TicWatch Professional 5 Evaluate: A Massive WearOS Watch with Battery Life Tips

Mobvoi’s $350 TicWatch Professional 5 made a giant impression on me. For the same worth as smaller WearOS watches just like the $350 Google Pixel Watch 2 or the $330 Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, the 50mm TicWatch Professional 5’s 1.43-inch AMOLED show gives a bigger canvas for its watch faces.

Whereas I would not take into account the TicWatch to be delicate, it permits more room for apps and WearOS 3 notifications. Mobvoi features a few watch-face choices that allow you to cram in a lot of issues if that is your jam. Whereas I favor extra minimalistic watch faces, the massive show was nonetheless useful, with even sufficient room for an on-screen keyboard for textual content replies.

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Though the TicWatch Professional 5 was launched final spring, it is nonetheless one of many few WearOS watches to incorporate Qualcomm’s newer Snapdragon W5 Plus chip. I discovered the chip helped favorably with the watch’s battery life and charging speeds. 

Throughout my month of testing, the battery simply lasted two days on a cost. With less-intensive use and Mobvoi’s ultra-low energy show mode enabled, which I am going to element extra later, the TicWatch Professional 5 impressively lasted 4 days between prices. Evaluate that to latest WearOS watches that final roughly two days on a cost. Charging can also be quick, with the TicWatch’s magnetic charger bringing it from 0% to 49% in half-hour.

On the entire, the TicWatch Professional 5 is a good alternative for its huge design and beneficiant battery life. However Mobvoi’s hasn’t up to date the TicWatch Professional 5 to WearOS 4, nor has it dedicated to a roadmap for future OS and safety assist. It is regarding as a result of Mobvoi promised a WearOS 3 replace for its TicWatch 3 lineup again in 2021 that took till December 2023 to roll out.

Should you just like the TicWatch Professional 5’s bigger look, WearOS 3 and skill to final for days on a single cost, then this can be a nice watch to think about. However for those who’re the sort of individual that will get FOMO seeing new options land for Google’s Pixel Watch or Samsung’s Galaxy Watch, then Mobvoi’s lack of assured software program enhancements is an efficient sufficient cause to skip the watch.

TicWatch Professional 5 design, all the time on show

The TicWatch Professional 5 is available in two colours: Obsidian (the unit I reviewed) and a lighter Sandstone choice. The watch has a crown for scrolling via menus and accessing apps with a button that brings up a recent-app listing or Google Pockets for contactless funds. Its 44.3-gram weight is noticeable however lighter than the comparably sized 59-gram Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Traditional.

Round again are well being sensors for coronary heart charge, blood oxygen and pores and skin temperature. The TicWatch Professional 5 doesn’t embrace an ECG function just like the Pixel Watch and Galaxy Watch. The watch’s charging cable magnetically attaches to the again left aspect which provides it a slight hump.

The TicWatch Professional 5 follows different smartwatches with an always-on display choice to cut back battery drain. By default, its “ultra-low-power show” is ready as its always-on show, which is a secondary display that has been supplied on prior TicWatch fashions. This display solely seems whereas the AMOLED is off, and it has an old-school monochrome look with a backlight that you would be able to color-customize. It reveals primary info together with the time and your coronary heart charge. Whenever you wish to return to WearOS, faucet the display to modify on the AMOLED show, or just rotate your wrist when receiving a notification.

The low-power show gives a tangible increase in battery life. However I most popular to maintain it off and nonetheless had the watch make it via a day of use together with monitoring a exercise and utilizing Google Pockets for the subway. 

Nonetheless, on a latest California trip, the low-power mode was useful and meant I did not have to cost it day-after-day. Throughout my week-long journey, I solely charged the watch twice, even after utilizing it to trace exercises and a hike.

TicWatch Professional 5 software program

The TicWatch Professional 5 runs on WearOS 3, however syncs with the Mobvoi Well being app on Android telephones as an alternative of Google’s WearOS app. The Mobvoi Well being app is basically succesful. It consists of the outcomes of any tracked exercises, sleep or well being measurements. I particularly appreciated that after a exercise it estimated how a lot restoration time I wanted. The Mobvoi Well being app syncs information with Google Match, and from there you may sync that information to different providers, like MyFitnessPal. It additionally permits for sending new watch faces to the TicWatch utilizing the TimeShow service, which requires establishing a second app in your cellphone.

