Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Mobvoi's TicWatch C2 is on sale now for $179 ($20 off)
Update, December 6 at 1:18 p.m. ET: You can now buy the TicWatch C2 from Mobvoi.com. For the next 22 hours or so, you can pick up the color of your choice for $179.99 — a 10 percent discount from the normal $199.99 price point. Don’t delay!
Original article, October 24 at 3:01 p.m. ET: Any Wear OS fans still feeling raw over the long-rumored Pixel Watch going AWOL may want to check out the latest smartwatch from Mobvoi: the TicWatch C2.
The TicWatch C2 was unveiled today at an event in London, U.K. ahead of a retail release on December 6 priced at $199. The watch will also retail in the U.K. for 199 pounds and in selected European countries for 199 euros, with pre-sales in all regions starting today.
The Wear OS-powered smartwatch is the latest wearable from Mobvoi following the release of the superb TicWatch Pro earlier this year and is the follow up to the original TicWatch Classic.
There are two versions of the C2 hitting shelves, a 20mm variant available in black and platinum and a smaller 18mm model in rose gold designed for “slimmer wrists” which just so happens to be the thinnest smartwatch from Mobvoi to date.
Both watches are cased in stainless steel with an interchangeable genuine leather strap. Otherwise the two wearables are identical, featuring a 1.3-inch AMOLED display with a 360 x 360 resolution, a 400mAh battery, an IP68 rating.
In addition, the C2 houses an accelerometer, gyroscope, and heart rate sensor. There’s also an NFC chip for Google Pay support, as well as support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Mobvoi also mentioned voice assistant compatibility which, based on the OS, will no doubt be everyone’s favorite digital companion, Google Assistant.
So far so good, but we can’t help but feel a little disappointed that the C2 still packs Qualcomm’s aging Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset. With all the improvements added with the Snapdragon Wear 3100 — especially in the endurance department — it’s a shame the C2 will be pairing the latest Wear OS redesign with a nearly three-year-old SoC.
The C2 also misses out on the TicWatch Pro’s OLED/FTSN dual-display. That means the Pro’s ridiculously clever Essential Mode, which offered up to 30 days battery life when only using the transparent film display, is absent.
Nevertheless, if you’re after a Wear OS smartwatch with a simple, classic style, the C2 should definitely be worth a look. Considering the minimalist design and feature set, this is about as close as you’ll be able to get to owning a “Pixel Watch” until Google pulls its finger out.
We’ll be bringing you a review as soon as we get our hands/wrists on one. The TicWatch Pro earned its place among Android Authority’s best smartwatches list so we’re expecting good things from the C2.
Until then be sure to share your first impressions of the latest TicWatch in the comments!