OnePlus Watch officially announced, set to take on Apple Watch

For years now the Apple Watch has ruled the best smartwatch roost, but that might be about to change dramatically, as Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus has just announced details on exactly when its new OnePlus Watch will launch and what it will be capable of.

The news, which was broken over on the official OnePlus blog, was written by OnePlus CEO Pete Lau and confirms that "the first-ever OnePlus Watch will launch together with the OnePlus 9 Series on March 23".

Speaking on why the company has decided to turn its attention to the smartwatch market, Lau stated that:

"We turned our attention to smartwatches as it aligns with our mission to create a burdenless experience. We see smartwatches as more than just instruments that indicate the time and heart rates, but powerful devices capable of elevating our personal digital experience to new heights. And we can’t forget that a smartwatch is the most-requested device from you, the OnePlus Community."

• Read about it now – the OnePlus Watch is now official!

As to what the OnePlus Watch actually delivers, which is crucial in terms of how it can compete against the Apple Watch, Lau has revealed that the OnePlus Watch features "a stunning and burdenless design that separates itself from the crowd", that it offers "seamless connectivity between OnePlus smartphones, audio peripherals, smartwear devices, and even OnePlus TVs", as well as a "best-in-class experience at an affordable price point".

If that is true then the OnePlus Watch looks destined to become a fierce new rival for the Apple Watch, as well as every other smartwatch on the market today, including the Samsung Galaxy Watch.

Of course, for many users the price that the OnePlus Watch retails for will be all important for swaying a purchasing decision one way or the other, and right now we don't know what that will be. The OnePlus Watch price is set for announcement at the OnePlus 9 launch event on March 23, so like T3 be sure to tune in then.

Right now the Apple Watch Series 6 retails for around the $370/£360 mark, so we're thinking that the OnePlus Watch will need to retail for markedly less than that, as the Apple Watch brand is very established and the Series 6 very well rated. Chances of that happening are good though as OnePlus has a history of undercutting larger companies like Apple and Samsung in terms of price.

Here's hoping we truly to get an awesome new smartwatch launch on March 23 this year, as at least on the information we now have at our disposal, the OnePlus Watch looks like it is set to stun.

• These are the best fitness trackers on the market today