OPPO is no stranger to the world of consumer lifestyle tech as the company has expanded rapidly beyond the smartphone realm over the past couple years with an ever-growing portfolio of lifestyle gadgets such as smartwatches and fitness trackers.
Recently, the company had announced it’s second-generation’s Band 2 fitness tracker in the local market which bring along several noteworthy upgrades including a bigger screen, better battery life as well as a wider range of sport modes.
After using the OPPO Band 2 for more than a month, it’s safe to say that the Band 2 is one of the best option you can get below $100. However, does it really have what you’re looking for in your next fitness tracker? Let’s find out in our OPPO Band 2 review!
Design & Display
The new OPPO Band 2 features a wider profile than last year’s OPPO Band owing to a larger display which makes it easier to access notifications or track your workout progress. The Midnight Black version we had for review comes with a black colored watch case which is paired with a strap of matching color.
Speaking of the strap, it’s made of high quality silicon material that feels gentle on the skin, allowing me to wear it comfortably throughout the day whether I was working out or sleeping. Also, some would be glad to hear that the strap is also interchangeable. That means you can easily change it’s watch strap to a different color to match your outfit whenever you wants to.
Despite it’s plastic build, the OPPO Band 2 does comes with 5 ATM rating for water resistance which basically means that it’s able to survive rain or shower, as well as a submersion of up to 50 meters. This makes it a perfect companion for those who frequently engage in water activities.
Screen-wise, it’s a 1.57” AMOLED display which looks sharp and vibrant. It definitely offers a better viewing experience than most other fitness trackers with LCD screen thanks to it’s excellent color reproduction. Also, it has no issue keeping the screen visible in outdoor environment so you can continue tracking your workout.
As usual, the OPPO Band 2 is pre-loaded with a nice selection of watch faces for you to pick from. Just in case none of them suits your taste, there are more options available on the HeyTap app where you can download and sync them over to the tracker. For the benefit of those who might not know, HeyTap is a companion app which you’ll use to pair the Band 2 with your smartphone. It’s free to download on Play Store for Android smartphone or the App Store for an iPhone.
Just like the first generation’s model, the Band 2 runs on the lightweight RTOS operating system which offers a simple and yet intuitive interface for users to navigate through the tracker. For instance, doing a downward swipe will reveal a list of quick functions such as flashlight and sleep mode, while an upward swipe will open up the notification center.
Likewise, performing a rightward swipe will give you access to some of the most commonly used apps including music control, stop watch as well as health monitoring features such as heart rate and SpO2 measurement. Finally, you can also access the Health Center feature by doing a leftward swipe which gives you a summary of your health and fitness data such as the amount of calories burned and the total number of steps taken in the day.
Health & Fitness Features
Coming to what matters most, the new OPPO Band 2 is loaded with more than 100 workout modes which is a significant upgrade over the first-gen model. Among them include the more frequently used ones like outdoor run, indoor run, outdoor walk, indoor walk, outdoor cycling, indoor cycling, pool swim, Tennis and Badminton. Other than that, there are also some interesting features such as Yoga and Dance which we don’t normally see in smartwatches.
Four of those workout modes – walking, running, rowing machine, and elliptical machine – have auto-detection functionality which automatically tracks your workout the moment you begin. This can be really useful for people like myself who often forget to enable the tracker when running.
In terms of health monitoring, the OPPO Band 2 got you covered with all the necessary features such as round-the-clock heart rate and sleep monitoring, SpO2 measurement as well as stress, sedentary and hydration reminder. Those data can then be synced over to the companion app which will offer users a concise breakdown of the measurement throughout the day.
And while the Band 2 is priced at just a quarter of what a high-end smartwatch would cost you, but it does provide surprisingly accurate heart rate and SpO2 measurements that are pretty much in sync with those taken by my own Huawei Watch 3 Pro (Review).
Battery Life
OPPO claimed that the 200mAh battery powering the tracker is able to last around 14 days with standard mode, 10 days with moderate usage and 5 days if you use it intensively. Those numbers turned out to be accurate in real life usage as I typically get around 8 to 9 days’ worth of battery life under moderate usage with 6-minute interval heart rate motoring and sleep tracking turned on. Of course, disabling those features would easily net you another 2 to 3 days battery life, though it’s not recommended to do so.
In the event that the battery runs out, the OPPO Band 2 can be quickly recharged via it’s bundled magnetic charger which is able to provide a day’s worth of usage with a short 5 minutes charge. Otherwise, a full charge will take approximately an hour.
Verdict
OPPO might be better known for their Reno and Find X flagship series smartphones. However, the company had proven itself to be capable of launching great wearables such as the OPPO Watch and the Band 2.
For a fitness tracker that’s priced at just $99, the OPPO Band 2 certainly offers plenty of value in terms of specs and features. It comes with pretty everything you need to keep yourself hale and hearty while scaling down on other nice-to-have, but non-essential features like built-in GPS to keep it’s pricing affordable.
Those who’re interested can purchase the OPPO Band 2 via OPPO’s Amazon, Lazada, Qoo10, Shopee and TikTok flagship stores, authorised retailers, and partner consumer electronic stores.
