Hybrid watches from Fitbit and a few other Wear OS options round up the rest of the smartwatch market. The limited choices are also compounded by one major problem – the short battery life. But while Samsung, Apple, and other companies are still working on extending the charge on these devices, Mobvoi is claiming success with its latest Wear OS watch, the Ticwatch Pro. Chinese company Mobvoi has already released several smartwatches. Their initial foray into the market were the first Ticwatch and the Ticwatch 2, which both ran on the TicWear OS. This was followed by the Ticwatch S and E. These two devices were powered by the Wear OS this time around and both received kudos for their value and quality. But now Mobvoi is going all out with its latest smartwatch, the Ticwatch Pro. The device is touted to have improved on its build and quality, plus new features like NFC and two screens for better battery life. But does it live up to the hype? Find out with this Ticwatch Pro review.
Essential Ticwatch Pro Specs
Operating System: Google’s Wear OSBattery: 415mAhChipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100Dimension: 45 mm x 12.6 mmDisplay Screen: 39” OLED 400 x 400 (primary), FSTN display (secondary)GPS: GPS/ AGPSMemory: 512MB RAM and 4GB storageSensors: Accelerometer, Ambient Light Sensor, Gyro, Low Latency Off-Body Sensor, Magnetic Sensor, PPG Heart Rate SensorWater Resistance: IP68 (can handle 1.5 meters for 30 minutes); wearing device while swimming is not recommended
Ticwatch Pro’s Enhanced Design
The Ticwatch Pro has a pretty sleek design that’s reminiscent of LG’s G Watch R or the first Huawei Watch. It feels solid but not too heavy. The materials used are better than the plastic from earlier Ticwatch iterations. This smartwatch has a timeless look, with a stainless steel bezel and bottom while the rest of the body is made up of hard nylon and glass fiber. Meanwhile, the Ticwatch Pro strap uses a hybrid of leather and silicon that feel comfortable enough. Plus, the quick-release feature makes it easy to change straps. The device sports a black and silver color scheme, giving it a classy appearance, but the watch also has a sporty vibe that makes it also ideal for use in a casual setting. The Ticwatch Pro has three pre-installed watch faces. The default face is the Ruler and has a black, silver, and red theme with an analog design. It showcases the date, battery life, heart rate, and step numbers. The other two faces are the Guardian and the Zoran. The former has a more modern look with blue accents while the latter has a retro feel. Users will also be pleased to know that aside from those default faces, Mobvoi has also included 23 more downloadable faces. You can choose from a variety of analog and digital designs. Plus, each face can be customized.
Double the Fun with the Dual Display Screen
One thing that sets the Ticwatch Pro apart from other smartwatches is its display screen. Mobvoi designed the watch to have two displays, one stacked on top of the core. The Ticwatch Pro comes with a 1.39 inch 400 x 400 OLED display screen. This is topped with a transparent FSTN (Film compensated Super Twisted Nematic) LCD screen. The panel shows the time, date, battery life, and step counts. The dual display screens is apparently Mobvoi’s way of extending the device’s battery life, since the company can’t do much with either the software (since Google makes the Wear OS) or with the Snapdragon 2100 chip. Designing the FSTN screen to display only critical information when it’s idle helps conserve battery. It is certainly an inspired idea, and it has successfully extended the battery life of the Ticwatch Pro. However, there are drawbacks. For instance, there’s a slight lag when switching between the screens. The secondary screen has also resulted in an OLED display that’s not as bright or sharp as other smartwatch display screens. Mobvoi has also provided the Ticwatch Pro with two hardware buttons. Both are located on the right side for convenience. Pressing any of the buttons will wake the device. One of the buttons can also be customized to open any app of your choosing.
