“Is this an Apple Watch?”

Well, that was honestly my very first impression of the OPPO Watch W6 41mm, as I held the timepiece’s rounded-edge AMOLED screen in awe and fascination. 

Aside from its resemblance to the high-end Apple product, the workout features of OPPO’s first-ever smartwatch surprisingly impressed me, even exceeding those found in the ecosystems of fitness tracking giants.

Through Google’s WearOS and the Google Fit apps, the possibilities become endless when it comes to tracking your overall health for just P12,990. 

A workout companion for busy people

The OPPO Watch W6 comes with five-minute workout options that’s great for those who just want get some light physical activity in between breaks or for those who need more guidance in getting started on their fitness journeys. 

The options range from morning energizers, full body workouts to bedtime stretches, and they come with virtual exercise guides, which will be flashed on the watch screen. 

In terms of tracking, the watch has built-in trackers for basic exercises such as running, cycling, walking and swimming. 

It is water-resistant up to 50m, which is perfect for those who casually do lapping in the pool or training for open water races. 

But with Google Fit installed, the OPPO Watch can track a wide range of exercises like weightlifting or even special sports like indoor rowing and kite surfing. 

Google Fit also serves as a gateway to tracking other aspects of your health such a steps and sleep, and it can be synced with more specialized apps such as Nike Run Club, My Fitness Pal, Lose It!, and Strava. 

Aside from being able to download 8GB worth of apps, the OPPO Watch also has a built-in GPS and heart rate monitor. 

But in order to maximize all its features together with the Google apps, it is recommended to charge the watch almost daily as the battery life lasts up to 24 hours only. 

Though there are also options to put into power-saving mode, it will take only 15 minutes to juice it up by 30% and 75 minutes for a full-charge. 

Designed for the fit and stylish

In order to barge into the smartwatch competition, OPPO made sure that the user can easily switch from a personal to professional life. 

The watch I received came with a sleek black rubber strap, which can also be interchangeable just like other smartwatches. 

The OPPO watch also comes in pink gold and silver mist colors for a more feminine look.

When I first looked at the strap provided, I thought that the watch may fall off my wrist because of the lack of a hook. 

It proved me wrong, though, as it didn’t fall off even after completing a circuit training session. 

Photo by Beatrice Go/Rappler

I do like the design a lot because it was functional, yet not rugged-looking, and it is more gender-neutral compared to other smartwatches geared towards fitness. 

I could also choose from a variety of watch faces, which are enough to suit a wide range of tastes in design. 

With the use of the HeyTap Health app, the OPPO watch can recommend a complementary watch face to match your outfit through AI-imaging and built-in algorithms. This can be done just by simply uploading a photo of your outfit to the app. 

The watch can also be used to check emails, answer phone calls, and control music, which are all essential to the on-the-go professional life. 

Best for Android users

Though the Google apps are compatible on iOS, I experienced some connectivity issues in syncing the OPPO watch to the apps installed on an iPhone. 

Since it’s powered by the WearOS, it offers you access to Google apps, Play Store and Google Assistant.

Compared to the user interface of the Apple Watch, the OPPO Watch W6 is pretty straightforward and easy to navigate, and is not as overwhelming as an Android phone UI.

Google Fit doesn’t have any workout programs yet, but with continuous updates and efforts to rival the fitness apps of Fitbit and Garmin, the OPPO watch can become an even better all-in-one option. 

Since it is also OPPO’s first smartwatch, the potential of the next generation is massive in satisfying fitness enthusiasts of all levels. – Rappler.com

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