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Oppo Watch is a Google-powered Apple Watch-alike with a battery boost
Oppo Watch is a Google-powered Apple Watch-alike with a battery boost
Lots of smartwatches try to look like the Apple Watch. But the Oppo Watch is so similar-looking from a casual distance, it's uncanny. Oppo's first smartwatch was unveiled earlier this year, but the addition of Google Wear OS is new, along with its eSIM support for LTE data. The Oppo Watch is available internationally starting today, but there's no word yet on when it will arrive in the US.
The Oppo Watch could be one of the most interesting new Google Wear OS watches in some time. First off, eSIM support isn't that common on other Wear OS watches and needed for using your watch away from your phone. (Vodafone, Orange and Celron are the three announced carriers supporting Oppo Watch so far). Also, while this watch doesn't have the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear processor, it does have dual chips that enable it to work in both normal and low-power states for extended battery life.
That's the big leap here. According to Oppo, the watch will last up to 21 days running off its lower-power Ambiq Apollo3 chip, or a couple of days using its Snapdragon Wear 3500 chip. The Ambiq Apollo3 chip can handle fitness and sleep tracking and still show the time and basic info: I wore a watch running the Apollo3, the self-powered Matrix PowerWatch 2, last year.
The battery life on Oppo Watch could be a standout for Wear OS watches.
Oppo
While the Oppo Watch totally looks like an Apple Watch from a distance, there are some subtle design differences. The Oppo Watch's AMOLED display is also a squircle, but curved at the edges.The Oppo Watch sizes are 41 or 46mm (1.61 or 1.91 inches), with display brightness up to 1,000 nits, but only the 46mm one comes in an LTE option. Apple Watch screens are 40mm and 44mm. The watch is made of 6000-series aluminum alloy, with a plastic and ceramic back and very Apple Watch-like fluororubber watch straps. The 46mm Oppo Watch is 5ATM water resistant, but the 41mm model is only water-safe to 3ATM. All models have GPS, Glonass and support for Google Pay.
This watch likely won't fix the many weird problems of Google Wear OS, like a still not fully-fleshed-out-feeling fitness ecosystem and Assistant features that aren't as good as they should be, but it might make the experience better. Oppo has its own fitness tracking dashboard that aims to look more streamlined: it's reminiscent of a Fitbit or Samsung Galaxy Watch Active readout. The watch faces and app interface are also different and not exactly the same as the typical WearOS experience. Again, I haven't worn one yet, or tried one, but when I do I'll be able to understand it a bit more.
I haven't worn the Oppo Watch yet, but I'm looking forward to a test-drive soon. Its extended battery life for sleep tracking is exactly the sort of thing the Apple Watch still lacks, but may hopefully add in a future version. For Android phone owners, there are already plenty of watch options: lots of Wear OS watches, Samsung's watches, Fitbit and Garmin. Whether or not Oppo Watch helps out the Wear OS watch landscape remains to be seen.
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Save $75 on Samsung's Sleek Galaxy Watch 4 Today Only at Best Buy
Save $75 on Samsung's Sleek Galaxy Watch 4 Today Only at Best Buy
The market for smartwatches is growing fast, and there's no longer a single true "best" model out there. It all depends on your needs and the other devices you regularly use. And if you're an Android phone user, the Galaxy Watch 4 is the one to beat right now. It was named one of our favorite smartwatches for 2022, and today only at Best Buy, you can pick up Samsung's advanced wearable starting at just $225, $75 off the usual price. This deal is only available until 9:59 p.m. PT (12:59 a.m. ET) tonight.
If you're an Android user, the compatibility and convenience of the Galaxy Watch 4 can't be beat. It provides real-time alerts for any calls, texts, emails or other notifications, and thanks to its Android OS, it's also compatible with a variety of Google Play apps. It's packed full of helpful health and fitness monitors, including heart rate, blood-oxygen levels, sleep patterns and even a built-in ECG function. The Galaxy Watch 4 is also compatible with both Google Assistant and Bixby, Samsung's own virtual assistant. It boasts a battery life of between one and two days, and it's totally water-resistant up to 164 feet.
"I can't think of any Android watch that's as well-made and full-featured as the Watch 4," CNET's Scott Stein said in his Galaxy Watch 4 review.
The smaller 40mm model is on sale for $225, while the larger 44mm model is available for $255.
Samsung's New Z Flip 4, Z Fold 4 Are Partially Made From Recycled Fishing Nets
Samsung's New Z Flip 4, Z Fold 4 Are Partially Made From Recycled Fishing Nets
What's happening
Samsung's new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 are the first folding phones from the company to be made partially with recycled fishing nets.