Enhanced Features and Hardware
The Ticwatch Pro has several things it has going for it. Aside from its dual screen and classy design, the watch also boasts of a decent speaker, a heart rate sensor, and NFC. The speaker is tinny but is good enough to handle phone calls. Meanwhile, the Pro’s heart rate sensor is another beautiful improvement. It works well even on Essential Mode and clearly outperforms the one in Ticwatch E. It appears that Mobvoi has finally fixed the erratic behavior seen in the E, where the heart rate would drop for a few minutes during workouts. With the Pro, any drop is adjusted quickly. Mobvoi has also improved the GPS tracking on the Ticwatch Pro. Unlike the Ticwatch 2 and Ticwatch E, the Pro’s GPS is already built-in. What’s more, the device also has access to more satellites like the Beidou, Galileo, and GLONASS. This means it can track your location quickly and accurately. Meanwhile, having an NFC means one can use the smartwatch to make payments via Google Pay wherever it’s available. It is a great feature to have and a major selling point for Mobvoi, even though the app is a bit sluggish.
The TicWatch Pro’s Improved Software and Performance
As previously mentioned, Mobvoi can’t do much regarding software since it’s Google’s domain. The Chinese company did pre-load several of its own apps, which are mostly related to health and fitness. These apps are optional though and do not detract from the device’s overall performance. The pre-installed Fitness app can monitor heart rate ad track your progress when running, walking, or exercising in the gym. Meanwhile, the Health app monitors your steps and distance and checks how much calories you have burned during the day. Performance-wise, the Ticwatch can’t go head to head with either Apple or Samsung yet. The device can be described as average at best – not super fast but doesn’t lag either. There are some glitches though, especially when it comes out of sleep mode. However, this could be due to the dual display screen.
The Clear Battery Life Winner
The Tickwatch Pro smartwatch is the clear winner of the battery life competition. The device has two modes – Smart Mode and Essential Mode. The former is the watch’s conventional method and is touted to last two days. Users can even push it as far as half a day more before they have to go on Essential Mode. As the name implies, Essential Mode pares down all functions to the bare essentials. In other words, you will only see the second display screen while the main screen is turned off. Mobvoi says the Tickwatch Pro can last 28 to 30 days on a single charge in Essential Mode. The device will reportedly last five days using a mix of the two modes. This smartwatch doesn’t have wireless charging but it comes with a magnetic charging puck that’s simple to use. Thanks to the dock’s strong magnet, there’s no danger of the watch falling off or becoming misaligned. Users should not expect fast recharging with the Ticwatch’s magnetic dock. The device can reach 60% charge after an hour and could hit the 90% mark after 90 minutes.
Can You Make And Receive Phone Calls With Ticwatch Pro?
Yes, you can. The device has Google Assistant built-in, allowing you to make and receive calls as long as your watch is connected to your Android phone. You can also send a text message and even ask for directions.
Does the Ticwatch Pro Have a Built-in Speaker?
Yes, the Ticwatch Pro comes with a built-in speaker. However, do not expect a high-quality sound from it. But the speaker is more than enough for numerous speech functions, for alarms and notifications, and to play music.
Is the Heart Rate Monitor for Ticwatch Pro Continuous?
Yes, the device offers continuous heart rate monitoring. However, you must first enable the 24/7 monitoring feature. Once it’s activated, it will monitor the heart rate every 10 minutes. It can also estimate the resting heart rate.
All Good Things Must Come to an End
When you take everything in consideration – the two-year-old chipset, bulky build, dual screen, extended battery life – the Ticwatch is far from being perfect. But it’s also undeniably an amazing premium Wear OS smartwatch. The device is also very affordable, especially when you consider its high-end features. Mobvoi was able to build on its previous success and came up with a stellar design. Plus, the two-day Ticwatch Pro battery life is better than what other smartwatches offer. Do you have a Ticwatch Pro? Are you interested in getting one now that you’ve read this review? Do you think Mobvoi’s Ticwatch Pro has got what it takes to go up against the Apple Watch and Samsung Gear? Use the comments section to tell us about your thoughts or experiences and ask any questions. Then share this article with your friends and family and help them learn more about the latest smartwatch out in the market today.
