Labor Day smartwatch offers have largely dried up, however if you happen to’re on the lookout for a really inexpensive Android watch, take a severe take a look at the TicWatch Professional 5 for $109 ($240 off) on Amazon. With most Put on OS watches within the $350-and-up vary, we’re speaking severe financial savings for a dependable, long-lived smartwatch.
The TicWatch Professional 5 launched in 2023 as a standout Put on OS mannequin, primarily due to its 80-hour battery life per cost, mixed with 65% battery recharge in half-hour. You may get entry to your favourite Put on OS apps, powered by the identical Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 chip discovered within the Google Pixel Watch 3, together with Mobvoi’s trademark coaching instruments for athletes.
✅Really helpful if: You need a quick, rugged watch that prioritizes third-party apps; you hate having to cost your watch day by day; and your first precedence is saving cash, adopted by good Android integration.
❌Skip this deal if: You need the most recent Put on OS software program with Gemini; you care extra a couple of small, snug design than battery life; or you do not really want watch apps.
The closest Put on OS equal to the TicWatch Professional 5 is the OnePlus Watch 2R, which has an equivalent 1.43-inch show, Snapdragon chipset, and a battery life common of three days. That watch prices $229, so you may have an concept of this mannequin’s relative market worth.
Equally, the Galaxy Watch FE for $200 is without doubt one of the greatest low cost Android watches accessible right this moment, and it is attributable to obtain a more moderen model of Put on OS later this 12 months. However it’s important to settle for trade-offs for that value, equivalent to an older chipset, smaller show and shorter battery life.
I am certain you are asking, “What is the catch? Why is that this watch so cheap?” The reply is that TicWatches have a draw back in comparison with different Put on OS watches: They do not help Gemini or Google Assistant. For no matter purpose, Mobvoi hasn’t managed to get the signature app engaged on its watches.
You even have to just accept that it nonetheless runs Put on OS 4, although it can hopefully leap to Put on OS 5 quickly. For comparability, newer Android watches will launch with Put on OS 6, supporting all the newest app upgrades and UI enhancements.
We would not advocate getting the TicWatch Professional 5 at full value ($349) when you possibly can purchase a Galaxy Watch 8 or Pixel Watch 4 for a similar value. However at $109? You may by no means see a brand new Google or Samsung watch at that value; you’d have to match the TicWatch Professional 5 in opposition to finances manufacturers like Amazfit that may’t compete with Put on OS for software program, even when it is an older model.