Why it matters
Samsung's efforts are part of a broader effort by several tech companies to build products more sustainably.
What's next
Samsung, Microsoft and Apple are likely to continue investments into sustainability, with various pledges to become either carbon-neutral or to increase use of recycled materials.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 will include components made from repurposed fishing nets, marking a first for Samsung's foldables. It builds on Samsung's previous efforts, following its decision to incorporate such materials into its Galaxy S22 lineup earlier this year.
The announcement came during Samsung's Unpacked event on Wednesday, when it revealed the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 as well as the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. All of the new devices include some components made from repurposed materials. More than 90% of the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are made from recycled parts.
Samsung's efforts are part of a broader movement by consumer tech companies to offset the mounting pile of global electronic waste their devices inevitably contribute to by giving back to the environment. Only 20% of e-waste is dealt with appropriately, according to the World Economic Forum, while much of the rest ends up in landfills. Sourcing more materials from sustainable channels may not fix the world's electronic waste problem. But it does give tech companies the opportunity to contribute to solving other environmental issues in the process of building their own new gadgets.
More from Samsung Unpacked
Samsung's new foldables include components made from repurposed fishing nets.
Samsung
For Samsung, that issue is "ghost nets," or fishing nets that are no longer in use and have been abandoned in the ocean. The World Wildlife Fund describes them as a "major contributor to the ocean plastics crisis," saying that 268 tons of nets, ropes and other materials were found in the Baltic Sea in a single 2015 mission.
As for specifics, the side key bracket on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4, as well as the Fold 4's display connector cap, are made from discarded fishing nets. But there are several other parts inside each phone that are made from other post-consumer materials. For the Z Flip 4, such components include the upper antenna bracket, upper and lower brackets of the speaker module, display connector cap, receiver deco and inner part of the side key. The upper case of the Z Fold 4's top speaker, the inner part of its side key as well as its long and short connector to connector brackets are made from post-consumer materials, according to Samsung.
One of the major challenges with creating components from recycled fishing nets is ensuring these parts are durable enough to work properly in a variety of conditions. Phone parts must be designed to survive various extreme weather conditions in all areas of the world where Samsung devices are used, says Pranveer Singh Rathore, materials R&D manager for Samsung. That's particularly true of foldable phones like the Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4.
"They are a unique design, and with that comes a fresh set of challenges," says Rathore, in reference to Samsung's foldable phones. "The internal parts are different. The sizes are different. The way they are supposed to perform is different."
Certain components in new Samsung products like the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 are made from recycled materials.
Samsung
Samsung is far from being the only company investing in more sustainable ways to build new products. Microsoft pledged to become carbon-neutral, zero-waste and water-positive by 2030, and it launched a computer mouse made with 20% recycled ocean plastic last year. Apple is making the latest iPhone SE with low-carbon aluminum and wants to eventually only use recycled and renewable materials in its products and packaging.
But the industry is likely far from creating a phone completely from recycled materials, says Rathore.
"I personally think that it should be possible in the future," he said. "But when, I don't know."
Read more: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: What to Know About the Floating Islands of Trash
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Amazon Prime Day 2022: Remaining Deals on Laptops, TVs and More
Amazon Prime Day 2022: Remaining Deals on Laptops, TVs and More
We handpick the products and services we write about. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement
With Prime Day behind us, the deals have started to dry up. However, they're not quite gone yet. There are still a lot of discounts available to take advantage of right now. If you're looking to save some money, here's your cue. Amazon and many other retailers who were running their own anti-Prime Day deals are still offering plenty of big discounts on TVs, headphones, fitness gear, home goods and more. To help you take full advantage of these deals before they're gone, we've rounded up some of the best bargains still available below.
There have also been some rumors swirling that Amazon will have another Prime sales event in the fall, but you don't have to wait that long to find big savings with tons of great deals still available.
Update, 12:02 p.m. E.T.: Notable deals that we've found today that are new or beating Prime Day prices include:
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Best remaining Prime Day deals on Amazon devices
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K: $30
If you're wanting to add some smarts to your existing TV, you can do exactly that while saving 40% on Amazon's 4K-capable streaming stick today. Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K is a great pick if you're new to smart TV functionality with its easy-to-use OS and included Alexa-enabled voice remote.
