Two minute exam
The Mobvoi TicWatch GTH may look a bit like an Apple Watch at first glance, but the similarity ends there. It's a cheap device and you get what you pay for. Some of their tools work quite well. Your sleep monitoring is fine, it tracks periods of light and deep sleep so you can monitor patterns throughout the night. Unfortunately, its fitness tracking leaves a lot to be desired. There's no GPS onboard, which means you have to take your phone with you when you run, bike, and walk so the TicWatch can piggyback on your GPS receiver. When this is the case, the results can be quite inaccurate, reducing our pre-measured 5km route by half a mile. While it may not matter much if you're new to running or rolling, if you're training for a middle-distance event, that margin of error is a real problem.
TicWatch GTH (Image credit: Future) Heart rate monitoring was also found to be spotty. It took a while for the TicWatch GTH to respond to changes during a spin session, and while its readings were mostly consistent, we did see some alarming spikes during a post-workout cooldown. The calorie burn estimate was also strangely low. While it's easy to overestimate a lot of the energy you use during a workout, 75 calories for a half-hour interval session is a lot less than we expected.
Price and release date
The TicWatch GTH was launched worldwide in April 2021 and is available for € 79.99 / € 79.99 (around € 60 / AU € 100). That's a bit more than the Amazfit Bip of the same spec, but less than the TicWatch G2, which is one of the cheapest smartwatches to run Google WearOS.
Integrated
The TicWatch GTH has a sleek, minimalist design, with a rectangular case measuring 43,2 x 35,2 x 10,5mm. It's very similar to the larger version of the Apple Watch 6, measuring 44 x 38 x 10,5mm. However, the TicWatch GTH has a considerably larger bezel; While the 44mm Apple Watch has a 1,78-inch AMOLED screen, the LCD on the TicWatch GTH is just 1,55 inches.
TicWatch GTH vs Apple Watch 6 (Image credit: Future) On the reverse you'll find the standard optical heart rate monitor, as well as a sensor for measuring skin temperature. It is operated via the touch screen as well as a single physical button on the right edge that can be pressed or held down to perform various functions. The TicWatch GTH has a 20mm-wide silicone strap that feels a bit stiffer than the Apple Watch, and it's secured with a conventional stainless steel buckle instead of a post-style clasp. The case and strap are only available in black and only one strap size is included in the package.
TicWatch GTH charger (Image credit: Future) The watch is charged using a USB cable with two small contacts that connect to the back of the watch using a magnet. It needs to be carefully aligned to work properly, and in our tests it detached from the watch quite easily.
Smart watch functions
In terms of smartwatch features, the TicWatch GTH is pretty basic. There are third-party apps pre-installed or available through an online store, so you won't be streaming your Spotify playlist through it, but you can use it to control your phone's media player, which is useful during workouts. . The ability to receive smartphone notifications on your wrist is always useful, but you'll only be able to see a few words of each notification, and tapping on them won't open the corresponding app on your phone. It's a small complaint, but it's also a bit frustrating that Mobvoi has used an un-aliased font for notifications, giving it a raw look and drawing attention to the relatively low screen resolution.
(Image credit: Future) We highly recommend opening your watch's settings menu and turning on 'do not disturb' if you're using it to monitor your sleep; otherwise, a string of vibrations will wake you up when WhatsApp is backing up your messages (with a new alert for every 1MB of data transferred). This isn't a problem unique to this watch, we've heard about it before, but it's not something I'd expect from a device designed to be worn at night. When you are drifting, the sleep tracker works well and measures the time of wakefulness, light sleep and deep sleep. The Mobvoi app also shows REM sleep, but TicWatch GTH doesn't track it, so it will stay at zero. In the morning, you'll get a note to sleep, along with an appropriate emoji, though you won't get the detailed advice Fitbit offers to help you improve bad sleep habits. The TicWatch GTH also monitors skin temperature and blood oxygen saturation, but we can't help but think I'm some kind of 'me too' after the success of these features on other fitness trackers and smartwatches. .
