OnePlus Watch 3 vs Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas: Two ways to build a better Wear OS device

This is a comparison between two of the most capable Wear OS smartwatches released in the past year – the OnePlus Watch 3 and Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas. The first was launched in February, and the TicWatch Atlas landed just before that in late December. I’ve tested both extensively and published full hands-on reviews. You can read my OnePlus Watch 3 review here and the TicWatch Atlas review here.

On paper, they might look similar, but in real-world use they feel very different. One focuses on clean design and smooth software. The other is built for durability and battery life. Here’s how they compare across all the key areas.

One minute comparison

Both the OnePlus Watch 3 and Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas get a lot right, but they’re built for slightly different users.

If you want a more polished smartwatch experience with up-to-date software, advanced health sensors, and strong sports tracking, the OnePlus Watch 3 is the one to go for. It feels refined, performs smoothly, and delivers the kind of health and fitness data you’d expect from a premium WearOS device. The lack of wireless charging is a small drawback, but everything else works as it should.

The TicWatch Atlas is a better fit for those who care more about outdoor durability. It doesn’t offer the same level of health detail or third-party app support, but the dual-display setup and practical touches like the colour-coded heart rate zones make it ideal for day-to-day use and longer adventures. It’s a device that has a certain charm. And just like the OnePlus, it edges out the competition as far as battery life.

Both watches are Android-only, both skip LTE, and both come in at attractive price points. The OnePlus Watch 3 is slightly cheaper, though, at $300. The Atlas asks for $350.

View OnePlus Watch 3 on OnePlus; view Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas & Pro 5 Enduro on Mobvoi, Amazon.

Jump to

Design & materials tell two different stories
Display tech approaches
Battery life and charging types
Health sensors and tracking differences
Sports features and real-world accuracy
Smartwatch experience and connectivity
Tech specs comparison

Design and materials tell two different stories

The OnePlus Watch 3 is a sharp-looking device. It combines a stainless steel case, titanium bezel, and a 2.5D sapphire crystal cover plate. The design feels like a mix of classic and sporty, and that balance works well. I tested the Obsidian Titanium version and liked how comfortable it felt on my wrist. The dimensions are 47.6 x 46.6 x 11.75 mm, and everything feels tightly put together with a nice finish.

The TicWatch Atlas takes things in a more rugged direction. It has a sand-blasted aerospace-grade aluminium case, a surgical-grade metal bezel, and flat sapphire crystal on top. It’s slightly chunkier at 52.2 x 47.8 x 12.05 mm, but still comfortable enough for daily wear. Mobvoi has leaned into the outdoor styling with orange crown accents and a broader range of strap options. You get five different 24mm styles, including bright silicone colours like Jungle Green and Bonfire Orange, as well as more subdued leather options. It feels like a considered upgrade over the Enduro rather than a complete redesign.

Mind you, both of these devices are masculine looking. So keep that in mind.

Display tech approaches

The display is one of the highlights on these two watches, but they take very different approaches.

The OnePlus Watch 3 comes with a 1.5-inch LTPO AMOLED display. It’s bright, sharp, and easy to read in any light. OnePlus says it peaks at 2200 nits, and based on testing, that figure seems about right. Even in direct sunlight, the screen stays clear. The sapphire glass gives it a bit more durability, though I did notice it can be quite reflective outdoors. Still, the overall experience is excellent and the display plays a big role in making the watch feel premium.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

Mobvoi has gone with something more functional. The Atlas sticks to the company’s signature dual-display setup. You get a 1.43-inch AMOLED for regular use, and sitting on top of it is an Ultra Low Power (ULP) screen. Mobvoi is the only company with such a setup. That second layer shows key data like time, heart rate, steps, and even workout zones, without needing to light up the main screen. It’s also colour-coded during exercise, which makes it easy to tell what heart rate zone you’re in at a glance. This dual-screen combination is practical as it helps extend battery life far beyond what most Wear OS watches can manage.

Battery life and charging types

This is one area where both watches perform well, though in different ways.

The OnePlus Watch 3 packs a 500 mAh battery, and it actually delivers. You get around five days in normal use, and three with heavy usage. Power Saver mode stretches that to around two weeks, which is more than enough for most people. Charging is quick too. It uses a small USB-C puck and supports 10-watt charging. You can go from empty to full in under 50 minutes, and even a short top-up gives you plenty of extra life. There’s no wireless charging here, but the setup is reliable and easy to travel with.

