Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 GPS review

06 December 2020
Mobvoi's successor to the TicWatch Pro comes with a beefier chipset and larger battery.

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This is my second smartwatch after the LG Urbane, which was decent but needed charging frequently and charging was poor so I thought it would be a good idea to go for this as it claimed very long battery life with the dual display. It was also one of the few watches at the time that promised Wear OS 3.

My first thoughts with the fully charged Pro 3 on Wear OS 2 were good, I like the size of display, the faces and the apps and connectivity to my Pixel phone and the battery life was good. The Mobvoi health apps seem good, with constant pulse and movement monitoring and easy access to oxygen and stress (Zen) although charging has been a bit of a nightmare.

The watch would get to the stage where it needed charging, so I attached it and it would sometimes charge - very slowly. The charger lead that comes with it isn't good, and the replacement leads are sometimes even worse. The magnetic system isn't really fit for purpose. Leave it to run out of standard charge and you are in big trouble, only a combination of resetting it and clicking it to the charger at least 4 times would get it to charge, and then it would take all night to charge up. Because of this I switched all the useful features off and used it pretty much on second display only as a watch. I have seen many reviews with the same issues, and so had been contemplating getting a different brand.

I then very recently decided to give it one last chance. I saw that we finally got Wear OS 3.5 on the watch and I bought a charging stand so I could dock and charge it overnight. The stand charged it up much faster, around 1.5-2 hours and so all features are now back on! I have installed Wear OS 3.5 which was a bit fiddly, apparently Google has insisted the move away from the Wear app to Mobvoi Health which is strange, but the OS seems decent, and battery is better. I charged it yesterday afternoon and this morning I'm at 81% which I'm happy with.

I would say if anyone is having issues, stick with it and see what the new update brings. Sort a decent charger, mine was £15 well spent. It's like having a new watch again.

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    • asgerpn
    • mVB
    • 12 Dec 2021

    The TicWatch Pro 3 GPS and WearOS could be desribed with one word: "Unreliable".
    The Watchface sometimes illuminates by itself - or not. You never know. And it turns off after the selected 5 seconds - or not. You never know.
    It varies if the Watchface turns on or if the illumination for the basic screen turns on. The wrist tilt sensor seems to have no effect to this. The two settings Tilt to wake and Push to wake should be deactivated.
    When the Watchface turns on by itself then it is open to input and apps can accidently be activated in one way or another.
    By selecting an app or a menu, then other apps pops up over the selected one by itself. By deselecting these apps, then the app wich was intended to be utilized, also goes away - or not. You never know.
    By pressing the lower right button, a dedicated app should open up - maybe. You never know.
    By pressing upper upper right button - then You never know what opens up. Most of the times its the function selected for the lower right button.
    By pressing and swiping it away, pressing and swiping away, then You might get to the app that You want - or not.
    It may seem like the apps get into some kind of queue, awaiting an input and then pops up.
    Sometimes they just appear by themselves.
    By swiping down to access the settings then other apps opens up on top of the settings.
    The Watchface can be programmed and areas of the watcface can be dedicated to open certain apps by touching the area. But other apps besides the selected/programmed app also opens up - or not. You never know.
    The Settings opens up now and then by pressing the buttons or the watchface.
    By installing Gpay then the NFC actually works - most of the times. I have carried out payments successfully with the Google Pay.
    But by installing the Gpay, then the app kind of "takes control" over the watch. Its needed to have a Pin or Lock code. Sometimes the code needs to be activated, sometimes not. This may depend on whether the watch has been off the wrist. But the Gpay app now puts itself in some kind of priority over anything else. At some point it was impossible to open up the list of apps in order to start a given app. The Gpay would open up nomatter what and it could not be selected away. The watch was now useless.
    Trying to revert to factory setting is not easy. The command is under settings, but Gpay would not disappear. Cleaned up Gpay from my Google accounts, wiping the phone from Mobwoi and WearOS apps, trying to factory clean everything from the watch two-three times. Gpay still refuses to disappear from my watch, it shows up asking to configure when pressing the buttons.
    When rebooting then a list of selections is displayed. It's unclear to me what the menus are for. The menu items opens up one by one and with a little luck and timing, the Start can be selected.
    I just wanted my list of apps to open when pressing upper right button. WearOS seems to disagree.
    I just wanted my Contacts to open when pressing lower right button. WearOS seems to disagree.
    The Ticapps can be deactivated in the settings, this seems to calm down the erraticness a bit. The Google apps can be utilized instead.
    The TicWatch seemed very promising to me, I liked the hardware style, the functions, the dual display, speaker & mic, battery life, but sadly this watch is a disappointment to me because the WearOS/Ticwatch software is simply too unreliable, unpredictable and buggy.

      vvv, 16 Jun 2021dissapointed with poor battery life and poor online support... moreSamsung's new smartwatch - Galaxy Watch 4 battery doesn't last a day...

