Mobvoi Ticwatch E3 Review

The TicWatch E3 is an improvement over the previous model, but its performance still wasn't exceptional compared to other smartwatches in our lineup.

Smart Functions

The app selection on the E3 is smaller than what is supported by the big smartwatch manufacturers, but it also makes strides over some wearable models as it can accept and make calls — you can even look at call history. The sound quality is good, making this a great option for those who plan to use their smartwatch to handle phone calls.

Music control overall is on par with higher-end models, Google Pay is supported, and there's a built-in GPS. A minor drawback to the E3 is a lack of independent cellular capability, which would have made the watch a next-level option for handling calls on the move, without the need for a cellphone nearby.

Health

In our step counting tests, the E3 performed with great accuracy, on par with the best. Regarding heart rate monitoring, it did fine when the user was at rest, but it did a poor job of monitoring during exercises, often missing a significant number of heartbeats during jumping and high-intensity activities.

The E3 has a good array of default fitness tracking apps, but if you don't enjoy the TicExercise options or experience, you can always use Google Fit instead. There are no apparent safety features that we could find, so if safety features are important to your smartwatch, you'll want to look at other wearables.

Battery

Under normal use, the E3 battery life lasted an average of about 21 hours. The watch's charging performance also proved less than exceptional in our tests. Recharging the device to a 50% charge level took 41 minutes, and a complete charge took 108 minutes. This slow recharge time put the E3 near the bottom in our tested lineup of watches.

Ease of Use

Unlike other more premium watches with a 50-meter water resistance rating, the E3 is only rated to survive depths of about 1.5 meters, per its IP68 rating. In more general terms, it's probably okay to use during a shallow lap pool workout, but you may be taking a risk by wearing it in the shower or the deep end of a pool.

Mobvoi has stayed with the charging setup used on previous models. Unlike circle chargers on other wearables, where you can simply toss your smartwatch onto a charger, the E3 requires users to align two crescent-shaped pins on the watch. While a bit cumbersome, we do like the security of this setup. The watch stays firmly attached to the charger, and as one of the lightest watches we tested, there is no real danger of it getting knocked off if set precariously on the edge of a desk or nightstand.

Sadly, the E3 lacks any crown or bezel scrolling capabilities, but it excels in terms of screen responsiveness. When turning up the wrist, it performed nearly as well as the top-scorers in our review. The same held true for touch screen and scrolling performance. The watch was again very responsive to touch and swiped screens quickly.

Display

The screen quality on the E3 isn't the best, with stiff competition from premium manufacturers like Apple and Samsung. But, reading text is easy to do in both bright and dark lighting situations, although there's no auto-brightness setting. However, there is an always-on setting available through either the app or the watch, which works well.

Should You buy the Mobvoi TicWatch E3?

If you are currently an Android user looking for a simple smartwatch that can handle most smart features, the Mobvoi TicWatch E3 is a decent choice. It is a bare-bones smartwatch that builds on the feature set of the previous model. It has the majority of the features you would want from a wearable, and it's also friendly to most budgets. However, increasing your budget a bit will give you a smartwatch that is leagues ahead of it.

What other Smartwatches should you consider?