The TicWatch’s onboard suite of well being functions, nevertheless, is complicated. TicExercise is the first health monitoring app, however it often kicked in proactively to trace my walks or runs. The app is crammed with choices, whether or not you wish to observe particular workouts in a exercise like reverse crunches or sit-ups, or set a common “freestyle” choice for a combined exercise. Most choices observe your well being stats together with a timer. When utilized in tandem with the low-power show, the TicWatch’s backlight adjustments colours to replicate your coronary heart charge. I discovered this function particularly useful in train lessons the place I used to be monitoring my heart-rate ranges to verify I am exerting sufficient effort with out operating out of power. 

Different TicWatch apps really feel duplicative or are junk software program, nevertheless. As an example, Mobvoi Treadmill is supposed for pairing with the corporate’s residence treadmill. It was largely ineffective for me. TicPulse, TicOxygen, TicHealth and One-tap measurement are all apps that show your well being information in numerous methods whereas measuring your coronary heart charge or blood oxygen ranges. I discovered all of it too overwhelming. I might a lot moderately have a streamlined strategy that mixes all the things right into a single app.

Should you don’t love Mobvoi’s suite of monitoring apps, there’s the Google’s Play Retailer for putting in alternates like Google Match. Nonetheless, regardless that the TicWatch Professional 5 is operating WearOS 3, it lacks entry to the Google Assistant. And Mobvoi hasn’t made it public when such assist will arrive on the watch. Different non-Google WearOS smartwatch makers have had points getting Google Assistant to work on their gadgets. As an example, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 and Fossil’s Gen 6 watches every added the Assistant months after launch. Prior TicWatch fashions have even misplaced Google Assistant entry when Google discontinued Assistant assist on WearOS 2 in August.

Since WearOS relies on Android, you’ll find assist within the TicWatch’s Reddit group which gives some assist towards putting in these lacking providers, however doing so will rely in your consolation stage with side-loading software program as an alternative of utilizing Google’s official Play Retailer. For me (and most watch patrons, I think about) I am not interested by that a lot mucking round, however a profit to Android is that the choice is offered.
Amazon’s Alexa app could be put in as an alternative of Google Assistant, and it may well fulfill most of the similar features, however it’s a notable concern alongside Mobvoi’s incapability to decide to a software program and safety replace timeline. 

The TicWatch Professional 5 can also be solely appropriate with Android telephones, which is not stunning, however is disappointing when put next with Fossil’s Gen 6 smartwatch. And regardless that Garmin and Fitbit additionally make wearables which can be appropriate with iOS and Android, the smartwatch market remains to be usually led by firms which can be iOS-only or Android-only.

TicWatch Professional 5 backside line

The TicWatch Professional 5 gives loads of worth for $350, however requires a radical understanding of its compromises. You do get a giant show that is cheaper than what Samsung gives. You additionally get one of many latest watch processors available on the market, which is able to offering nice battery life that may be additional prolonged by TicWatch’s ultra-low-power show. And the TicWatch Professional 5’s WearOS 3 software program permits for downloading apps, watch faces, and it syncs along with your cellphone for notifications alongside media controls.

However competing smartwatches include ensures for brand new options and working system updates. Google’s $350 Pixel Watch 2 will get comparable Function Drops and early entry to the following model of WearOS, similar to the Pixel cellphone line. Samsung additionally makes some extent to announce new options for its current watches. As an example, the $450 Galaxy Watch 5 Professional obtained new mountain climbing options final summer time. Mobvoi makes no such guarantees, and has a observe report of getting problem updating its prior smartwatches to newer software program.

These software program points do not imply the TicWatch Professional 5 needs to be prevented. In order for you a larger-screened Android smartwatch that appears nice with options that may provide help to hold charging to a minimal, it greater than matches the invoice. However if you would like a smartwatch that may develop and achieve new options over time, it’s best to take into account different choices.