-
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE
A budget-friendly option
$160 $200 Save $40
The Galaxy Watch FE is a mid-range smartwatch with Wear OS 4, an OLED screen, and an Exynos W920 chip. It comes in both Wi-Fi only and LTE models.
Pros- Refined software
- Available with optional LTE connectivity
- Beautiful display
-
OnePlus Watch 2
A battery beast
$230 $300 Save $70
The OnePlus Watch 2 is the company’s flagship smartwatch and uses an exciting dual-OS, dual-chip approach for better power efficiency.
Pros- Impressive battery life
- Sleek design
- Fast charging
Cons- Expensive than the Watch FE
- No LTE model
The Galaxy Watch FE is Samsung’s first Fan Editon smartwatch, and it hopes to offer the same experience as high-end smartwatches, but at a more affordable price. It runs on Wear OS and delivers a respectable performance. The OnePlus Watch 2, although a bit expensive, is one of Watch FE’s key competitors, and is known for its impressive battery life, solid hardware, and good performance.
So, how do the two smartwatches stack up against each other? Let’s find out.
Read our ranking
Best Wear OS smartwatches in 2024
Your wrist deserves the best
Price, availability, and specifications
The Galaxy Watch FE carries a price tag of $200 for the Wi-Fi only variant, whereas you’ll have to shell out $250 for the LTE model. Both are widely available in three colors with matching straps.
The OnePlus Watch 2 costs $300 for its lone 46mm Wi-Fi-only model. It has no LTE variant. However, it’s widely available in two colors.
Here’s a look at the raw specifications of the two smartwatches.
-
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE OnePlus Watch 2 Case size 40mm 46mm Case Material Aluminum Stainless steel Display 1.2″ AMOLED 1.43″ AMOLED Display resolution 396 x 396 466 x 466 CPU Exynos W920 Snapdragon W5 Gen 1, BES2700BP RAM 1.5GB 2GB Storage 16GB 32GB Battery 247mAh 500mAh Cellular connectivity LTE (optional) No Wi-Fi connectivity Wi-Fi 5 Wi-Fi 5 Software Wear OS 4 with One UI 5 Watch Wear OS 4 Health sensors Samsung BioActive Sensor (optical heart rate + electrical heart + bioelectrical impedance analysis), SpO2, skin temperature Optical heart rate sensor, SpO2 Dimensions 40.4 x 39.3 x 9.8mm 47 x 46.6 x 12.1mm Weight 25.9g (without strap) 49g (without strap) IP Rating IP68 IP68 Strap size 20mm 22mm Colors Black, Pink Gold, Silver Black Steel, Radiant Steel Connectivity NFC NFC Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.3 Bluetooth 5.0 ATM Rating 5ATM 5ATM Always on display Yes Yes Speaker Yes Yes
Read our review
Review: The Samsung Galaxy Watch FE is a decent, affordable Wear OS watch — but is that enough?
Wear OS 4 for 200 bucks ain’t bad
Read our review
OnePlus Watch 2 review: Worth it for the battery alone
With two chipsets and two operating systems, the OnePlus Watch 2 offers revelatory battery life — but not much more
Design and display
It’s aluminum vs stainless steel
The Galaxy Watch FE and the OnePlus Watch 2 both have circular watch faces with metal casings, but the latter’s glossy stainless steel case looks more premium than the Watch FE’s aluminum casing. The Watch 2 also has a flat edge on an otherwise round design, though it doesn’t serve a purpose apart from housing two buttons on its edges. The Watch FE also has two navigation buttons, but those have the typical placement on the edge of the round casing.
Both smartwatches are available in a single size. While the Watch FE comes in a 40mm model, the OnePlus offering is bigger at 46mm. This size difference and the heavy steel casing make the Watch 2 significantly heavier than the Watch FE at 49 grams. The Watch FE weighs only 26.6 grams.
The two smartwatches are reasonably durable and are rated IP68 and 5ATM for dust and water resistance. You will also get sapphire crystal glass on the front of both watches.
Coming to the display, the OnePlus and Samsung smartwatches use OLED panels with around the same peak brightness of 1,000 nits. Both displays support always-on functionality and have similar resolutions. However, you get a bigger 1.43-inch screen on the OnePlus Watch 2. The Galaxy Watch FE has a 1.2-inch display.