Mobvoi has gone bigger with the battery, both in size and stamina. The Atlas includes a 628 mAh Li-Po unit, which helps it push up to 80 hours in Smart Mode. If you switch to Essential Mode, it can last up to an incredible 45 days. That mode shuts off Wear OS, but still gives you basic info on the ULP display. Charging is handled through a magnetic USB-A puck, and you’ll get about 65 percent in 30 minutes. It also supports wireless charging, which gives you a bit more flexibility if you already have a charging pad on your desk or nightstand.

It’s clear that both of these watches put to shame other WearOS devices as far as battery life. OnePlus Watch 3 pulls ahead as far as normal use. But the power-saving scenario of the Mobvoi is miles ahead.

Health sensors and tracking differences

Both watches cover the essentials, but OnePlus takes things a step further with its health tracking.

On the Watch 3, you get the usual metrics like heart rate, SpO2, stress, sleep, and wrist temperature. It also adds a few extras that you won’t find on most Wear OS watches, including vascular health data, arterial stiffness, and even your vascular age. There’s an ECG sensor built in as well, though it only works in certain regions. It ties into the 60-second Health Check-In, which gives you a quick overview of multiple health stats in one go. Heart rate variability is available, though you do need to dig through the menus to find it.

Atlas sticks with Mobvoi’s typical sensor suite. That includes heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, a barometer, compass, and off-body detection. The basics are handled well, and the results seem consistent. But you don’t get ECG, HRV, or anything like vascular metrics. It’s more about dependable tracking than deep health insights. The data is all managed in the Mobvoi Health app, which is Android-only, just like OnePlus’s OHealth app.

Both watches support sleep tracking, snore detection, fall detection, and SOS alerts. These features have become fairly standard now, but it’s good to see they work reliably on both devices.

Sports features and real-world accuracy

In my opinion, the OnePlus Watch 3 pulls ahead when it comes to serious fitness tracking. It supports over 100 sports modes and includes advanced running metrics like stride length, cadence, vertical ratio, running power, and VO2 Max. OnePlus calls it “cardio fitness” in the interface, but it works just as well. Dual-frequency GPS (L1 + L5) is built in, and satellite lock is quick. I ran several side-by-side tests with a Garmin, and the results were close every time. The OnePlus even beat the Garmin on lock speed occasionally, which I didn’t expect. Heart rate accuracy was also solid, only a couple of beats off from a chest strap.

The Atlas covers a similar number of sports modes, but without the advanced running data. It does offer VO2 Max and Recovery Time, and there’s also a Heat Map feature that uses GPS to create visual maps of your movement in certain sports. It’s not something you’ll use every day, but it’s a nice touch. GPS tracking is good, though not dual-frequency, and I found that it sometimes slightly overestimated distance compared to Garmin. Satellite lock was a bit slower, but never took more than a minute or two. Heart rate accuracy can vary depending on how snugly the watch fits, so it’s worth checking that before a run.

The colour-coded backlight on the Atlas’s ULP display is one of the most useful features during exercise. It changes colour based on your heart rate zone, which makes it really easy to keep track of intensity without needing to glance at detailed numbers mid-workout. That’s something no other brand is doing right now.

Smartwatch experience and connectivity

This is where the OnePlus Watch 3 shows its strengths. It runs on Wear OS 5, and the performance is snappy across the board. You get the full suite of Google apps pre-installed, including Wallet, Maps, Calendar, Messages, and Assistant. The rotating crown makes navigation easier, and there are three app drawer layouts to pick from. I liked the Panel view especially, since it lets you zoom in and see app names clearly. There’s also a handy “Transfer Watch” feature that lets you pair with a new phone without wiping your data.

The TicWatch Atlas runs on Wear OS 4+. You still get access to Google Wallet and Maps, and Spotify works fine too, but the experience is more limited overall. There’s no native Google Assistant, though Alexa can be installed manually. Mobvoi has included some of its own health and fitness apps, but the platform feels a bit more locked down. It works, but it doesn’t have the same flexibility as the OnePlus.

Both watches include a speaker, microphone, and NFC. They support Bluetooth 5.2 for pairing, and both connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. OnePlus also adds 5 GHz support, which makes downloads and updates a little quicker. Neither model includes LTE, so you’ll need your phone nearby for calls and full data use.

OnePlus Watch 3 vs Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas vs TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro: Tech specs comparison

Here is a tech specs comparison between OnePlus Watch 3 and Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas. I’ve also included the Pro 5 Enduro which I reviewed about a year ago. That one is not very different from TicWatch Atlas. The differences essentially boil down to that version being slightly smaller and lighter. And instead of Sapphire Crystal it has a Corning Gorilla Glass display, plus it lacks the Fluororubber strap in favour of a Silicone one.

View OnePlus Watch 3 on OnePlus; view Mobvoi TicWatch Atlas & Pro 5 Enduro on Mobvoi, Amazon.

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