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With regards to the wearables market, manufacturers have come and gone, but a few have been consistently delivered some pretty good hardware. Mobvoi has earned quite a few fans for creating some really good watches and earbuds while keeping prices more accessible than many competitors. Of course, there's still room to discount them even further for Black Friday!Mobvoi's discounts will expire tonight, so you should plan to pull the trigger sooner rather than later. The majority are smartwatches with a pretty decent 25% off discount, but you'll also find the TicPods Free discounted at a pretty bewildering 62% off.
True wireless earphones don't necessarily mean you need to break the bank, and Mobvoi's TicPods Free are a good example, as they offer good value for less than $100. Their price has just dropped to $80, which is considerably lower compared to Apple's AirPods.
Mobvoi has made a name for itself as a provider of affordable and reliable gadgets. Its TicWatch lineup has produced some pleasant surprises in the Wear OS universe, and the original TicPods Free are capable alternatives to Apple's Airpods for Android users. The Chinese company is seemingly hard at work on a successor to those that could launch in the near future. The TicPods 2 have passed through the FCC, and as is often the case, the regulator has leaked a decent amount of information on the new earbuds.
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Chinese AI company Mobvoi hosted an event in London today, in part to raise awareness for digital wellbeing, but mainly to make two announcements. The TicPods Free true wireless earbuds that we first heard about in April are now on general sale, but the main attraction is the brand new TicWatch C2.The timepiece is a spiritual successor to the original TicWatch (C2 stands for Classic 2), except this time it runs Wear OS by Google. It features a 1.3" AMOLED (360x360) display with a stainless steel case (rose gold, black, and platinum) and genuine leather strap (20mm or 18mm). The rose gold model is the thinnest Mobvoi has made at 12.80mm. It includes a heart rate monitor, GPS (+ GLONASS + Beidou), accelerometer, gyroscope, and NFC, plus it's also IP68 rated.
True wireless earbuds have seen a huge rise in popularity over the last couple of years as the products have reached a price point and level of quality that make them viable purchases for mainstream consumers. The IFA 2018 show floor was packed with new models from various brands, and I’ve already reviewed two products in the category in the last couple of months.
Now that multiple Android OEMs have launched phones without headphone jacks, consumers have had to reluctantly concede that true wireless earbuds need to be a thing. And they are, with some compelling options out there from the likes of Jaybird, Bose, and Zolo (by Anker). They're still by no means cheap, however, so it's exactly the right time for the TicPods Free from Mobvoi to enter the fray.