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Mobvoi’s TicWatch smartwatches are finally getting Wear OS 3
Only took them two years after Wear OS 3 was first launched
Google released Wear OS 3 in 2021 with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. The company also quickly confirmed the list of smartwatches that would get the Wear OS 3 update, which included several wearables from TicWatch. It has been over two years since then, and TicWatch has yet to roll out Wear OS 3 to its watches. Mobvoi released a closed beta in June 2023 but has been silent since then. Thankfully, the patience of TicWatch users is finally paying off, as the company is rolling out the stable Wear OS 3 update for its wearables.
Smartwatch users were left wondering whether any of the other popular Android wearable devices would be able to upgrade to Wear OS 3 following Google and Samsung's partnership in 2021. Thankfully, Google didn't take long to specify which smartwatches would be eligible, though it was a relatively short list at first. Mobvoi's TicWatch line was among the wearables promised to receive Wear OS 3. However, we have yet to see any solid indication that the upgrade is imminent in the two years since Google's confirmation, but a new report suggests that the update is coming soon to eligible TicWatch models.
Mobvoi's next TicWatch Pro looks way sleeker than its last in this leak
The TicWatch Pro 5 could vastly differ in design from its predecessor
The TicWatch Pro series from Mobvoi has been a standout for Wear OS, owing to its premium experience at an affordable price point. The next model could continue that trend as a leak from last year claimed that the TicWatch Pro 3’s successor would run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon W5+ chipset for wearables and boast 50% longer battery life. Mobvoi also teased the forthcoming TicWatch Pro model with a textured rim as opposed to the smooth one on the TicWatch Pro 3. We now have our first comprehensive look at the next-generation TicWatch Pro 5 thanks to a newly leaked render.
TicWatch maker Mobvoi introduces new platform for creating and sharing smartwatch faces
You'll soon be able to earn from your unique watch faces via the new TimeShow app
Mobvoi makes some of the best Android smartwatches available today, but its TicWatch line sometimes doesn’t feel like it offers quite as many customization options as Samsung’s Galaxy Watch series, or Google’s Pixel Watch. Those tech giants provide plenty of ways to make your smartwatch your own, beyond just picking your strap, size, and color. But now the TicWatch maker is introducing own watch face marketplace alongside a new platform where you can create and share unique designs.
Mobvoi's next TicWatch could be a Wear OS flagship with an improved premium design
A 'long duration' battery has been promised
Mobvoi is a known name in the Wear OS market for a reason — it consistently releases capable smartwatches at satisfactory prices that even undercut the competition from time to time. Take the company's flagship TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS, for example, which, while it doesn't really run the latest version of Wear OS, still makes for a worthy competitor to the Galaxy Watch 4 by making up for lacking in other departments as we've noted in our review. Now, Mobvoi appears to be working on a new "flagship" watch that could possibly be a successor to the current top dog.
Mobvoi's new $100 smartwatch wants to compete with the Apple Watch where it counts
Looking out for your ticker
When searching for a smartwatch, you might stumble upon a lot of offerings from Mobvoi. It makes some of the best Wear OS-based smartwatches in both budget and premium categories. Its latest product, however, comes without Google's Wear OS, but offers plenty of health-focused fitness features on the cheap. The Beijing-based company has taken wraps off the TicWatch GTH Pro, an upgrade to last year's TicWatch GTH.
Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS review: An update away from excellence
The latest TicWatch justifies its existence, and Wear OS 3 might make it even better
Read update
Mobvoi has more competition in Wear OS this year, but it’s not changing its approach just yet. Incremental changes are the name of the game with the launch of the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS, though the continued lack of Wear OS 3.0 is a notable pain point. While Mobvoi's newest smartwatch is expected to receive an update to Wear OS 3.0 sometime in 2022, this certainly puts Mobvoi at a disadvantage compared to Samsung and its Galaxy Watch 4. Still, Mobvoi is a known name in the Wear arena for a reason, and that reason is that it continually releases capable smartwatches year after year at satisfactory price points.
