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Specs and performance
How does the TicWatch C2 perform on the inside? The good news is it’s okay, but the bad news is this isn’t going to impress you with its speed.
Speed on a smartwatch isn’t always the most necessary thing, but it’s an odd choice from Mobvoi to include the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset to power the TicWatch C2. That’s a bit of a shame as Qualcomm has now released a new reworked version called the Snapdragon Wear 3100, which offers extra power and better battery life.
We found in our review period that the watch would work as quickly as we needed it to, but it would have been nicer to get that slight speed boost from the newer chipset.
There's 512MB of RAM in the TicWatch C2, which is fairly standard for a smartwatch. Again, it won't impress you but it gets the job done.
Software
The latest Wear OS software is on board here, so you’ll immediately notice the user interface design changes if you're used to the original version of Wear OS. The new version makes navigating around smartwatches that bit easier.
Wear OS works much better than Android Wear did at launch, and this device will pair with both iPhones and Android devices as long as they have relatively recent software running on them.
Android users will get a slightly better experience thanks to better integrated Google services, but it’s largely the same as what you’d get if you paired the watch with an iPhone instead.
Wear OS is smooth, and while it may not sport the largest array of apps it does have the necessities covered.
You can download any Wear OS apps directly from the Google Play Store, or you can use the ones that are already loaded onto the watch. A lot of the fitness features – something we’ll get into below – are using Mobvoi’s own apps here.
Watch faces are limited on the TicWatch C2, but that’s easy enough to change as you can download thousands directly from the Google Play Store. We like a few of the designs that Mobvoi offers, but we’d prefer to have the customization of having lots of choice.
There is NFC here, so you'll be able to set up Google Pay on your wrist for contactless payments. That's something you’re not able to do on the TicWatch E or TicWatch S.
Fitness
Everything we’ve come to expect from Mobvoi’s range of Wear OS watches is here, including a heart rate monitor, GPS and normal fitness tracking features that will keep an eye on your step count and track general exercise.
Don’t expect a sport watch experience here though. Although it can do some good normal tracking, this isn’t waterproof so it can’t be taken in a pool and we didn’t find the design to be particularly sport friendly.
The thicker design than some other smartwatches means this isn’t entirely suited to taking out running with you, and the leather-only straps mean you probably won’t want to sweat in this.
You may want to hold off and see if Mobvoi will provide silicone straps for this device, or buy yourself a third-party strap that will fit it.
If you do still want to exercise with the watch, we found the heart rate tracker to be accurate if a little slow to work. It will encourage you to be still to get the most accurate reading, so don’t expect to get the best results when you’re out mid-stride on a run.
There's GPS on the watch, which is something the company hasn't included on its most affordable watches before. Connectivity is OK, but it can take a little while longer to connect than on some more expensive smartwatches.
If you're not too worried about waiting a minute or so for it to connect you likely won't find this to be an issue. It can be frustrating when you're desperate to get started on your run though.
Battery life
Mobvoi claims the 400mAh cell in the TicWatch C2 is able to last for 1-2 days, and we found that to be about right, with it reaching around two days when you’re not intensively using the watch.
If you’re using the watch for exercise every day and constantly playing around with apps on the device, you’ll find the battery to be closer to around a day from a single charge.
That’s about the average for a smartwatch, but if you like the look of Mobvoi watches and you want longer life you may want to opt for the TicWatch Pro. The C2 won’t rival the TicWatch Pro, which can offer up to a month of timekeeping and step counting from a single charge.
You won’t be stunned by the battery life of the TicWatch C2, but you should find it will last at least a full day. With two days not guaranteed though you’ll likely want to take the device off most nights to charge it.
To recharge the TicWatch C2 you’ll have to use a proprietary charger, so you’ll have to remember to take this with you whenever you go away if you want to be able to use the watch.
It’s easy enough to use, but it would have been a nice touch if the C2 was able to charge from standard wireless charging pads instead.
