Chinese AI firm Mobvoi has been a shining light in the generally underwhelming Android Wear/Wear OS space, and today it’s announcing two new products. The TicWatch E2 and S2 (standing for Express and Sport) are follow-ups to the company’s most affordable smartwatches, with updated designs, bigger batteries, and Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chips (but not the new 3100).

While it’s disappointing not to get the very latest silicon, it’s understandable given the likely low price points of these models and it didn’t stop the TicWatch Pro from performing well when I reviewed it. The TicWatch E2 will only come in black polycarbonate, while the S2 will be available in black as well as white (available later), and feature numbers around the bezel.

TicWatch E2.

Specs for both models are identical, featuring a 1.39″ 400×400 AMOLED display, Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi, and GPS + GLONASS + Beidou. They’ll include an accelerometer, gyroscope, heart-rate sensor, and low latency off body sensor. The battery is 415 mAh, 30% bigger than before and promising 1-2 days battery life, and both are “swim and surf-ready” up to 5 ATM. Unfortunately, neither watch has NFC on board.

Pricing is as yet unknown, but the first generation E and S cost $119 and $139, respectively, so we can hope for similarly small numbers this time around.

Mobvoi introduces TicWatch E2 and TicWatch S2 at CES 2019

Both smartwatches are based on Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear and Wear OS by Google™and will be available to purchase soon after showing them at CES 2019

Las Vegas, Nevada – January 8th, 2019 – Mobvoi Inc., a leading artificial intelligence (AI) company backed by Google™ and Volkswagen, introduced TicWatch Express 2 (E2) and TicWatch Sport 2 (S2) today at CES 2019. Both watches will be available for purchase soon after CES. To keep up with the latest on sales availability, sign up for the Mobvoi newsletter on Moboi.com for the latest news.

www.mobvoi.com

Mobvoi’s diverse line-up of smartwatches, including the recently released TicWatch C2 and TicWatch Pro, show there is a TicWatch for every lifestyle. Highlighted features of the newly announced TicWatch E2 and TicWatch S2 include:

  • A waterproof rating of 5 ATM (withstands the pressure of being submerged in water up to 50m), making it perfect for shallow swimming in the pool or surfing in the ocean
  • Comes with a pre-loaded swim-monitoring mode to track your fitness progress in the water
  • Increased 30% battery capacity from first generation improves battery life to between 1-2 days on a single charge depending on usage
  • Powered by Wear OS by Google, with thousands of smartwatch apps and watch faces available on Google Play and new proactive help from the Google Assistant
  • Based on Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear™ 2100 platform
  • A continuation of the award-winning designs from their first-generation designs

“TicWatch E2 and TicWatch S2 are designed for those with really active lifestyles”, explained Zhifei Li, CEO and co-founder of Mobvoi. “These second-generation smartwatches help you stay connected and track your health and fitness data while you’re on the move. Whether that’s in a pool, at the gym, in the office or on the road, these TicWatches will move you.”

“Furthermore, our strategic collaborations with partners like Qualcomm result in smartwatches like you’re seeing here at CES, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. We look forward to working closely with our partners to bring more game-changing innovation to the industry”, continued Li.

“The smartwatch segment is in the midst of significant innovation, which is helping drive exciting watch features, higher levels of performance, and improved battery life,” said Pankaj Kedia, senior director, product marketing, Qualcomm Atheros, Inc. “We continue to collaborate with Mobvoi on the success of the original TicWatch product and on the launch of a series of new, attractive Wear OS by Google smartwatches. TicWatch E2 and TicWatch S2, along with TicWatch C2 and TicWatch Pro, combine the capabilities of the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear platform with the product and system expertise of Mobvoi, bringing new choices to the increasingly discerning consumer.”

TicWatch E2 / TicWatch S2 Technical Specifications:

Model TicWatch E2 TicWatch S2
Dimensions (mm) 46.9 * 52.2 *12.9 46.6 * 51.8 *12.9
Colors Black Black, White (available later in Q1 ‘19)
Watch Case Polycarbonate Polycarbonate
Watch Strap Silicon (interchangeable), 22mm Silicon (interchangeable), 22mm
Operating System Wear OS by Google Wear OS by Google
Phone Compatibility Android, iPhone Android, iPhone
Platform Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear™ 2100 Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear™ 2100
Display 1.39″ AMOLED (400 x 400 px) 1.39″ AMOLED (400 x 400 px)
Connectivity Bluetooth v4.1, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth v4.1, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
GPS GPS + GLONASS + Beidou GPS + GLONASS + Beidou
Sensors Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart-rate sensor, low latency off body sensor Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart-rate sensor, low latency off body sensor
NFC payments No No
Battery capacity 415mAh 415mAh
Waterproof rating 5 ATM (swim and surf ready) 5 ATM (swim and surf ready)

*Google, Android, Wear OS by Google, Google Play, and other marks are trademarks of Google LLC. Wear OS by Google works with phones running Android 4.4+ (excluding Go edition) or iOS 9.3+. Supported features may vary between platforms and countries.