Performance and battery
The OnePlus Watch 2 shines with its dual-OS setup
The Galaxy Watch FE is packed with Samsung’s Exynos 920 chip, the same processor found in the Galaxy Watch 4; it’s old, and that shows in the smartwatch’s performance. While there isn’t a huge difference, it feels slower than more expensive smartwatches, including the OnePlus Watch 2. You won’t be disappointed with the Watch FE’s day-to-day performance, but it remains to be seen how it will handle future Wear OS and One UI Watch updates.
The OnePlus Watch 2 has taken an interesting dual chip and dual OS approach. It uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip, the same chip as the W5+ Gen 1 found in the Pixel Watch 2 and 3, except for the co-processor, which is supposed to handle less essential background tasks while consuming less power.
Instead of this co-processor, the OnePlus Watch 2 uses a low-power BES2700 chip, which does almost the same thing. However, the OnePlus offering’s approach is more power efficient while delivering an overall responsive experience.
Thanks to its power-efficient chip combo and massive 500mAh battery, the OnePlus Watch 2 can last up to 100 hours on a single charge with moderate use. This is a significant advantage over the Galaxy Watch FE, which typically lasts around 24 hours on a single charge.
The OnePlus Watch 2 also comes with a relatively fast 7.5W wireless charger, ensuring you spend less time tethered to a power outlet. The Watch FE, however, charges at only 5W with the included wireless charging puck.
In other highlights, both smartwatches have dual-band Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC. However, the OnePlus smartwatch packs a dual-frequency GPS, whereas you get a single-frequency GPS on the Watch FE.
One significant advantage of the Galaxy Watch FE is its availability in an LTE model. This means you can stay connected even when you’re away from your smartphone, making it a great option for those who want the freedom to make calls, send messages, and stream music without their phone. Unfortunately, the OnePlus Watch 2 does not have an LTE variant.
Software, health & fitness
The Watch FE has a clear advantage
The Galaxy Watch FE and OnePlus Watch 2 are both Wear OS 4 smartwatches. While Samsung’s offering uses One UI 5 Watch to add its flavor, OnePlus has a little trick up its sleeve. As mentioned, OnePlus went with a dual-OS approach on the Watch 2, so in addition to Wear OS 4, the watch has a real-time operating system (RTOS) to handle less demanding background tasks like monitoring health sensors and communicating with your phone.
The company has also made other customizations, but those are less refined than what you get in the One UI on the Watch FE. There are plenty of rough edges. Hopefully, OnePlus can sand them down over future updates. Otherwise, it has the same Wear OS 4 features that you get on the Samsung offering. That said, Samsung has much more experience building smartwatches, and One UI Watch has benefitted from that experience.
Samsung has also included impressive health and fitness tracking capabilities in the Watch FE. Its new BioActive Sensor enables heart rate and ECG monitoring, and it can track sleep, blood oxygen, and stress. Moreover, it can measure body composition with details like body fat percentage, body water content, and skeletal muscle mass.
The OnePlus Watch 2 has all the same health tracking capabilities, except for ECG monitoring and body composition analysis.
On the activity tracking front, the Watch FE and the OnePlus Watch 2 support tracking over 100 workouts. However, the Samsung smartwatch provides more accurate activity tracking than the OnePlus smartwatch.
Which should you buy?
The Galaxy Watch FE and the OnePlus Watch 2 are capable smartwatches, but each has advantages and disadvantages. The OnePlus offering edges out the Watch FE because of its impressive battery, faster charging, and better processor. So, if you have the budget, go for it. It has the best battery life of any Wear OS smartwatch and good overall performance, as well as a beautiful display, dual-frequency GPS, and fast charging.
Editor’s pick
OnePlus Watch 2
Impressive battery life and better processor setup
$200 $300 Save $100
The OnePlus Watch 2 may not be perfect, but there are several things going in favor of it. It shines on the battery front, has a gorgeous design, and has an exciting dual-OS, dual-chip approach.
However, if you want a smartwatch with LTE, have a tight budget, or want more refined software and better tracking accuracy, the Watch FE is a solid alternative. It has an older chip and can’t match the OnePlus watch on the battery front. But otherwise, it has better software and more accurate activity tracking. It also looks nice, is suitable for petite wrists, and has a beautiful display. Finally, you get support for monitoring your ECG.
Runner-up
Samsung Galaxy Watch FE
Excellent activity tracking and refined software
$127 $200 Save $73
The Galaxy Watch FE benefits from Samsung’s vast experience making smartwatches. It has excellent software, good health & fitness features, and a more affordable price tag.
