OnePlus has a handful of new products coming, according to a new report, and they include new earbuds and wearables. OnePlus made its entry into the smartwatch segment in 2021 with the launch of the OnePlus Watch and the OnePlus Band fitness tracker. The former wasn't well-received thanks to buggy software while the latter, which didn't launch in the US, had to compete with established brands like Xiaomi and its globally best-selling Mi Band line.
Like several other manufacturers, OnePlus is expected to have a handful of new products planned for the second half of the year. The company has confirmed it has a new phone coming that's powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. A smartphone that's expected to launch as the OnePlus 10T/OnePlus 10 Ultra. Knowing OnePlus, however, this won't be the only product coming soon.
Later this year OnePlus is expected to launch new earbuds for the Indian market, according to a tweet by leaker Mukul Sharma. One of the new earbuds will launch under its Nord line while the other will belong to the OnePlus Buds series. Earlier this year, OnePlus announced the $39 Nord Buds, its cheapest pair of truly wireless earbuds. The Nord Buds are already sold in the US and India, suggesting the upcoming buds will be a new model. While there are no details on pricing, the new Nord model is likely to cost more than the Nord Buds. In terms of the reported new OnePlus Buds, there is a possibility that they might be a successor to the Buds Z2. Considering OnePlus announced the Buds Z2 in October 2021, following the launch of the Buds Z in October 2020, it's probably fair to assume the upcoming earbuds will be the 2022 version.
A Second Attempt At A Smartwatch
In addition to these new earbuds are new wearables, specifically the OnePlus Watch 2 and the OnePlus Band 2. This isn't the first time news of the wearables has surfaced. Back in March 2022, it was reported that production of the two wearables had begun in Europe and Asia. However, there has been very little information found since then. While no new details have been provided, their mention in this latest leak can be presumed to mean that OnePlus still plans to release both wearables in 2022. That also means OnePlus will have another chance to prove it can succeed in the wearable space with the launch of the OnePlus Watch 2. The first-gen model, which ran an RTOS-based proprietary operating system, had a handful of issues including unreliable sensors and unrefined software. While it is not expected that OnePlus would make a switch to WearOS, an upgraded sensor should be expected along with fine-tuned software.
The OnePlus Band 2 should also get a handful of new features, if not also a new design with a larger display. The first-gen model only had support for 13 sports modes which pales in comparison to the 97 sports modes of the Huawei Band 7 or the 120 supported by the Xiaomi Smart Band 7. It will also be a wise decision for the OnePlus Band 2 to get a US launch, since Xiaomi and Huawei doesn't sell their fitness trackers, great as they are, in the US. The source doesn't say when the wearables will be announced, but the new earbuds are reportedly coming alongside new OnePlus phones in Q3, 2022.
Source: Mukul Sharma/Twitter