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Mobvoi TicWatch S2 Wear OS android smartwatch review

REVIEW – Along with being a tech junkie, I’m definitely a watch guy thru and thru…mechanical, quartz, digital, fitness, smart, luxury, beater, etc. I have tried many flavors of timepieces and enjoyed the experience of wearing them all. Currently I waffle between nice mechanical watches and their high-tech, smartwatch brethren. Late last year Julie reviewed the TicWatch Pro, an android/WearOS smartwatch that Mobvoi released as their flagship device. Recently Mobvoi released several less expensive variants, the TicWatch E2 and S2 of which they have sent me the more hardy, sport version the S2 to checkout.

Backstory and details: I have used more than my fair share of smart-/fitness watches over the years from simple stopwatch function to GPS/speed/distance/heart rate monitoring to the latest Wear OS, Tisen, and Apple Watch. My current smart devices of choice are the iPhone Xs Max and Apple Watch Series 3 amount others. So, this review will be more skewed towards an iOS Apple user’s experience of the Mobvoi TicWatch S2 and Wear OS.

What is it?

The Mobvoi TicWatch S2 is a sport-centric smartwatch powered by Google’s Wear OS with a built-in heart rate monitor, internal GPS, and hardened to military specifications, all combining for a smartwatch ready for whatever epic workout you throw at it.

What’s in the box?

  • TicWatch S2 android smartwatch
  • TicWatch Charging Dock
  • User Manual

Design and features

The TicWatch S2 has a 1.39-inch diameter, 400 x 400 pixel AMOLED display. The screen pops and is bright enough to see outdoors, rain or shine. Its resolution is sharp and you’ll have to strain to see individual pixels. The overall viewing experience is very good. That said, it lacks an ambient light sensor so you’ll have to adjust the brightness manually. Though at moderate brightness, battery life easily lasted a day of normal use with an hour or two of exercise (with GPS and streaming music via Bluetooth). To save/extend battery life, the S2 has an always-on display mode (far left pic), which shows basic time and battery percentage when the watch is by your side or is not in use. When you rotate your wrist, the watch face comes back to life. According to Mobvoi, the S2 has two days of battery life and for the most part I agree.

Specifications:

Dimensions (mm) 46.6 x 51.8 x 12.9
Colors Black or White (coming soon)
Watch Case Polycarbonate
Watch Strap Silicone (interchangeable), 22mm
Operating System Wear OS by Google™
AI Technology Google Assistant™, Mobvoi TicMotion
Phone Compatibility Android, iPhone
Platform Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear™
Display 1.39″ AMOLED (400 x 400 px)
Connectivity Bluetooth v4.1, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
GPS GPS + GLONASS + Beidou
Sensors Accelerometer, gyroscope, heart-rate sensor, low latency off-body sensor
NFC Payments No
Battery Capacity 415mAh (up to 2 days of battery)
US Military Standard 810g MIL-STD-810G: Operational between -20ºC to 55ºC; resistant to humidity, dust, and salt fog.
Waterproof Rating 5 ATM (swim-ready, up to 50m)

The Mobvoi TicWatches are compatible with both Android and iOS devices. Setting up the TicWatch S2 with my iPhone was easy enough though a bit frustrating compared to an Apple Watch. The Mobvoi iOS app epically failed and has yet to work. I finally gave up and used the Google Wear OS app that got me up and running without too much hassle. Though using the two together isn’t as seamless as living completely in the iOS ecosphere but it does work.

The TicWatch S2 case is made from a rigid black polycarbonate that is not only durable but lightweight as well. The overall build quality is good for a plastic smartwatch. The TicWatch S2 is relatively hardy, built to a MIL-STD-810G U.S. Military rating for durability and ruggedness. The bezel has a nice carbon fiber look with minutes numbers (15/30/45/60) and tick marks etched into the plastic…but since the bezel does not rotate, they are more for show than anything else.

The TicWatch is a large smartwatch measuring 46 millimeters in diameter…that’s Breitling big. The lug to lug wingspan is nearly 52 millimeters. I have a 7 inch wrist (relatively average IMO) and the lugs hang over my wrist by a few millimeter on each side.

The S2 sits 13 millimeters tall on the wrist. The overall dimensions (46.6 x 51.8 x 12.9) make the TicWatch pretty clunky.

Here you can see the S2 compared to the Suunto Elementum Terra and 42mm Apple Watch Series 3…definitely not small or petite.

That said, at less than 2 ounces the S2 is lightweight and comfortable to wear. When exercising, you hardly know this fitness watch is on your wrist.

In addition to the watch’s face being a touchscreen, there is a single button on the right side of the watch to help you navigate the operating system.

The band is made from a soft, silicone rubber that is comfortable and flexible.

It’s length fits my wrist very nicely.

