OPPO may be planning the launch of a brand new smartwatch with a curved screen. That’s based on a recent tweet from Twitter user “Ice universe,” showcasing what appears to be an official render of the wrist-worn gadget. The image doesn’t reveal too much about the watch but what sets this OPPO device apart, first and foremost, is its curved display.
An initial look at the image shows a design that is otherwise familiar in smartwatches. OPPO appears to have set the square-faced watch on a sports-style rubber or silicone band. A thin, equally-spread bezel surrounds that panel.
The defining feature though is its curved screen. The curve is present but far less pronounced toward the top and bottom bezels. On the left- and right-hand edges, that curves much more steeply with a striking similarity to curved displays on smartphones.
The overall effect of that is a smartwatch that has a more modern aesthetic, keeping a larger screen size while reducing the overall space that it appears to take up.
What’s there aside from design?
Ice universe doesn’t provide any deeper details about the OPPO smartwatch shown in the image, aside from a brief comment on its curved screen. So there isn’t presently any information on the device’s chipset. No details are available regarding its RAM, display resolution, or storage, let alone strap or housing dimensions.
Also unknown is whether or not this wearable will run Google’s Android-based Wear OS based on the image. So the device may or may not have access to Google Play or related apps, games, and watch faces. Instead, the render appears to show a portion of the gadget’s settings menu.
That could give away at least one important detail. The “Battery,” “Password,” and “More” options shown on that screen are fairly straightforward. Users might expect to find those on any smartwatch.
However, the display also showcases a “Multifunction Button” option. No deeper menu is showcased for that. But the appearance of the feature does imply that at least one physical side button will be reassignable. Any number of user-defined choices may be tucked behind that, although the most likely scenario is that button can be reprogrammed to serve quick access to another built-in feature or app.
When might OPPO’s curved screen smartwatch arrive?
Another detail that’s noticeably missing from the Chinese tech giant’s leaked render is a launch date.
OPPO is set to announce new devices in early March. Among those, the company has confirmed a decision to launch its upcoming Find X2 Flagship device. Originally expected to land at the MWC 2020 event in Barcelona, that’s one of two devices the company is expected to announce.
That event has now been called off, however, forcing OPPO to plan out its own launch event. Typically, events at MWC are more focused, rather than centering around a slew of announcements from any one company. That doesn’t necessarily equate to enough content for a full, standalone launch event outside of the tech gathering. So it isn’t out of the question that OPPO might launch its new wearable at the same unveiling to pad out the announcement.
OPPO’s curved screen watch looks great! pic.twitter.com/fFZo68drEG
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) February 26, 2020