(Image credit: Future) While changes in skin temperature can be an indicator of infection (although this isn't enough to make a diagnosis and isn't as useful as a real thermometer), the TicWatch GTH gives you very little information about what their own reading actually means. When you measure yourself, you'll receive the temperature and, if it's within normal limits, a notification that "your skin temperature is holding." No other explanation is given here, nor in the Mobvoi app. Things get a little better with blood oxygen saturation (called TicOxygen in the watch interface). Here, you are given a brief explanation of what it means and the normal levels, although no additional details are provided in the app to help you interpret it.
Fitness tracking
TicWatch GTH offers a wide range of sports tracking modes, including indoor and outdoor running, swimming, jumping rope, and yoga, as well as more unusual options like basketball, gymnastics, and soccer, but the latter options simply measure the time, heart rate and Calories.
(Image credit: Future) The TicWatch GTH doesn't have GPS on board, which is to be expected at this price. Instead, it overlays your phone's GPS receiver. Unfortunately, the results weren't very impressive; Our fitness tracking tests include a pre-measured 5K run, for which the TicWatch covered approximately 1Km. This might not be a problem for someone starting an occasional workout, but if you're training for an event, it's a real problem. Runners and cyclists will also be disappointed to learn that afterward you won't be able to see a map of your workout in the Mobvoi app; the connected GPS is only used to measure the distance.
(Image credit: Mobvoi) It's a shame, but the biggest problem with fitness tracking on this watch was the heart rate monitor. We tested the TicWatch GTS in various HIIT spinning sessions to see how it adapted to changes in heart rate. For the most part, its results roughly matched those of a Garmin Venu 2 we wore on the other wrist, though the TicWatch took a few seconds longer to register changes in heart rate. In our last workout, the heart rate measured by the TicWatch continued to rise during our cool-down, peaking at over 180 bpm as we gently turned the pedals of our spin bike. We are reasonably sure that we have not entered tachycardia; the results were simply wrong. Despite this, the watch still gave a surprisingly low number of calories burned. No watch will be able to give a really precise amount of power consumption (there are too many factors involved) but less than 70 calories for a half hour session is much less than we expected. We expected, and it's less than half the figure. for our Garmin device.
Companion app
TicWatch GTH partners with the Mobvoi app, available for Android and iOS. Pairing the device is easy and data syncs quickly between the two. It's easy to access your biometric data, with the current day's reading displayed on the app's home screen and calendar icons that let you browse past days' stats. Unfortunately, like the TicWatch GTH itself, the app has limited context around each stat. Some, like heart rate, provide a button you can press for information, but there is an explanation for blood oxygen saturation.
(Image credit: Mobvoi) You can view SpO2 readings taken throughout the day, with average, minimum, and maximum values, but the app doesn't provide any advice on what that actually means and what a normal value looks like. It's disappointing for an entry-level device. One of the best features of the app is the Watchface Center, where you can use custom colors and images to create your own face. You can't change the layout of the widgets on the screen, but it's a nice touch that allows you to personalize your device. Unfortunately, these aesthetic touches cannot overcome the fundamental shortcomings of this watch. If you're looking for an affordable fitness tracker, the Fitbit Inspire 2 is a better option, and if you need a budget smartwatch, the Amazfit Bip is worth a look.
Buy it if
You like the Mobvoi ecosystem
If you've ever owned Mobvoi devices and developed a strong preference for the app and interface, then TicWatch GTH might be the right solution for you. You want a customizable watch face
One of the strengths of TicWatch GTH is the ability to use your own photos and colors to personalize the face. That doesn't mean much for a smartwatch, but if customization is important to you, it's worth considering.
Even if you don't buy it
Are you a runner or a cyclist
Poor GPS and heart rate monitoring means this watch isn't ideal for anyone interested in distance or heart rate. I wouldn't expect much at this price, but it's still disappointing. Do you want health information?
Fitbit's health reporting has come on leaps and bounds, and even if you don't upgrade to Fitbit Premium, you'll get a lot more health insights with a cheap Fitbit Inspire 2 than the TicWatch GTH, for just a little more dinner. .