The bands lug width is 22 millimeters and has an easy removal pin, making swapping the band effortless.

The heart rate sensor is solid and compares nicely to both my Apple Watch and sensors on my elliptical machine. The GPS function and accuracy also compares well to my known routes and GPS on my Apple Watch. It is quick to locate and lock onto the satellite’s GPS signal.

The S2 charges via a propitiatory charging pad with four metal pins that must make contact with the four points on the back of the smartwatch. This is a bit old school compared to the standard wireless charging that most smartwatches use today.

The TicWatch S2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear processor, running Wear OS. My main criticism of this watch is definitely how laggy and glitchy it is. Many apps took multiple attempts to get them to activate/startup and that was the standard vs the exception. I found the Tic exercise apps mediocre at best. I ultimately downloaded Google’s fitness and media apps. That in of itself was a painful experience, then downloading my running music/playlist took forever with several crashes.

What I like

  • Inexpensive Wear OS device
  • Solid utilitarian design
  • Bright clear touchscreen
  • Sweat-/weather-/waterproof
  • Heart rate and GPS sensors
  • Solid battery life (nearly 2 days)
  • MIL-STD 810G durability certification

What needs to be improved

  • Laggy, mediocre performance
  • Regularly crashes
  • No NFC or LTE
  • No Google Pay
  • Doesn’t wirelessly charge
  • Mobvoi software is completely unnecessary

Final thoughts

I hate to say it but the TicWatch S2 is fine and that is where the sentence stops. That said, it does work and gets the job done just with a few bumps along the way. It is clunky in form and operation, definitely irritating/frustrating to use at points. But from what I have read, mediocre to cr@ppy performance applies to every Wear OS smartwatch available today. You can find the Apple Watch Series 3 and Samsung Tisen watches at or below $200 these days, both with better performance. At $179, the TicWatch is not a great value considering other options currently available.

Price: $179.99
Where to buy: The TicWatch S2 is available on Amazon or directly from Mobvoi.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Mobvoi.

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Mobvoi TicWatch S2 Wear OS android smartwatch review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 8, 2019 at 11:40 am.

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CheerGiant alligator watch strap review

REVIEW – I have been a watch guy my entire life, always having some sort of timepiece on my wrist. Even in today’s modern world of smartphones and Dick Tracy watches, I still prefer something classic telling me the time. Over the past decade, I have dipped my toe into the world of horology and luxury watches. As the story goes, I recently purchased a pre-owned Cartier Santos 100 on a crazy bright orange band and wanted/needed to swap the strap out for something a bit more my style (aka subdued). During my searches, I found a leather craftsman based in Taiwan who created me a gorgeous handmade band worthy of a Gadgeteer review.

I know some of you are questioning why I am reviewing something as simple as a watchband. My answer is simple: I consider the pocket/wristwatch to be one of the original gadgets and since we review accessories for tech and gadgety things here @the-gadgeteer all the time, I thought what the heck. Add in the fact that the leather work CheerGiant produces is some of the best I’ve seen, I thought you guys might want to check it out.

What is it?

This CheerGiant alligator watchband is handmade by George Lan specifically for my midsized Santos 100 and sized for my 7 inch wrist. I found the CheerGiant storefront on eBay and with further research discovered George is a well-known craftsman creating fine leather pieces for folks around the world.

Design and features

After much internal debate and string of emails with George, I decided to splurge and have him create my watchband out of alligator leather. This band is the first alligator leather I have ever owned or worn and hope it’s as luxurious to wear as it looks.

I went with a dark chocolate brown and black nylon stitching color scheme which turned out absolutely gorgeous and just as I envisioned. George tailors each band to perfectly fit the watch and person he is creating the strap for.

In my case, the band needed to be 20mm wide and 6mm thick on the sides that attach to the watch and 18mm wide and 1.5mm wide for the clasp. George was excellent to work with throughout the entire process: exact sizing, colors, shipping, and instructions/things to consider during installation.

The inside of the straps are lined with a soft pigskin and embossed/signed with the CheerGiant logo.

The thickness tapers in the middle to accommodate the watch and its associated Cartier clasp mechanism. Overall the band works very well with the watch’s lug spacing, how it wraps around my wrist, and clasp.

The quality of materials and workmanship put into this strap are awesome. Here you can see the old world craftsmanship and gorgeous leather of this band. The leather is perfectly stained and finished. The side edging is sanded and ever so slightly beveled.

The Cartier Santos 100 comes with a very nice clasp that has to be considered when purchasing a watch strap. Each strap has to be created with just the right shape, width, and thickness to use the clasp.

George was spot-on and the bands work very well with the clasp. The clasp takes a tiny bit of force on one side to close but I’m guessing that is more a factor of breaking in the leather than being too thick. During the process, he even took the time to send pictures of the bands and their thicknesses.