Best remaining Prime Day deals on TV and streaming
Roku Express: $18 (save $12)
Roku Express 4K Plus: $25 (save $15)
Chromecast with Google TV: $40 (save $10)
Nebula projectors : Up to $500 off
LG Cinebeam 4K projector: $1,260 (save $540)
Hisense 50-inch R6 Series 4K Roku TV: $280 (save $170)
Hisense 55-inch R6G 4K smart TV: $310 (save $290)
Sony 55-inch Bravia XR OLED A80K Series 4K Smart TV: $1,698 (save $302)
Sony 65-inch Bravia XR OLED A80K Series 4K Smart TV: $1,998 (save $302)
Sony 77-inch Bravia XR OLED A80K Series 4K Smart TV: $3,298 (save $202)
Best remaining Prime Day deals on tech and smart home
Google Pixel 6 Pro: $699
The Google Pixel 6 Pro's unique design, great software additions, superb camera quality and solid all-round performance have already earned the phone an excellent rating in our full review. With performance that's every bit as good as its design, it's the best phone Google has ever made. The main camera is on par with the best iPhones. And at $699 for the base 128GB model in this sale, it trounces its premium phone rivals in price.
Best remaining Prime Day deals on headphones and speakers
AirPods Pro: $170
While they've been out a while and the AirPods Pro 2 should be coming sometime in 2022, the Apple AirPods Pro remain a great pair of true wireless earphones. That's largely due to their winning design and fit, good sound, effective noise canceling and spatial audio, which is a virtual-sound mode for watching movies and TV shows. They're also excellent for making voice calls and have a top-notch transparency mode. Also worth noting: They're IPX4 splashproof, so they're suitable for sporting activities, though for a more secure fit you may want to invest in third-party foam ear tips, which are grippier than the tips Apple includes.
Their lowest price to date was $159 (in late 2021), but $170 is the lowest we've seen them for in 2022.
Best remaining Prime Day deals on home and garden
Best remaining Prime Day deals on health and fitness
Fitbit Versa 2: $114
The Fitbit Versa 2 is a fitness tracker that works with both Android and iOS to monitor calories burned, steps taken and is touchscreen compatible. Plus, it's water resistant up to 164 feet and has a long battery life with up to 144 hours of use. This fitness watch is just $114, $36 off from its original price.
Best remaining Prime Day deals on beauty and fashion
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Apple Watch: It's been 5 years since my original review, and it holds up
Apple Watch: It's been 5 years since my original review, and it holds up
I'd love to say that when I first put on the Apple Watch, I'd never seen anything like it before. But of course, that's not true. By late 2014 I'd been surrounded by smartwatches for a few years. So when Apple announced it was making its own watch, my thought (as so often with Apple) was: finally.
The first smartwatch I reviewed at CNET was the Martian Passport, an analog watch that could make phone calls. It sounds so primitive now, but it was cool in early 2013. The Pebble Watch followed, and the Steel version became my favorite: It was like a Casio watch turned into a useful little pager-assistant. It was simple and had long battery life, and it was great.
There were others, too: Samsung's first smartwatches were ambitious (a camera?). Google's first Android Wear watches arrived in 2014. Meanwhile, there were Fitbits and Jawbone trackers galore.
I say this to lay the groundwork for the Apple Watch and what its impact was. Like the iPhone wasn't the first smartphone, the Apple Watch wasn't the first smartwatch... but it made the biggest footprint. It was another step validating that a world of wearables was here to stay.
I was able to wear the Apple Watch a month before it went on sale. I spent a ton of time with it, getting used to both how it handled phone calls, and the activity tracking rings. I looked at my heart rate measurements. I accidentally ordered an Xbox One with an early Amazon app.
The Watch was, much like the first iPhone, sometimes feature-limited. But it also had some features that already stood out.
My original review was updated a year later, which you can read here. Some parts have changed, clearly, and Apple has updated the OS. But I'll comment on what I wrote then, and how I felt, and how that's evolved. Quotes from the original review are in italics.
The gold Apple Watch, way back when.
James Martin/CNET
An excellent design, with luxury overtones
Apple wants you to think of the Apple Watch as fine jewelry. Maybe that's a stretch, but in terms of craftsmanship, there isn't a more elegantly made piece of wearable tech. Look at the Apple Watch from a distance, and it might appear unremarkable in its rectangular simplicity compared with bolder, circular Android Wear watches. It's clearly a revamped sort of iPod Nano. But get closer, and you can see the seamless, excellent construction.
The first Apple Watch came in aluminum, steel and ramped all the way up to a gold model costing more than $10,000. Compared to other smartwatches, it screamed luxury.
Certain touches felt luxurious, too: the fine-feeling Digital Crown, which spun ever so smoothly like a real watch part, for instance. The OLED display, which was a first for an Apple product, looked crisp and bright.
