OnePlus Watch 2 Won't Get A Wear OS 5 Update For Months, Watch 3 Gets Cut Short

Following the (delayed) launch of the OnePlus Watch 3 which has Wear OS 5 pre-installed, OnePlus has confirmed a timeline for the same update for last year’s OnePlus Watch 2, and it’s not good news.

Speaking to Android Central, OnePlus says that the Watch 2 won’t get an update to Wear OS 5 until “Q3” of this year:

Watch 2 users are expected to receive their OS 5 updates in Q3 of this year.

That means waiting until at least July 2025 for the update, which Google and Samsung rolled out to Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch owners in late 2024.

Ouch.

The reason for the delay is unclear, though Mobvoi has also infamously had lengthy delays to its updates due to its unique hardware setup. It stands to reason that updates might also be more complex for OnePlus’ dual-architecture system, but it’s hard to say for certain since Google officially supports that in Wear OS.

The confusing decisions don’t end there. OnePlus also told AC that its latest smartwatch, OnePlus Watch 3, will actually end up with a shorter support window than the prior model. Where OnePlus Watch 2 was promised at least three years of software support, Watch 3 is only getting two years. Again, ouch. The reasoning here is unclear, and it seems possible this is just a case of miscommunication. If true, though, it falls well behind Google’s and Samsung’s current policies.