What you need to know

• Mobvoi launches a successor to last year's TicWatch Pro (2020) with more storage and software features.
• The new TicWatch Pro S is still powered by the Snapdragon Wear 2100, instead of any of the newer chipsets.
• The TicWatch Pro S is available now for $260.

When it comes to the best Android smartwatch, the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 GPS ranks high thanks to its newer Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100, making for a smooth Wear OS experience with better battery efficiency. So one may be a little confused by Mobvoi's latest offering, the TicWatch Pro S, which launches today as a "mid-price" sports option for Wear OS.

The TicWatch Pro S is the follow-up to last year's TicWatch Pro (2020), which itself was an underwhelming smartwatch. It was powered by the much-older Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100, and the only notable upgrades to be found were the increase in RAM to 1GB and improvements to durability. For some reason, Mobvoi has decided to take a nominal upgrade approach to this lineup which continues with the TicWatch Pro S.

To be clear, the only notable hardware upgrade on the new TicWatch Pro S is the storage increase from 4GB to 8GB. There are some the new software features that were previously only found on the TicWatch Pro 3 GPS, such as upgrades to TicExercise and TicSleep. TicBreath and TicHearing are also present here, apps that monitor your breathing and analyze environmental noise for potential hearing damage.

Outside of these new software features and the added storage capacity, the TicWatch Pro is a fairly minor upgrade from its predecessor. Curiously, Mobvoi did not opt for the slightly newer Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100 chip for this model, especially given its $260 price-point and the fact that the Snapdragon Wear 2100 was already outdated when the last model launched.

It's not all bad, as the watch still feature's Mobvoi's excellent Dual Display technology, and the 415mAh battery is larger than most Wear OS smartwatches. That said, those looking for a good smartwatch to keep track of their workouts may be better off checking out some of the best smartwatches for fitness.

TicWatch Pro S

It still has some good things going for it
The new Mobvoi TicWatch Pro S may not be the most advanced Wear OS smartwatch in terms of hardware. However, it still manages a large 415mAh battery and Mobvoi's excellent dual-layer screen technology for extended battery life. The added storage capacity gives you more space to store music and apps.