The most amazing part, maybe, were the watch bands. Apple created a really nice series of specially designed straps, from a steel link to a clever magnetic Milanese mesh that were extremely expensive and impressively engineered.
Its watch face designs were great, too, and they integrated some information from the iPhone that aimed to add at-a-glance ease of use. There was a Mickey Mouse watch face that danced! The Solar face showing sunrise and sunset, and the astronomy face that showed planetary alignments and moon phases, felt like magic. I wanted more, but Apple's assortment of watch faces was limited, and it didn't allow for third-party watch face design. That's still the case now.
A lot of the Apple Watch reminded me of the strides Apple began with the iPod Nano, which also had watch mode... and a Mickey Mouse watch face.
Sarah Tew
New technologies at first: fantastic haptics, a force-sensitive display
All Apple Watches have a new S1 processor made by Apple, that "taptic" haptic engine and a force-sensitive and very bright OLED display, which is differently sized on the 38mm and 42mm models. The watch has its own accelerometer, gyrometer and heart-rate monitor, but no onboard GPS. It uses Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz Wi-Fi to connect to your phone or your home network. There's a built-in speaker and microphone, but no headphone jack.
As I wore the watch on the first day, I felt a rippling buzz and a metallic ping: one of my credit card payments showed up as a message. Apple's "Taptic Engine" and a built-in speaker convey both a range of advanced taps and vibrations, plus sounds. Unlike the buzz in a phone or most wearables, these haptics feel sharper: a single tap, or a ripple of them, or thumps.
Sometimes the feelings are too subtle: I don't know if I felt them or imagined them. My wrists might be numbed from too many smart devices. I set my alerts to "prominent" and got sharper nudges on my wrist.
The first watch introduced some ideas that eventually made their way to other iPhones. A "taptic engine" delivered on some amazingly refined vibration effects, ranging from a purr to a ping to a gentle tap. These were way ahead of what anybody else was doing -- and they weren't just a gimmick. The notification types associated with unique vibrations felt distinct. Sometimes, the vibrating taps on the first Watch weren't as powerful as I wanted. But with later updates, the haptics made parts of the interface seem real: virtual wheels, clicking as if moving with invisible gears.
The more advanced haptics made their way to the iPhone next, making us used to them now. Other phones, game consoles like the Nintendo Switch, and VR accessories, have evolved haptics since, but the Apple Watch was the first mainstream device that upped the haptics game.
Force Touch was another wild idea: Apple made its watch display force-sensitive, meaning a deeper press could work like pushing a button. Though this idea was refined further into 3D Touch on the iPhone 6S, 3D Touch was a technology that never became as necessary as expected, and current iPhone models have dropped the pressure-sensitive display tech completely.
The Apple Watch still has Force Touch, though, and I think it always will.
Digital Touch: I never used it much after that.
Sarah Tew
Lots of features. Too many features?
As you can see, this is a lot of stuff. Did I have fun using the watch? Yes, mostly, but there are so many features that I felt a little lost at times. There are so many ways to interact: swiping, touching, pressing harder into the display, a button and a clickable digital crown-wheel. Plus, there's Siri. Do I swipe, or click, or force touch or speak? Sometimes I didn't know where an app menu was. Or, I'd find getting back to an app I just had open would require an annoying series of crown clicks, swiping through apps, then opening the app again.
There's a reason I used the word "complicated" to describe my feelings using that first Apple Watch. Setting up bits of information, called complications, was slow and not always intuitive. Apps took a while to load, and were sometimes so slow that it was easier to check my phone instead. Quick glances and notifications, and phone calls, were fine. Apple Pay on the watch was clever, but would I use it? I wished the watch had more battery life.
I didn't like the overcomplicated feel. The design of the OS, and the card-like swappable mini-view apps that used to be on the Watch like a dock, changed over time. It's gotten better since.
Storing music on the watch, while it took a while to sync, was easier than attempts on Samsung Gear or Android Wear. Of course, I had to hunt for a good pair of Bluetooth headphones to connect with the watch.
Today I still forget to dive into and make the most of the apps on the watch. I just dusted off Walkie Talkie: it's cool. There's noise monitoring. One app lets me remote control my iPhone camera, which has been a huge help for my stay-at-home self-shot videos. The Remote app helps me when I lose the Apple TV remote every other day.
Third-party apps, and the grid of options? It turns out I don't use them much at all. I don't dig down deep into the layers of functions. I prefer what's on the surface: watch faces, and their readouts. But I've come to appreciate the watch's surprising number of options and settings. It's better than not having them at all.
