▷TicWatch S2 review: the resistance of a sportwatch and the comfort of Wear OS 🥇

TicWatch S2 it is not a smartwatch for everyone. The new Mobvoi smart watch is openly dedicated to all those who prefer a very active lifestyle: the S here stands for Sport and it already tells you everything you need to know about this product, or almost.

Resistance first of all

TicWatch S2 shows up with a 46 mm polycarbonate case and a 22 mm silicone strap, easily replaceable if you prefer another material or, simply, another color. Only one button is available to you, a button that allows you to access the application menu and return to the main screen. You can manage all the other functions using the 1,39-inch touchscreen display, un AMOLED with 400 × 400 pixel resolution that naturally supports swipes and swipes.

The lower part of this wearable instead houses the sensor dedicated to heart rate detection, while inside we have accelerometer, gyroscope and GPS. Add to all of this water resistance up to 5 ATM, which makes it suitable for surfers and those who love swimming in the pool.

The weak point, in my opinion, is the design: TicWatch S2 is a rather masculine accessory and perhaps difficult to show off on any occasion. On my wrist it was therefore a bit bulky and not very suitable for business appointments, even if, I must admit, the extremely low weight - only 55 grams - will make you forget you have it.

Comfortable and responsive

Mobvoi has decided to rely on the processor Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100, a choice that allows TicWatch S2 to be quick and snappy. Wear OS by Google instead it makes the smartwatch easy to navigate and use. You just need a swipe to access your notifications, to consult Google Assistant and to access the watch settings. Equally simple is accessing your statistics: In fact, TicWatch S2 monitors your physical activity and keeps track of steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, and time spent exercising and training.

Alongside all these features, accessible in a few moments, we find applications. On board, by default, you will find only the truly indispensable ones as well as the apps created by Mobvoi and dedicated purely to fitness. The latter allow you to detect your heart rate, access the statistics of the day and start a specific workout by choosing from the supported sports. Don't worry, you will not find alone runs, walks and bike rides. The waterproof soul of this TicWatch S2 prompted the developers to enter a mode that tracks activity even in the water. But that's not all: this hi-tech accessory is also able to recognize the style used, the pace you are holding and a whole series of information that will help you understand if and how you are improving.

Of course these are the basic functions of the smartwatch, those available out-of-the-box. However, nothing prevents you from visiting the Google Play Store to download other compatible applications. For example, I added Any.Do, Nest, Uber and the Big G maps, but there are many others that could be for you.

All the features I have described to you made the test of this TicWatch S2 really enjoyable. The Mobvoi smart watch is in facti extremely comfortable in everyday life, thanks not only to the purely sporting functions - which still remain its strong point - but also to the general versatility of the operating system. However, there are two limits of this smartwatch: on the one hand the lack of NFC which prevents you from paying with Google Pay, on the other hand we have an autonomy that on the card should reach 48 hours but which in reality slightly exceeds 24. In short, despite the battery upgrade, you will often find yourself recharging it in the evening, before going to sleep.

A redundant application

The Mobvoi application, available for free on both the App Store and the Play Store, is, in my opinion, all to be reviewed. On the one hand, in fact, we have all the statistics related to physical activity, statistics which, however, are repeated in several screens and in an absolutely redundant, on the other hand, there are references to the Store, references that are often a bit too invasive. Not only do you find them together with your data, but there is even a dedicated tab.

Then I had some problems with the permissions, divided in an unclear way between the app and the smartwatch, and with the Routines, which in Italy take the name of “Scene”. The reason for our divergence? Simple: by clicking on "Add operation" the app indicated that there was no smartwatch connected, the same smartwatch that in the Device screen was instead correctly connected. A bug that prevented me from experimenting with this feature.

In short, there is still a lot of work to do before we can consider it a useful and complete app.

TicWatch S2: buy it or not buy it?

TicWatch S2 is available from today both on the official Mobvoi website and on Amazon at the cost of 179,99 euro. A price that makes it absolutely palatable compared to the competition.

Finally, I would like to point out the arrival of a new update: from tomorrow TicWatch S2 will also boast theAutomated Activity Recognition. What is it about? It is an algorithm designed to recognize running automatically and thus track your activity. Soon the same system will also be able to track sleep but to use this feature we will have to wait a few more days.