Review: TicWatch Pro Wear OS Smart Watch

It has been a while since I wore an Android Wear watch. Of course, if you are an Android fan, you might already know that Android Wear is now called Wear OS by Google. Thanks to Mobvoi, I am able to review their latest flagship smart watch, the TicWatch Pro.


As I only had the watch for two weeks, this will not be a comprehensive review. It will be more like a walkthrough on the various features and to test out the real-life scenarios of using the smart watch.

What is in the Box

Inside the box, it has the standard accessories. Below is the charging cradle. You can use a USB port to charge up the TicWatch Pro.

Close up of the charging cradle.

This is the size of the watch.

I have a very small wrist. This is how it looks like on my wrist.

Here is how it looks like on the back.

Close up of the back. At the center, it has the heart rate sensor. On the right-hand side (based on the picture below), it has the contact point for the charging cradle.

And if you notice, the strap is a quick release type. And if you really notice, it seems that the strap has leather on it.

You are correct. On the top, the strap has a leather layer.

On the bottom, it is made of rubber.

I do find it a bit weird but nevertheless, you can always change the strap if you want. On one side, it has two control buttons.

There is nothing on this side.

In term of thickness, it is thick but doesn’t look bulky when I wear it.

Power On

You will be greeted by this TicWatch screen when you power on.

To make full use of the smart watch, you will need to download the apps – the Google Wear OS app and the Mobvoi app (for greater customization). Connection is very simple.

One of the greatest features for Android wearables is that they have lots and lots of way to customize. For smart watch, the watch face is the most common customization.

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Great Features

Here are some features of the TicWatch Pro that you might want to know:

  • Google Play Store – Access to thousands of apps through the on-watch Play Store, and the ability to download them directly on the watch
  • Google Assistant™ – Access the Assistant directly on your wrist to check the weather, start your run, set a reminder and more just by asking
  • Premium build quality – Watch bezel and rear cover are stainless steel (SUS), while the rest of the case is a type of hard nylon (polyamide) reinforced with glass fiber (50GF); skin-friendly silicone strap covered with premium genuine Italian leather
  • NFC Payments – Use Google Pay™ to pay directly from your wrist
  • IP68 Water and dust resistant – Withstands submergence in water up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes (swimming not recommended)
  • Health and fitness sensors – Heart rate monitor, Accelerometer, Gyro, Magnetic Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, Low Latency Off-Body Sensor
  • Health and fitness apps – Along with health and fitness apps from Google, Mobvoi’s own Health and Fit apps are pre-installed as well
  • Thousands of watch face options – Available to download through Google Play™
  • Music Streaming – Listen to your playlists through your preferred music streaming app

As with many flagship smart watches, it has the bells and whistles of what a modern smart watch should have and can do. 

As I had mentioned, I stopped using Wear OS smart watch for a while already. One of the biggest reasons is the battery life which is very short (one day).

Great Battery Life

The TicWatch Pro is touted to have great battery life and that is one of the main reasons I want to review it.

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The TicWatch Pro utilizes Layered Display technology to seamlessly interchange between a low power FSTN (Film compensated Super Twisted Nematic) LCD display and an OLED display, that sit on top of one another.

This is how the FSTN LCD display looks like.

The FSTN display (top layer) is a transparent LCD display offering high visibility in direct sunlight, and transparent quality when not turned on, while the OLED (bottom layer) offers a higher definition, full-color display.

The “trick” to great battery life is that TicWatch Pro switches between displays, and therefore greatly improved the battery life. 

In ‘Smart Mode’, it utilizes both the FSTN LCD display and the OLED full-color display. On paper, it states about 2 days of battery life. In my testing, it lasted slightly less than 2 days with my medium to high usage.

I did not try the ‘Essential Mode’ as it engages just the FSTN display. Battery life is touted to be able to last up to 30 days. I think it is possible but I did not have the review period to try it.

When the battery is low (on Smart Mode), it will prompt you to swtich to Essential Mode to extend the battery life to a few more days.

Specifications

TicWatch Pro’s Technical Specifications

Device OS Wear OS by Google
Dimension 45mm x 12.6mm
Display 1.39” OLED 400 x 400 + FSTN display
Chipset Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear™ 2100
Memory RAM: 512MB / Storage: 4GB
GPS GPS / AGPS
NFC Payments Google Pay
Connectivity Bluetooth: 4.2 / Wi-Fi: 802.11bgn 2.4GHz
Sensors Accelerometer, Gyro, Magnetic Sensor, PPG Heart Rate sensor,

Ambient Light Sensor, Low Latency Off-Body Sensor

Battery 415mAh
Days of Use Smart Mode (Wear OS): 2 days;

Essential Mode: 30 days

Water Resistant IP68 (up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 mins; swimming not recommended

Availability

Singapore Pricing and Availability

Unfortunately, the TicWatch Pro has to be purchased via the Mobvoi website. There are two other models that are available in Singapore, The TicWatch S (Sport) & E (Express)

Mobvoi is expanding its presence in Singapore through a strategic partnership with Challenger. The TicWatch S (Sport) & E (Express) will now be available in 25 Challenger stores across Singapore. TicWatch Pro will be available via Mobvoi official website.

All models are now available for purchase:

Device Colours Price Availability
TicWatch Pro Shadow Black

Liquid Metal Silver

USD 249.99

*appx SGD 363.22

Available online via Mobvoi’s official Website
TicWatch S (Sport)

 

Knight

Aurora

Glacier

SGD 299 Selected Challenger Outlets1

Hachi.tech

Mobvoi official Website

TicWatch E (Express) Shadow

Ice

Lemon

SGD 239

For more information, please visit: https://www.mobvoi.com/

Summary

I had the watch for two weeks and had it for a short run once. It works as what had been advertised. I like the round design and the battery life. I wish the battery can be longer on OLED full-color display.

Price-wise, it is ok based on the specs. As it is running on Google Wear OS, I am sure that more features will be enhanced or added in future.

Depending on your lifestyle and usage, this watch might or might not be for you. Personally, I think that with competitors coming up with more smart watches that can receive calls and some with eSIM feature that can work as a phone independently, it will be a tough market.