The rings were the beginning.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Fitness: The ring idea was just the beginning
The Apple Watch doesn't work any fitness miracles that the rest of the wearable world hasn't already invented, and it doesn't ship with any new magical sensors that change the game. But the Apple-made integrated fitness apps, Activity and Workout, are far and away the best fitness apps on any existing smartwatch that isn't a dedicated "fitness watch" (Samsung Gear, Android Wear, Pebble and the like). A clever three-ring method of tracking daily activity, which simultaneously measures and rewards daily calorie burn, active exercise and standing up, feels like a fusion of rewards and metrics seen on the Nike FuelBand, Jawbone Up, Fitbit and others.
I appreciated Apple's complete-the-ring motivational activity tracker, which felt inspired by wearables like the Nike FuelBand (not surprising, since Apple's head of fitness, Jay Blahnik, arrived from Nike). For the red ring's daily goals, it's great. It felt too easy to complete the blue Stand ring, and it still does.
There are tons of fitness advancements Apple has made on the Watch in the last five years: GPS, resting heart rate, workout controls, social sharing, third-party app integration, swimming, modes for accessibility, activity trends -- and I haven't even discussed Apple's massive health aspirations like adding ECG, checking for falls, monitoring elevated or irregular heart rate or women's health tracking. There is some form of coaching and motivation, too. But I'd still love to see more of that. I hit a wall when trying to be fit, and there's only so much watches seem to help.
The first Apple Watch was more of a Fitbit. Now, it's more of a health companion. Those two worlds still feel like they need to dovetail and grow. There are missing features, too, like sleep tracking, which feels like the inevitable next step.
You still need an iPhone, just like in 2015.
Sarah Tew
It was, and still is, an iPhone accessory
Much like most other smartwatches, the Apple Watch isn't a standalone device -- it's a phone accessory. Android Wear, Samsung Gear, Pebble and others work the same way. But here, you must own an iPhone 5 or later to use the Watch. A few Apple Watch functions work away from the phone, but the watch primarily works alongside the phone as an extension, a second screen and basically another part of your iOS experience. It's a symbiote.
One thing I noted back then was that you needed an iPhone to use the Apple Watch. Unlike other wearables that can pair with Android or iOS, or even sync with a computer, the Apple Watch was always designed to live symbiotically with the iPhone.
That's still the case now. Even with independent cellular options, and an on-watch App Store, you can't use the Watch without pairing to an iPhone. And it still won't work with Android. It's a shame, because a fully standalone watch could be a really helpful tool for many people who don't have iPhones, and it could even be a phone alternative (for kids, maybe).
Apple's AirPods created a gadget trinity where the Watch, the iPhone and AirPods can all work seamlessly together. But that trinity is an expensive one. The entry price of the Apple Watch has dropped, at least. But it feels like an extension of the iPhone more than its own device, even now.
The Apple Watch Series 5: much better, with a few similarities.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Today: the best watch in a war of attrition
You don't need an Apple Watch. In many ways, it's a toy: an amazing little do-it-all, a clever invention, a possibly time-saving companion, a wrist-worn assistant. It's also mostly a phone accessory for now. In the months and years to come, that may change: with Apple's assortment of iPads, Macs, Apple TV and who knows what else to come, the watch could end up being a remote and accessory to many things. Maybe it'll be the key to unlock a world of smart appliances, cars and connected places. In that type of world, a smartwatch could end up feeling utterly essential.
I think back to what the Apple Watch was competing against back then: Jawbone, Pebble, Fitbit, Google's Android Wear, Samsung's watches, the Microsoft Band. A lot of competitors are gone now. Fitbit was acquired by Google. Samsung still has watches. Garmin makes lots of dedicated fitness watches. There are still plenty of more affordable relative newcomers, too.
The original Apple Watch, with the Pebble Steel, Moto 360 and the original iPod Nano with wristband (clockwise from top left).
Sarah Tew
In a field of fewer alternatives, the Apple Watch's consistent addition of new features and ongoing performance improvements has made it the best option. It's Apple's commitment to gradual improvements that has made it a stand-out watch now, especially compared to the struggles of Google's Wear OS.
The Apple Watch is still an iPhone accessory. And it's still not an essential product. But it's become a really fluid and useful device, one with lots of key upgrades that work, and one that's a lot easier to use.
What's the best smartwatch now? The Apple Watch. That doesn't mean I don't want to see improvements: battery life, sleep tracking, a watch face store and most importantly, Android support and true standalone function. If the last five years are any indication, Apple will tackle these problems on its own... time.
