BAND AGE

OnePlus raked up a storm when it was introduced in the Indian market as an exclusive smartphone brand. Years later, it is back to innovate in the currently in-style smart wearable segment with the OnePlus band. While it faces tough competition, OnePlus has posed the Band as an affordable yet reliable option. Does it walk the walk? I got a chance to find out.

- Advait Berde

First impressions

OnePlus has launched the Band exclusively in India and can keep track of your workouts, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep patterns, and notifications. It features a removable strap design and measures 40.4 x 17.6 x 11.95mm for the fitness tracker and the strap widening it to 21mm. It weighs 22.6g with the belt, which is almost featherweight on the wrist. The strap has a distinctive striated pattern along its length with a simple clasp design. I used the standard black unit, though OnePlus offers two other colour options, including Navy and Tangerine Gray.

The central tracker can be popped in and out of the strap by just pushing gently. It is a significant advantage as I needed to remove the tracker every time I had to charge the device. Both the tracker and the band are fully water-resistant, with an IP68 rating that allows you to use the band even underwater while swimming. OnePlus has equipped the Band with a 1.1-inch, 126x294 pixel AMOLED touchscreen. The display has vivid, oversaturated colours and profound blacks, thanks to its self-emitting pixels in image quality. The display remains legible even under direct sunlight.

Usage:

Though the touch surface is limited, navigating the UI proved to be relatively easy. The OnePlus Band does not have an always-on display.