Fresh leaks have surfaced ahead of the official unveiling of the OnePlus Watch 3, showing off a sleeker 43mm model that could come with a notable compromise – reduced battery life.
Alongside new renders, a detailed spec sheet suggests that while the 47mm version may boast up to 100 hours of battery, the compact 43mm variant might cap out around 72 hours.
That’s more than a full day of difference, likely due to the smaller 345mAh battery in the 43mm model. This trimmed-down size features a 1.32-inch AMOLED display with a crisp 466 x 466 resolution. Like its larger sibling, it’s expected to run a hybrid OS setup combining Google’s Wear OS and a lightweight RTOS to manage power efficiently, switching smart features on or off as needed.
However, despite these software efficiencies, the difference in endurance might be a dealbreaker for users who rely heavily on long battery life. It’s unclear whether the reported hours are based on full Wear OS usage, RTOS-only mode, or a combination – but if the numbers hold, the choice between comfort and longevity becomes very real.
This isn’t a new pattern for smartwatches. Devices like the Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch series have shown similar trends – the smaller the case, the shorter the battery life. Less room means smaller cells and limited heat management, which impacts performance over time.
OnePlus is set to officially reveal the Watch 3 line on July 8, alongside other anticipated launches like the Nord Buds 4, OnePlus Pad 2, and Nord 5 series. Until then, the leaked info about the 43mm Watch 3 paints a clear picture: users may have to decide if the comfort of a slimmer watch is worth the hit to battery performance.
If OnePlus can squeeze more efficiency out of its software before launch, the 43mm model could still make waves – but otherwise, it might just follow the usual trend: sleek look, shorter runtime.