Mobvoi TicWatch E3 review: All dressed up with nowhere to go
An artificially long wait for Wear OS 3.0 could be a hindrance
Read update
Thanks to Samsung's Galaxy Watch4 and the long-awaited Wear 3.0 update, there's no denying that there's a reinvigorated interest in the platform. Not that you’d know from using the TicWatch E3. The E3's biggest issue is the inopportune release timing—this watch is the definition of a mixed bag with Wear OS still in flux. The good news: this smartwatch offers the latest Snapdragon Wear 4100 chipset, which should guarantee solid performance for years to come. The bad news: Wear OS 2.3.
Mobvoi introduces the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS with a colorful upgrade
Launching with a familiar but slightly tweaked design and an improved screen
Mobvoi recently teased the arrival of the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS as an upgrade to last year's TicWatch Pro 3. After some previews on its social media channels, the smartwatch is now finally official. In typical Mobvoi fashion, the company has only made small changes to this year's product, keeping a lot from the previous model and delivering a few improvements to the new device.
The TicWatch Pro X is the less ugly TicWatch Pro 3 we didn't know we wanted
But it’s only available in China
Mobvoi is rumored to be working on a trio of new smartwatches, including the high-end TicWatch 3 Pro Ultra. While that smartwatch has yet to launch, the company has announced another Wear OS smartwatch in China: the TicWatch Pro X. This one looks to be a rebranded version of the TicWatch 3 Pro with just some minor improvements.
Mobvoi is known for its excellent Wear OS smartwatches, and it was the first to the market last year with a Wear OS watch using Qualcomm's Wear 4100 chip. 2021 has been a pretty quiet year for the company so far, with only one launch: the TicWatch GTH running LiteOS. That could change soon. According to a report from XDA Developers, Mobvoi has three new wearables in the works: the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra, the TicWatch GTH+, and the TicWatch GTH Pro.
What the heck is going on with the chip powering the latest TicWatch?
Store listings indicate a silent upgrade, but nothing is lining up
Before the launch of Samsung's Galaxy Watch4, Mobvoi's TicWatches were truly the only wearables worth recommending for Android users. Equipped with a Snapdragon Wear 4100, the TicWatch Pro 3 and E3 are two of the only devices you can find with that specific processor, even more than a year out from the former's launch. At least, that's the chip both watches were initially marketed with, but if you try to buy one today, you might be surprised to see an unannounced performance upgrade listed in the specs sheet.According to listings on Mobvoi's official website and Amazon, both of the company's current watches are powered by a Snapdragon Wear 4100+ — not the original 4100 chip as originally marketed (via 9to5Google). This change is rather curious, considering there's been no announcement about a potential upgrade for either watch. While the Pro 3 is well over a year old now, the TicWatch E3 only went up for sale in June. It'd be an odd move to upgrade the processor of a watch that's just three months old.
TicWatch's Wear OS 3-upgradable smartwatch is $80 off today
The Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS is a fine, fine watch
Right now may seem like a slightly uncertain time to pick up a new Wear OS watch, considering that current watches will only get the new Wear OS 3.0 update next year and newer hardware is incoming. However, if you had to buy one, the TicWatch Pro 3 GPS is probably your best bet, and a limited-time discount is making the deal sweeter.
The TicWatch E3 could be the Wear 4100 smartwatch you've been waiting for
All the essentials from the TicWatch Pro 3 for less moolah
Mobvoi has been in many ways responsible for keeping the Wear OS platform even vaguely relevant in recent years. Its TicWatches continue to represent the best of a bad bunch in terms of Google-powered smartwatches. The TicWatch Pro 3 was the first to launch with Qualcomm's improved Wear 4100 chipset, but now that's being followed up by a sleek new model, the TicWatch E3.
Mobvoi's Android app for TicWatch gets an all-new design, complete with fitness reports
Some of its features aren't working just yet
While we're all waiting for Google's revamped Wear OS to drop later this year, there's only one watch running Android worth picking up right now: Mobvoi's TicWatch Pro 3. A year after its release, it's still the only wearable with Snapdragon's Wear 4100 chip. Mobvoi has done a great job keeping its flagship watch updated since launch, and now it's doing the same with its partner app. The latest update to its app refreshes the design to make it easier to manage your device and track your fitness.
