Just look at the time

TicWatch’s first entry in SA is a solid one but does it have what it takes to compete with the big names?

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The TicWatch is a smartwatch made by Chinese brand Mobvoi that has taken its time to arrive in SA. Now that it’s here, is this plastic and stainless steel wristwear up to the task of making certain that you’re never away from an Android notification ever again?

That… depends. In terms of hardware, it’s quite a neat little device. There’s a Snapdragon Wear 4100 CPU inside, which makes it a speedy experience to work on, and the 1.4in dual display is also worth checking out. See, there’s a main AMOLED display, which features bright, crisp icons and messages, but there’s also a low power FCSTN LCD screen that activates when the main display is off or when you’ve switched to Essential mode.

The TicWatch Pro 3 is a decent choice if you’re after GPS tracking for your workouts and are hoping to bring a little audio along but don’t want to take a smartphone with. There’s ample storage for a few offline playlists, so you can jog and listen without issues.

Outside of that scenario, though, sleep and heart rate tracking could be more accurate, as could the attached app. Most of the setup takes place through Google’s Wear OS app, but then you’re using Mobvoi’s own limited app for tracking and insights.

And then there’s the battery – you’ll get up to three days’ usage between charges, which isn’t shabby but isn’t great either.

Tech specs

Screen 1.4in AMOLED + FSTN