We know that the OnePlus Watch will be available, but thanks to a new patent application, we now know that there will be multiple models. There are at least two different variants to choose from.
We have already heard about there being two different OnePlus Watches, but not much else. This patent from the German Patent and Trademark Office (via TechnikNews) seems to reveal more details. The patent reveals two OnePlus Watches with the same body but different straps.
While smartwatches certainly come with a variety of straps, it is the material that tells us a bit more about what the OnePlus Watch has to offer. The patent reveals that the strap will be made of leather (or a leather substitute) and something like silicone.
Leather is traditionally the kind of strap one would wear if wearing a watch in a more professional or fashion conscious setting, while silicone is more suited to fitness as it can handle water and sweat more effectively.
The patent makes it clear that the band can be interchanged just like any other smartwatch. The question is whether the hardware will be different.
After all, the Apple Watch Sport has the same internal construction as the Apple Watch, but costs $200 less. This is due to the use of aluminum instead of stainless steel, Ion-X glass instead of the stronger sapphire, a plastic back plate, and fewer interchangeable straps.
OnePlus can do the same here by using less impressive materials for its fitness models. By doing so, it can offer a less expensive option to those who don't necessarily need an elegant looking watch all the time.
If the rumors are true, OnePlus will be on the market months earlier than the Apple Watch 7. And it is speculated that the company will try to compete on features and price, as it does in the smartphone category; the Apple Watch SE will be a closer competitor to the OnePlus Watch, as it starts at just $279.
OnePlus may just patent two different bands and let people choose which one they want to use. Of course, patents are not always practical, so we will have to wait and see what happens.
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