I recently had the opportunity to review the OPPO Band 2 and jumped at it. OPPO have really taken off and grown in popularity here in the UK over the last few years. They’re best known for their smartphones, going up against the likes of Apple and Samsung, but that’s not all they do. Much like their competitors, they offer tablets, audio, wearables and more.
As the name suggests, this isn’t the first OPPO smartwatch the brand has done. They began with the OPPO Band which is nice to look at and I’m sure works wonderfully. But we’re of course focusing on the version two watch for this article.
What makes the OPPO Band 2 better than the OPPO Band?
The differences between the two watches are clear from the get-go. Firstly, the OPPO Band 2 has a 1.57-inch AMOLED display, larger than the original 1.1-inch screen – an increase of 74%. There don’t appear to be as many colour options for the band on the website itself though; you can either purchase it in Midnight Black or with a blue and white strap inspired by the white clouds in a blue sky.
The battery capacity has also doubled in size (from 100mAh to 200mAh), and it has a maximum use time of 14 days (previously 12 days).
It still contains the same 2.5D screen protector glass on the watch face itself, which feels incredibly strong and sturdy.
What can I expect from the OPPO Band 2?
Some of the key highlights for this watch are:
- Over 100 workout modes
- Professional running guidance
- Professional tennis mode
- All-scenario heart health care
- All-scenario sleep tracking
- Healthy lifestyle reminders – including stress
- Almost 150 watch faces
- Convenience tools; alarm, weather, timer, stopwatch, Music Control and Find My Phone
So, how does the OPPO Band 2 perform in day-to-day life?
It fit into my life and my daily routine with no issues at all. The watch itself doesn’t feel bulky or heavy, and I often forget I’m wearing it. It was easy to set up, the app is simple enough and charging takes no longer than 60 minutes.
Speaking of charging – I’ve been wearing this watch from the moment I get up to the moment I go to bed for the last few weeks, and I’ve barely made a dent on the battery. I have been charging it every Sunday ready for the week ahead and it’s not yet gone below 49% from 7 days’ use. That’s with texts, calls, Skype messages, social media notifications and a minimum of four workouts a week all pinging through the watch.
I’ve never known a watch with such good battery life! It’s got a nice, soft vibration whenever there’s a notification too; but I would like to have the watch automatically light up when I raise my wrist, as other smartwatches do. It can be a slight pain if I’ve got my hands full, feel it vibrate and lift my wrist, but then have to touch the screen to see what’s going on. But, I mean.. third world problems, right?!
Does the OPPO Band 2 perform well when working out?
I’ve given the OPPO Band 2 a test with various different workouts over the last few weeks, from slow-paced incline walks, through to short runs and strength training. It’s performed exactly as I’d expect, and you have to hold to cancel a workout, meaning you can’t accidentally knock the watch and stop your workout without meaning to.
Actually, what I really liked was when I’ve gone for a walk, forgot to set the watch to Outdoor Walk (yes, I’m that person!) and the watch has done it automatically for me. You know what smartwatch owners say: does the workout count if you didn’t record it?
The watch contains over 100 built-in workout modes; there are a bunch already available in the workout section of the app, but click ‘Add’ and you’ll get access to them all. From within this section, they’re split into many categories, including Winter, Body building, Ball, Water, Dance and Yoga. You can add Bobsleigh, Luge, Golf, Canoe, Ballet, Tug of War and even Prenatal Yoga. I legit can’t think of a sport this watch doesn’t factor in.
How much does the OPPO Band 2 cost and where can I get it from?
The watch is just £59.99 – which I know for some of you may still be a lot of money, but compared to other smartwatches on the market this is incredibly affordable. In terms of performance, the OPPO Band 2 doesn’t trail too far behind Apple Watches and, for those who can’t afford to drop £249 on an SE through to £849 on the Ultra, I’d 100% recommend this as an alternative.
You can buy it through OPPO direct or through Amazon.
If you’re looking for to spend less money than this, I did recently review and like the Reflex Active Series 15 at £39.99 – but I really would recommend spending the extra £20. For what you get with this watch, I’d expect it to cost a lot more than £20 more than the Reflex Active Series 15. I’d actually expect it to come with a larger price tag than £59.99.
What’s the overall review of the OPPO Band 2?
I honestly LOVE this smartwatch!!
I’d love to be able to use my own photos as the watch face, but that’s really not a deal breaker for me. That’s the only thing I think this smartwatch is missing.
I’m giving this watch a 10/10 – and it’s not often I give anything a 10/10.
