As a smart wearable platform, Google’s Wear OS bears some similarities to Android – it’s very customisable, comes with support for a ton of apps, and isn’t exclusive to any single manufacturer, meaning that there’s a wide selection of Wear OS-powered devices to choose from. As such, Mobvoi promises to give users a competent Wear OS experience with its TicWatch Pro 5, which succeeds the TicWatch Pro 3 series from a couple of years back.
With that in mind, you might be interested in getting one for yourself – if you’re wondering about what kind of features the TicWatch Pro 5 comes with, then we’ve put together a list of things that you can look forward to if you’re decided (or still thinking) on getting the TicWatch Pro 5.
Wear OS (with some add-ons)
As we mentioned earlier, the TicWatch Pro 5 comes with Google’s Wear OS platform, which is essentially the same operating system found on other devices like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 series, and Google’s Pixel Watch. Of course, Mobvoi has molded Wear OS into its own image, as it comes with a ton of pre-installed Mobvoi apps and software.
This includes access to several watch faces (with more downloadable via Google Play), and a ton of different fitness tracking features, as well as exercise modes. Users can use the TicWatch Pro 5 for running sessions, swimming, weightlifting, and a whole lot more. One thing to consider is that there are a lot – and we mean A LOT – of Mobvoi’s “Tic” apps, which track your heart rate, sleep, and more.
There are Google apps onboard as well, although we should note that Google Assistant is absent on the TicWatch Pro 5, which is a downside especially for users looking to immerse themselves in Google’s software ecosystem. Additionally, the device ships with Wear OS 3, and given Mobvoi’s recent issues with software updates we’re hoping that Wear OS 4 doesn’t take too long to become available on the TicWatch Pro 5.
Designed for Toughness
At the centre of the TicWatch Pro 5 is a rather wide 1.43-inch AMOLED display with touch support, which also comes with a secondary display that’s visually reminiscent of older digital watches. Mobvoi says that the secondary display shows important info like time, date, battery, as well as a notification tick, without users needing to fully tap on their display. It also comes with a raise-to-wake function which works well with the secondary display.
Surrounding the display is a design that borrows a lot from the previous-generation TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra, while adopting some hardware elements from competing devices as well. For example, the two control buttons on the side are now gone, and are replaced by a single action button and a rotating crown, the latter of which kinda resembles the crown seen on particular Apple watch models. The aluminium bezel, while not rotatable, serves as a nice design accent around the display. It comes in black, although there’s a lighter-coloured “Sand” version which is a nice-looking alternative.
Mobvoi says that the watch’s main body is made using a combination of aluminium and nylon material, and has been certified to comply with US-MIL-STD 810H standards. This means that the TicWatch Pro 5 will be relatively safe from elements like rain, ice, and accidental shocks and bumps. As the watch isn’t fully made of aluminium, it is lighter on the wrist as a result. Additionally, the watch also supports 24mm quick release bands, so you can customise the look of the wearable.
Internal Hardware and App
Mobvoi has equipped the TicWatch Pro 5 with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 Wearable Platform, which works with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. Of course, there’s also a healthy (pun intended) variety of sensors inside the device which includes an accelerometer, Heart Rate Sensor, SpO2 Sensor, Skin Temperature Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Low Latency Off-Body Sensor, a Barometer, and a Compass as well.
On the technical side of things, the TicWatch Pro 5 comes with a vibration motor for haptics and notifications, a speaker, microphone, Bluetooth 5.2 and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, as well as NFC. The watch is powered by a 628 mAh battery, which Mobvoi says can last up to 80 hours on average. In our usage, it was able to last around three days on average, mostly requiring a charge on the end of the third day. Compared to a lot of other Wear OS/ Watch OS smartwatches which can barely make it more than 24 hours, this is a pretty impressive feat and means you won’t be reaching for the charger often.
To use the TicWatch Pro 5 with your Android phone, you’ll need to download the Mobvoi app on your device, which will guide you through the set-up process for the device. It’s a very easy process, and you’ll just need to sign in to fully access the features of the app. From here, you can customize your user preferences on the TicWatch Pro 5, change your current watch face, download firmware updates, and check on your battery. Of course, the app also gives you data on your health – users can check their sleep insights, heart rate stats, as well as other health metrics measured by the TicWatch Pro 5.
Is it Worth it?
As for price, the TicWatch Pro 5 goes for £329 pounds in the UK, placing it around the same price brackets such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 range. For this price you do get standout features including a solid design, impressive battery life, a large display, and access to a ton of Wear OS apps.
No device is without its caveats of course – the amount of pre-installed apps on the device and the missing Google Assistant feature do hamper the experience a wee bit, but otherwise it is a very capable device, as far as smart wearables are concerned.
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