Mobvoi’s Pro line of TicWatch wearables is designed to push the envelope in the smartwatch space, particularly within the Wear OS camp; with last year’s TicWatch 3 Pro being one of the only entries out there powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon Wear 4100 chipset. The Pro S moves in a different direction, however. Despite following on from the 3 Pro chronologically, and despite its name, Mobvoi has positioned the Pro S as a direct successor to the TicWatch Pro 2020. The 2020 model itself improved on the original TicWatch Pro in one key area – memory – seeing an increase in RAM from 512MB to 1GB, which resulted in a smoother, more responsive user experience. The Pro S pushes tentatively one step further, by doubling the ROM from 4GB (as is found on every other TicWatch smartwatch the company currently sells) to 8GB. This grants the user nearly twice the internal space, allowing for more locally-stored apps, as well as music files for offline playback. Beyond this shift, the spec sheet for the Pro S looks practically identical to the Pro 2020, with the same 1GB RAM, IP68 water/dust resistance, NFC with Google Pay support and a 1.39in circular AMOLED display, layered against a secondary FSTN display – the signature trait of the Pro line. It’s a shame that Mobvoi chose not to directly follow on from its most powerful watch – the TicWatch Pro 3 – and grant the Pro S a higher resolution display and the latest Snapdragon Wear 4100 chipset (the Pro S uses the far older Wear 2100) but despite upping its storage compared to the 2020 model, at least the Pro S doesn’t cost any more. Software-wise Mobvoi has also dressed Wear OS with a few unique extras of its own: TicExercise 3.0 includes support for 13 workout modes, a running lap counter, an upgraded heart rate range indicator and Vo2 Max tracking (during outdoor runs). TicSleep 2.0 is the watch’s native sleep tracking system and even works when the watch is in ‘Essential Mode’ – where the AMOLED display and the majority of the watch’s ‘smart’ features are disabled. TicBreathe – which arrived alongside the TicWatch Pro 3 last year – monitors heart rate and stress changes through guided breathing exercises, while TicHearing is in play to alert the wearer to loud environments that might be damaging to their hearing.
