Mobvoi Ticwatch E3 Review - GearLab - TechGearLab

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

Performance Comparison

Smart Functions

Here we tested the availability and support for popular apps, as well as the ability to take phone calls and control music. We also explored support for wireless payments and the existence (or not) of stand-alone GPS and cellular capabilities.

The app selection on the E3 is smaller than what is supported by our top scorers but still on par with most others. It also makes strides over other 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

Here we tested the step counter, heart rate monitor, workout tracking, safety features, and additional health features. In our step counting tests, the E3 performed with great accuracy, on par with the best of the best. Unfortunately, when it came to heart rate monitoring, it didn't continue the trend. While it did fine when the user was at rest, it did a poor job 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 GoogleFit 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

Our battery metric tested battery life and recharging performance. We tested the battery life on the E3 under normal use and recorded the time it took to recharge to a 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% charge level. Overall, battery performance left a lot to be desired.

The E3 has an average to below-average battery life of about 21 hours under normal use. 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 of our tests.

Ease of Use

For this metric, we evaluated water resistance, charging setup, screen responsiveness, and crown or bezel scrolling abilities. The TicWatch E3 was fine in these areas but never exhibited a performance that was more than ordinary.

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 regards to 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?

For those considering spending the extra money for a top-tier Android smartwatch, you can't go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.