Just like smartphones, smartwatches are becoming ubiquitous devices among consumers. Given the constantly improving intuitive interface, their popularity is no longer limited to tech-savvy users only. However, one drawback leading manufacturers like Apple, Google and Samsung still fail to address is battery life. Thankfully, Mobvoi’s new TicWatch Pro 5 is a step ahead of its rivals when it comes to staying power.
Our previous reviews of the TicWatch Pro 3 GPS and TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS highlighted the outstanding length a single charge brings to the table. Their latest addition to the catalog is no different as provides assurance that your wearable will outlast whatever the competition throws its way. We’ll get into further detail about it later and more.
Purchasing And Unboxing Your TicWatch Pro 5
The unit we got was a sample sent over by Mobvoi for us to test out, but you can always order it directly from the official website. Another popular outlet that also carries the TicWatch Pro 5 is Amazon. Take note that pricing on both platforms is pegged at approximately $350. It’s all a matter of personal preference on where you want to shop, but delivery time can very between a few days or more than a week depending on logistics.
After our hands-on experience with the older-generation models, we were surprised that the packaging received a major overhaul. It seems Mobvoi has taken some marketing cues from the competition as it drops the stealthy black cube for a white rectangular box akin to that used by Samsung and Apple for their respective wearables.
To hype us up, the outer sleeve shows a printed image of the TicWatch Pro 5 and the Mobvoi branding right at the top-left corner. Meanwhile, on the opposite side are the features and other regulatory information. Slide that off and what greets you is a white box and word “TicWatch” with a dazzling foil-like effect. Remove the lid to see the smartwatch in all its glory nestled within.
Underneath the layer holding the TicWatch Pro 5 are two more boxes. The first contains the proprietary magnetic pogo pin charging cable, while the second houses the quick start guide and a product safety booklet. Unfortunately, Mobvoi does not include an extra strap to accommodate varying wrist sizes. Nevertheless, it should fit most people while the convenient quick-release mechanism lets you swap it out with a third-party strap in a jiffy.
Design, Dimensions, And Other Details
Straight out of the box, Mobvoi’s latest smartwatch looks sleek, stealthy, and stylish, which we’ve come to expect. There are subtle cosmetic changes made but it should look and feel familiar to users of both the TicWatch Pro 3 and TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra. Initially only available in Obsidian (blackout), the company added a Sandstone version.
We like how the new variant retains an understated vibe courtesy of the tonal beige shade. This makes the TicWatch Pro 5 a major departure from its catalog’s signature stealthy presentation. Speaking of the chromatic upgrade, it also carries over the adjustable LCD backlight colors from its predecessor. More on that later.
You cannot tell immediately at first glance, but the dimensions of the TicWatch Pro 5 have grown slightly. According to Mobvoi’s press materials, it measures 50.1” x 48” x 12.2” and is just a tad heavier at 44.3 grams. It boasts a 7000-series aluminum and high-strength nylon with fiberglass construction to give it impressive durability without tacking on too much weight. We like a bit of heft to our wearables and there’s just enough here to remind us that it’s on our wrist.
Mobvoi does away with the indices and rifled engraving of the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra’s fixed bezel. In their place, the TicWatch Pro 5 sports a knurled texture which gives it a rugged appearance. This frames a round 1.43” 466 x 466 AMOLED display layered with an ultra-low-power LCD panel on top. Finally, a Corning Gorilla cover glass forms a protective transparent barrier.
TicWatch Pro 5 Features
Running the show here is a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 paired with 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. It’s the first smartwatch released to pack this hardware and boy does it feel snappy. Compared to its siblings which were outfitted with the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 platform, it’s more responsive. It boots up faster, apps launch quicker, and everything seems smoother than before.
The TicWatch Pro 5 comes with Wear OS 3 out of the box and should be due for a Wear OS 4 update in the future. Although there’s nothing wrong with the standard capacitive touch controls, Mobvoi integrates a cool rotating crown. It doubles as a home button and can be used to scroll through menus or apps, adjust volume, and zoom in/out on maps.
Just above the rotating crown is another button to bring up the recent apps screen. Aside from the usual smartwatch functionality, it touts a robust suite of fitness and health monitoring capabilities. Track your heart rate, workouts, altitude, location, blood oxygen, stress, sleep, and a whole lot more. View all metrics for a comprehensive insight into your overall health and fitness level.
So far, we found it accurate enough for a wide range of activities and should be a must-have for folks who maintain an active lifestyle. It’s ready for any type of workout or recreation. Where the TicWatch Pro 5 truly shines is battery life. Mobvoi equips this wearable with a 628 mAh unit which is purportedly enough for up to 80 hours on a single charge.
In our trials, we were able to squeeze out around three days or a bit more before it needs to juice up. Fast charge technology is finally on board, and it makes a huge difference this time. Even on empty, it can zip from zero to 65% in half an hour. Sadly, Qi wireless charging technology is still not an option here – as it employs magnetic pogo pin connectors instead – which keeps the case water-resistant up to 5 ATM. As such, we hope future models, or maybe an “Ultra” revamp, would eventually support it.”
Switch on Essential mode and days surge to weeks of usage with timekeeping, step counting, NFC, heart rate monitoring, and sleep tracking still accessible. Earlier we pointed out the color-changing LCD backlight. This time, not only can you select the hue for aesthetic purposes, but it dynamically changes during exercise to provide users with a visual cue as to where their heart rate range currently is at the moment
Our Takeaway
To sum it up, we had a wonderful experience with the TicWatch Pro 5. You have an impressively durable construction that can endure almost anything you throw its way. The new chipset from Qualcomm gives the wearable a much-needed boost in speed. Google’s Wear OS 3 is not without its hitches, but it’s now at a point wherein consistent software tweaks and updates would improve performance and address some minor issues. Perhaps the only gripe we have is with Mobvoi’s first-party apps. They’re a bit clunky in some cases, but not exactly a dealbreaker. Ultimately, the inclusion of Qi wireless charging gives you more than one way to top-up the TicWatch Pro 5 and would have made it the perfect wearable.
Order Yours Now: HereImages courtesy of Mobvoi
