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Hands On With Mobvoi's Huge But More Refined TicWatch E2, S2

Mobvoi's new Android Wear smartwatches, the TicWatch E2 and S2, are significant improvements over their predecessors, with refined designs, new processors, and more.

January 9, 2019
Mobvoi TicWatch E2

LAS VEGAS—Mobvoi is back at CES with two new and improved Android Wear smartwatches—the TicWatch E2 and TicWatch S2. Both are significant improvements over their predecessors, with refined designs, new processors, and more.

CES 2019 Bug Art While cost and availability have yet to be announced, Mobvoi is known for affordable smartwatches that still pack tons of features. We had some hands-on time with the new timepieces and were impressed with the aesthetic revamp on both. Here's a closer look.

TicWatch Express 2 (E2)

It looks like Mobvoi has done away with its somewhat quirky, vibrant design in exchange for a sleeker, understated look. The original TicWatch E came in a variety of colorways—Lemon (lime green), Shadow (black), and Ice (white). Those yellow and white color variants had a clear polycarbonate layer wrapped around the case, which made it look and feel far less than its price tag.

The TicWatch E2, on the other hand, has a more attractive design and ditches the clear casing. The changes are subtle, but those familiar with the TicWatch E will notice the E2 has a shinier bezel with grooves along the outer rim. Mobvoi used the same polycarbonate material for the case, but this time the case size is bigger. The E2 sports a 47mm case while the E had a 44mm case, so those with smaller wrists (like me) might find that it's too large to wear.

Mobvoi TicWatch E2

It also looks like Mobvoi has done away with the different colorways; the E2 only comes in black. But the 22mm silicone watch straps are interchangeable for some customizability.

The new E2 is 55 grams lighter than its predecessor, which is already extremely lightweight. Even though the E2 took up a lot of real estate on my wrist, it felt like I wasn't even wearing a smartwatch. It's also a little bit thinner, coming in at 12.9mm versus the original 13.5mm.

The E2 features a 1.39-inch AMOLED display in comparison to the 1.4-inch OLED display on the TicWatch E. With 400-by-400 screen resolution, content looked bright on the screen when I scrolled through the different menu options. Both the TicWatch E2 and S2 have a new ambient mode as well, which adjusts brightness automatically without having to manually go into your settings.

Mobvoi TicWatch E2

Another design change I was excited to see is that the crown has been moved from the left side to the right. The crown is your navigation tool—you'll use it to trigger the menu, enable the Google Assistant, and go back home to the watch face. When it was on the left side, it felt awkward and uncomfortable, especially since I'm used to pressing the button on the right side on other smartwatches.

Mobvoi has opted for the Qualcomm 2100 chipset instead of the MediaTek processor that's featured in the TicWatch E. Of course, that means it runs Google's newly redesigned Wear OS. Unfortunately, those who use Google Pay are out of luck since the smartwatch doesn't include an NFC chip.

There is a larger battery—the E2 now includes a 415mAh battery compared to the E's 300mAh. While the company claims it can last up to two days on a single charge, that's highly dependent on how you use it.

As far as fitness features go, there's built-in GPS and a heart-rate monitor. With Wear OS, users can choose whether they'd like to use the Google Fit app or the TicHealth app as their default way to track activity metrics. The E2 has a 5 ATM rating, which allows you to take advantage of the new pre-loaded swim-monitoring mode. That also means you don't have to worry about damaging it in the shower.

TicWatch Sport 2 (S2)

Mobvoi TicWatch S2

For starters, the TicWatch S2 offers a very much needed design change. Mobvoi's "S" lineup stands for sport, so it's clearly intended for the athletic crowd. But its predecessor, the TicWatch S, looks cheap and a little silly on the wrist, with a bulky bezel and loud colors.

The new TicWatch S2 still has a thick bezel, but it blends more fluidly into the case and takes on the look of a more rugged smartwatch. There's also a 1.39-inch AMOLED display, which is slightly larger than the 1.3-inch display on the TicWatch S. The black colorway comes with a black silicone 22mm watch strap that's now interchangeable. On the TicWatch S, GPS was built into the strap so there was no removing it.

Mobvoi TicWatch S2

Mobvoi uses the same polycarbonate material for the case as it did on the first-generation TicWatch S, but this time it's a little bigger—the S2 is about 47mm while the S features a 44mm case, like the TicWatch E. Again, it looked massive on my wrist but the fact that it's lightweight definitely helped with comfort.

Mobvoi also pulled the same move on the TicWatch S2 as it did on the E2, by moving the crown to the right side of the watch from the left. It no longer juts out from the side of the smartwatch as it did on the S; the crown is instead flatter and rectangular.

Mobvoi TicWatch S1 vs S2

(Mobvoi TicWatch S vs. S2)

Under the hood, the TicWatch S2 shares the same specs as the TicWatch E. There's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 processor (instead of a MediaTek MT2601,1.2GHz dual-core processor found in the TicWatch S), Wear OS, and a 415mAh battery for up to two days of battery life—depending on usage, of course. It too has a 5 ATM waterproof rating.

As mentioned before, there's built-in GPS along with a heart-rate monitor. Like the TicWatch E2, it doesn't come with NFC.

Keep an eye out for these 7 trends at CES 2019
PCMag Logo Keep an eye out for these 7 trends at CES 2019

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About Brenda Stolyar

Analyst, Consumer Electronics

Brenda Stolyar is a member of PCMag's consumer electronics team, covering smart home and wearable technology. She previously covered apps, phones, and wearables at Digital Trends. She owes her interest in technology to her grandpa, who gifted her a Dell computer when she was in second grade. While she loves all things tech, Brenda also has a passion for film and music...as well as an obsession with celebrity gossip. When she’s not reviewing and writing about the latest gadgets, you can find her binge-watching reality TV on Bravo with her pet Chihuahua, Phoebe, by her side.

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