements from Dr. Leo Zhang, the Head of R&D at the OnePlus Health Lab, they’re “working on” a smaller OnePlus Watch that should answer that question soon.PULSE by Wareable, which interviewed Zhang, quotes him as saying, “It’s true that the [46mm OnePlus Watch 3] remains heavy for a small wrist and that this typically affects women, but we will fix that this year. We value our customer’s voice and we’re working on that.”As much as the OnePlus Watch 3 improved on the Watch 2, a smaller model was one of the few requested changes that OnePlus didn’t deliver this year. The Watch 3 weighs about 50g without the strap or 80g with it; that’s lighter than the 60g Galaxy Watch Ultra, but significantly heavier than the 34g Galaxy Watch 7 or 37g Pixel Watch 3 with comparable display sizes.Given that OnePlus will “fix that” in 2025, we could theoretically see a smaller OnePlus Watch 3R this summer — a successor to the sporty Watch 2R — but the Watch 4 in 2026 seems more likely. Either way, we think plenty of people would lose a day or two of battery life and swap from a 1.5- to 1.3-inch display to make the OnePlus Watch 4 less distractingly hefty.In this same interview, Wareable asked Zhang about the lack of an LTE option in North America and Europe.”The technology isn’t a problem, that part is quite simple,” Zhang explained. “In China’s domestic market, we have an LTE version. In an overseas market, we need to work with the carriers—and that’s a big hurdle. We need to work with carriers so users can put in an eSIM and have a data plan.”Zhang continued on to tell the site that they’re also “working on” adding LTE by speaking with carriers, “especially in Europe.”Get the latest news from Android Central, your trusted companion in the world of AndroidUnlike his promise about a smaller OnePlus Watch, he didn’t give a timetable for adding LTE, whether to the Watch 3, Watch 4, or a later model. And based on his words, it appears OnePlus’s first priority will be to bring LTE to Europe before it focuses on the United States, where its wearable sales may be lower.OnePlus has had a slightly messy Watch 3 launch week, given its “Meda in China” typo and a disappointingly short update promise. Despite this, we’re highly encouraged to see OnePlus prioritizing a smaller watch design, in order to make its watches more competitive with the other best Android smartwatches.Michael is Android Central’s resident expert on wearables and fitness. Before joining Android Central, he freelanced for years at Techradar, Wareable, Windows Central, and Digital Trends. Channeling his love of running, he established himself as an expert on fitness watches, testing and reviewing models from Garmin, Fitbit, Samsung, Apple, COROS, Polar, Amazfit, Suunto, and more.OnePlus set an interesting standard with Watch 3 and Wear OS 5Reminder: Android watches don’t need sideloading gimmicks for gamingGoogle used the Gemini API and AI Studio to make the I/O 2025 puzzle
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Source: https://www.androidcentral.com/wearables/oneplus-promises-to-fix-two-key-watch-3-downsides-this-year