Here’s the first look at the OnePlus Band thanks to a new health app

The OnePlus Band is closer to becoming a reality.

What you need to know

• A new OnePlus Health app has appeared on Google Play with information about the OnePlus Band.
• The app will be able to manage the OnePlus Band’s health data and change watch faces.
• The OnePlus Band is expected to be announced early this year.

OnePlus got fans of the company excited when it announced that it was working on a smartwatch and surprised many when CEO, Pete Lau, tweeted last month that the watch would be launched in early 2021. Well, early 2021 has arrived, and more information about the watch has slowly crept up, such as the fact that it’s more of a fitness band than a full-on smartwatch. That was pretty much solidified with this week’s teaser, and now a new OnePlus Health app has been spotted on the Google Play Store which actually shows off the OnePlus Band, as well as some of the functions of the app.

The OnePlus Health app gives a bit of insight into the functions of the OnePlus Band, such as heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking, which is fairly par-for-the-course for any decent fitness band. The app also shows off the ability to track your routes, which suggests the OnePlus Band will feature built-in GPS, putting it on par with many of the best fitness trackers on the market.

The app manages to identify and show off the OnePlus Band from the front, which doesn’t look much different from similar fitness trackers like the Xiaomi Mi Band 5. It’s said to feature a 1.1″ AMOLED touchscreen display, IP68 water and dust resistance, and will cost roughly $40 when it launches.

The app doesn’t seem to be available for download but there is a public beta that users can sign up for, assuming they have a compatible device in a supported region. As it stands, the OnePlus Band is expected to launch in regions such as India, but it’s unclear if or when OnePlus will bring the wearable to North America.

Xiaomi Mi Band 5

$37 at Amazon

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 offers a lot of value for a fitness tracker, undercutting much of the competition with its price. It’s AMOLED touchscreen display lets users manage notifications and calls, plus there’s 5ATM water resistance, and you’ll only have to charge it a few times a month.