        Anonymous, 17 Jun 2021It's not good watch?It's a splendid smartwatch!

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • 6PH
          • 17 Jun 2021

          vvv, 16 Jun 2021dissapointed with poor battery life and poor online support... moreIt's not good watch?

            • v
            • vvv
            • a44
            • 16 Jun 2021

            dissapointed with poor battery life and poor online supporting.
            Unbranded overpriced toy imho.
            My best choice before was samsung galaxy watch with 4 days for normal use.
            Ticwatch 3 days max, samsung w3 - 2 days, where we go with those battery life?
            Any cheap chinese unbranded have one week min.

              • e
              • exlixx
              • 7wm
              • 11 Jun 2021

              Unhappy customer, 24 Jan 2021I was happy with the watch for the first 2 months when all... moreSame here. All of a sudden all the sensors at the back stopped working, and, the battery icon at the FSTN screen kept blinking. Apparently the watch believed that it's low battery therefore shutting down all the sensors, despite the full/high battery charge. Have tried all the following but still not working:
              (1) Factory reset
              (2) Boot into shipping mode
              (3) Speaker draining water
              (4) Boot into Recovery then shipping mode then restart
              (5) Completely drain the battery then recharge to full

              Conclusion: it is dead.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • n7u
                • 11 May 2021

                Nick.B, 07 Dec 2020no esim, no interestThe LTE version has eSIM.

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • n7u
                  • 11 May 2021

                  Unhappy customer, 24 Jan 2021I was happy with the watch for the first 2 months when all... moreAre you sure? Because this is IP68 rated, including swimming.

                    • S
                    • Salman
                    • uWC
                    • 09 May 2021

                    VVV, 01 Mar 2021in shortly: dissapointed at all with this purchase! Even so... moreDoes it work good for ipnone

                      • L
                      • Laziz
                      • pX6
                      • 16 Mar 2021

                      James, 07 Dec 2020Can any one confirm that it's has NO compass in it? I can confirm it has no compass. Don't sailvigating with this watch.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • n1w
                        • 02 Mar 2021

                        VVV, 01 Mar 2021in shortly: dissapointed at all with this purchase! Even so... moreIf you go into settings you can, mine makes a sound for Mail, sms, what’s app etc. I think it’s under notifications. I googled how to do it.

                          • V
                          • VVV
                          • a44
                          • 01 Mar 2021

                          in shortly: dissapointed at all with this purchase! Even sound notification is not available on those watches!!! This mean, that with poor vibration you miss all notifications you will receive during wearing. 3 days max battery. In the future I think I will stay with a cheapest watches from aliexpress.....

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                            • WOLFMAN
                            • 3H3
                            • 20 Feb 2021

                            i have got a ticwatch and its the best watch ⌚ i have bought

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                              • Unhappy customer
                              • m5U
                              • 24 Jan 2021

                              I was happy with the watch for the first 2 months when all back sensors (pulse blood Ox etc) stopped working.
                              Contact Mobvoi to activate the warranty and got the response that warranty is voided if you SHOWER with the watch!!!
                              According to support you can't even WASH YOUR HANDS with the watch!!!!!
                              Shame a good watch is ruined by the customer service

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                                • sam
                                • 0@q
                                • 15 Dec 2020

                                one of the best watches, has the LTE version come out yet?

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                                  • Tom
                                  • 63D
                                  • 12 Dec 2020

                                  I don't like it, no, the best google os is still basic and stupid

                                    • S
                                    • Spike
                                    • xfi
                                    • 10 Dec 2020

                                    To me this is the best choice. The way new Sami watches look is a shame.

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                                      • Sky
                                      • sR1
                                      • 08 Dec 2020

                                      After Google took over Fitbit, Fossil, any new product to be announced soon?

                                        no esim, no interest