iQOO has just unveiled its first smartwatch, but the company hasn’t started from scratch – it looks very similar to the vivo Watch 3. It even runs the same BlueOS platform (rather than Google Wear OS). There is a version with eSIM, so this watch can work independently of a smartphone, unlike most watches with a proprietary operating system. And there’s an app store, so you can add new functionality to the watch.
The iQOO Watch measures 46.1mm in diameter and is 11.3mm thick (not including the biometric sensor at the bottom). It weighs 36g without a strap. Speaking of, there are three different straps to choose from – woven nylon, rubber, and genuine leather. The bands are, of course, interchangeable, so you can swap them out to suit the occasion (note: these are not standard 22mm bands).
iQOO Watch with woven nylon, rubber, and genuine leather straps
The watch has a 1.43″ OLED screen with a resolution of 466 x 466 px and an always-on display mode. The watch detects when you change the band and automatically charges a matching watch.
There are two hardware controls on board – the rotating crown at the top and the button at the bottom. There’s both a microphone and a speaker for Bluetooth calls and, if you have the eSIM version, calls from the watch itself.
The health tracking system uses an interesting dual setup. During the day, it uses visible light to track your heart rate and blood oxygen levels. At night, it switches to invisible infrared so the watch doesn’t disturb your sleep with flashing lights. iQOO claims that the multi-channel sensor (8 channels for heart rate, 16 for blood oxygen) combined with a deep learning algorithm achieves 97.7% accuracy when tracking your heart rate.
Sleep tracking includes sleep time and score, plus sleep stage classification. The watch can also track naps. If you get an iQOO watch for each family member, you can use the phone app to share your vitals with each other.
The smartwatch has more than 100 sports modes. It can help you plan your exercise, distract you during it, and give you guidance on how to improve afterward.
NFC is supported, so you can use it for things like public transport. And with the right car, the watch can even unlock your vehicle.
The 505mAh battery inside the watch can last up to 8 days in Bluetooth mode under normal operation (up to 16 days with power-saving turned on). If you use it independently with its eSIM connection, it will last up to 3 days of normal operation (up to 7 with power saving).
iQOO watch (Bluetooth, rubber band)
iQOO Watch (eSIM, leather strap)
The iQOO Watch is now available in China through vivo’s online store. The Bluetooth model with a rubber band costs CNY 1,100 ($150/€140/₹12,500). The eSIM model is usually CNY 1,300, but is currently CNY 100 off. You can also get an eSIM watch with a leather strap for CNY 100 more.
iQOO Watch launch prices