What I like

  • Handmade with old world craftsmanship
  • Absolutely gorgeous
  • Excellent material and construction quality
  • Perfectly fitted for my watch & wrist
  • One of a kind

What needs to be improved

  • Expensive

Final thoughts

I have zero buyers regret splurging on this handmade alligator watchband. Like I said, it is just what I had hoped for, exceptionally made, and perfectly fitted for my watch and wrist. CheerGiant creates watchbands for a large range of watches from Rolex to the Apple Watch and everything in-between. George Lan is an excellent leather craftsman, creating me a high quality, handmade band that is one of a kind and much better made than the OEM one that came with the watch for a fraction of the cost. So, if you’re considering upping the game on your timepiece, you should check out his creations on eBay.

Price: $200
Where to buy: Available on the CheerGiant eBay storefront.
Source: The sample of this product was purchased with my own funds directly from CheerGiant via eBay.

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CheerGiant alligator watch strap review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 10, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Lenovo’s Smart Clock with Google Assistant will make sure you wake up on time

NEWS – At CES 2019,  revealed the Smart Clock with Google Assistant, the latest in its line of smart living products.  First and foremost, it’s a clock.  It has a four-inch display that tells the time and sounds the alarm in the morning.  It is, however, much more than just a clock.  It can gradually turn up the lights in the room, display the first event on your schedule, find out how long your morning commute will be, and read the morning news to you.  All this is done by voice — “Hey, Google!” — and is powered by Google Assistant.

Lenovo’s device is smart.  It can play music or a podcast, search the web, and display the weather.  It can perform groups of related commands in the morning, known as a routine.  It even lets you pick what keywords trigger what routines.  It’s also connected.  It interoperates with other smart devices and allows you check your front security camera, turn on the coffee pot, or listen in your baby to make sure he’s still sleeping, all from the comfort of your bed.

The Smart Clock has a 6-watt speaker, a touch screen running at 800 x 480, a USB port for charging your phone, and Bluetooth connectivity, but unlike its competitor, the Amazon Echo Spot, it doesn’t have a camera.  That’s a smart idea for any device that will be the bedroom.

The Smart Clock is covered in a soft, grey fabric.  From the display it tapers down to a much smaller back, making it less obtrusive on your nightstand.  It’s priced at $79.99 and will be available spring 2019. Visit lenovo.com for more details.

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Lenovo’s Smart Clock with Google Assistant will make sure you wake up on time originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 3, 2019 at 11:00 am.

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Design your own clock/speaker/alert system with Divoom Timebox Mini

NEWS – Don’t let the retro-feeling, pixelated display fool you! In just a few square inches, the Divoom Timebox Mini packs in a quality speaker, clock and notification system that’s completely customizable.

An app lets you create a personalized system to match your needs and individual whimsy. Want Sponge Bob to rouse you in the morning? A glowing American flag all day on July 4? A silly emoji to announce your incoming email? Pick your own notifications and tap into hundreds of preset images and videos, or design your own with 121 full RGB LEDs.

 

Its Bluetooth 4.0 speaker features a 3.5mm AUX output and input, so you can use the audio however you choose.

The Timebox Mini is smaller than a soda can, measuring 3.5 x 1.5 x 3.6 inches and weighing just over a pound. It comes with a Micro USB charger and lasts about six hours per charge, but anyone using it as a clock would just leave it plugged in.

Touted as a sleep-aid and time-management system, Timebox also includes some entertaining elements like a stopwatch, digital dice, scoreboard, slot machine, and simple mini-games.

The Divoom Timebox Mini retails for $42.90 on Amazon.

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Design your own clock/speaker/alert system with Divoom Timebox Mini originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 30, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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It’s January so it’s time to get fit in style with the Withings Move activity tracking watch

NEWS – January brings resolutions, and many of those revolve around fitness. Sadly, most don’t last much past mid-January, and if you’ve invested a ton of cash on what is now a very expensive clothes rack or jewelry cabinet ornament, it also leads to regrets. Enter the Withings Move activity tracking watch.

Like other trackers like Fitbit or Apple Watch, the Move can track activity, sleep, and with a connected GPS phone, track workouts and provides more analytics. The Move’s difference is that it does it with style.

Looking more like a fine watch than a piece of electronics, the Move has a unique, almost luxury look to it that both makes it stand out and also blend in.

The Move’s other differentiator is its battery life. With a claimed life of 18 months, it far surpasses both the Fitbit (five days) and Apple Watch (< one day) and beats competitors from Misfit and Fossil by six months.

The Move is a bargain at $69.95 and is available directly from Withings.com.

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It’s January so it’s time to get fit in style with the Withings Move activity tracking watch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 29, 2019 at 8:00 am.

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