The best Wear OS watch is at its lowest price ever on Amazon right now
Grab a TicWatch Pro 3 for $210
Wear OS has drawn more than its fair share of criticism, but well-equipped watches that run Google's wearable OS are actually pretty nice to use. Mobvoi's TicWatch Pro 3 is among the best equipped out there, rocking a Wear 4100 chip and a whole gigabyte of RAM — and you can get your hands on one for $90 off in today's sale on Amazon.In addition to its beefy internals, the Pro 3 also has a second LCD display built over its face that tells the time when you're not actively using the watch, which saves a ton of battery. It also renders Wear OS in 60 glorious frames per second, which is twice as fast as most Android wearables.
TicWatch 3 Pro LTE is getting a double-stuffed update
Complete with a ton of new features and bug fixes
We've already praised the TicWatch 3 Pro as being one of the only Wear OS watches worth buying today, but what about its LTE-equipped cousin? Mobvoi released a cellular version of its newest watch late last year in the UK, Germany, and Spain for staying connected on the go without a phone. That variant wasn't included in last week's software update, but luckily, TicWatch 3 Pro LTE owners didn't have to wait long for a new patch of their own.
TicWatch has a new budget health tracker with temperature monitoring
Tons of health features for an affordable price
Mobvoi's TicWatches are some of the best wearables around right now. In fact, they're among the very few Wear OS watches that we would actually recommend buying. The latest addition to the lineup is a little different, however — it doesn't run Google's OS, it's almost entirely health focused, and it's exceedingly affordable.Unlike anything we've previously seen from Mobvoi, the TicWatch GTH has a square watch face — it reminds me of something, but I can't quite put my finger on what. As well as 24-hour heart-rate monitoring and blood oxygen saturation detection (Sp02), it's the first TicWatch to include skin temperature monitoring. Mobvoi will stop short of calling this a Covid-detection watch, but it's clear this is something the feature set is alluding to.
Sleep tracking and stress management tools are also on board, along with a suite of apps to tie it all together, making this a pretty appealing all-around health wearable. Since it uses a proprietary operating system instead of Wear OS, you won't be able to download additional apps, but that shouldn't be an issue if you're looking for a simple health and fitness tracker. The GTH has automatic workout detection (for walking and running) and supports tracking for 14 different sports in total...
The TicWatch Pro S is a cheaper model aimed at sporty types
It's really just an updated TicWatch Pro 2020
The Wear OS space has reached such depths that the TicWatch Pro 3 is one of the only models we'd recommend buying right now. To capitalize on its good reputation, Mobvoi is releasing a new Pro model. Somewhat confusingly, though, the new TicWatch Pro S is an updated TicWatch Pro 2020 positioned as a sports watch.Although the key selling seems to be its affordability, the TicWatch Pro S costs $259.99 (£222.99 / €259.99) — that's only $40 less than the TicWatch Pro 3 and while it carries a lot of the same features, the Pro S is saddled by the aging Wear 2100 chipset. That difference alone could be worth paying the $40 difference.
Much of what makes the TicWatch Pro range tick is still here, however. It's got the nifty dual display with up to 30 days battery life in Essential Mode or 2-5 days in Smart Mode. There's 8GB of storage so you can download a good amount of music for offline listening. Its suite of first-party apps includes TicExercise 3.0, TicSleep 2.0, and newer software experiences like TicBreathe and TicHearing. The first of those handles GPS tracking and heart rate monitoring during workouts, as well as Vo2 Max measurements. Other expected features such as NFC for mobile payments are also present. Its IP68 rating ensures decent protection from the elements, and it's suitable for pool swimming at least.Since the TicWatch Pro 2020 on which this new timepiece is based felt a little dated when it launched, and with a newer Wear 4100 model on offer from Mobvoi for only 40 bucks more, it could make the Pro S a hard sell without too many meaningful upgrades to speak of. A TicWatch 3 Pro on sale would be a better buy, for example.
The TicWatch Pro S is available for purchases in the UK (£222.99) and the US today ($259.99), while pre-orders open across the rest of Europe (€259.99). You can get it from Mobvoi.com or Amazon.
The TicWatch Pro 3 is one of the most advanced Wear OS smartwatches on the market. However, it still came with a few shortcomings when it was released in October. Thankfully, it's currently receiving a software update that fixes several of these issues for an improved user experience.