OnePlus is set to take on the fitness band market as they will reportedly release a budget version called OnePlus Band and first test it in one of its biggest markets, India. This is different from the OnePlus smartwatch that they already confirmed they are releasing sometime next year. The fitness band is set to take on the Xiaomi Mi Band 5, one of the most popular and affordable ones in the market. And with a lot of people probably writing “get healthier” on their New Year’s resolutions, this apparently $40 product will be useful.
Android Central says sources are saying that the OnePlus Band will be the Chinese OEM’s first wearable device and will be positioned against the Mi Band series of Xiaomi, probably one of the most popular brands in this segment. It will be targeted for the budget segment while the also upcoming smartwatch will be for the “upmarket” buyers, which is the same strategy that they’ve used with their smartphone releases. Target both segments with two different products.
What we know so far is that the OnePlus Band will have a lot of similar specifications to the Mi Band 5. This includes things like water resistance, having an AMOLED screen, and more importantly, getting multi-day battery life. So far, there are no specific details about the wearable but most likely, you can look to the actual specs of Xiaomi’s own and that is what you’ll probably get with the OnePlus fitness band.
It will release in India first which makes a lot of sense since this is the market that contributes to more than a third of their smartphone sales. It’s also a good market to try out budget devices as it has a huge population but consumers are more apt to choose the more affordable brands rather than the more popular but more expensive ones. The source did not reveal what other markets will be targeted after India.
Th OnePlus Band is expected to be announced in the first quarter of 2021 but it will be launched ahead of the new flagship OnePlus 9 series. So we can probably hear more about it in January or February. The OnePlus smartwatch may also be announced in the first quarter or at least the first half of 2021.