TicWatch C2, there is life beyond the Apple Watch

Despite the fact that many iPhone users do not know it, having an Apple smartphone does not force us to have to use an Apple Watch without another alternative. Thanks to the compatibility that Google offers us with its Wear OS platform, we have a wide catalog of smartwatches, and there we can find alternatives as interesting as this TicWatch C2 by Mobvoi.

A watch with a simple appearance but with top quality materials such as steel for its case and leather for its strap, and the versatility of Wear OS as an operating system, which thanks to its application store allows you to bypass some of the limitations that these watches had before in iOS. All this with a very attractive price that makes it an alternative for those who are not convinced of investing in an Apple Watch.

Specifications and design

With a Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor at its core, this Ticwatch C2 has a 1,3 ″ AMOLED screen with a resolution of 360 × 360 pixels. Mobvoi has chosen to give it a design similar to a classic watch, which together with the materials used (steel for the case and leather for the strap) gives a look that will appeal to those who prefer to wear a "normal" watch on their wrists. GPS, NFC for payments through Google Pay, IP68 resistance for water and dust, and 4.1 connectivity and WiFi b / g / n complete a smartwatch more than competent. Of course it has a heart rate sensor.

To this we have to add a 400mAh battery that promises up to 36 hours of autonomy, but in my case they are not fulfilled. The difference may be due to use with iOS, but the watch, worn on my wrist since 7 in the morning arrives at the end of the day without hurry, but It is mandatory to put it back on its charger so that the next day you can use it again. Nor is it a major problem, you just have to get used to putting it on charge every night, or if you want to use it to monitor sleep, when you get home to put it on when you go to sleep.

We have three different finishes to choose from: black, silver and rose gold, the latter in a slightly smaller size. They use standard leather straps in all models and with colors according to their finish, which also have a very comfortable quick coupling system that allows you to easily change them without having to go to any watch shop or use tools. If you want to get a silicone or metallic sports strap, you will have no difficulty finding it in any watchmaker or online store.

Its size and thickness is very similar to that of any watch, which makes it really comfortable to wear. Nobody will notice that it is a smartwatch, and your shirts will not suffer as with models from other brands. The leather strap is always a success in terms of comfort, and helps make the change from your conventional watch to this TicWatch C2 is practically priceless. Finally, it has two buttons on the side, one to access the applications and another customizable to access the exercise monitoring application. The only thing we miss is a speaker, but we do have a microphone to dictate.

All operation from the screen

This TicWatch opts for a screen from which practically all the functions are controlled. There is neither a rotating bezel like on other Wear OS models nor a crown like on the Apple Watch. For someone used to the rotating crown of their Apple Watch, it takes some work to get used to actions such as scrolling through gestures on the screen, but it is not a major problem either. The screen is large enough to be able to perform these gestures, and after a few starts in which sometimes you had to do them a couple of times to get what you were looking for, little by little you get used to it and get the right answer the first time.

The screen has a good definition and the brightness is adequate even for when you are on the street, without encountering major problems to be able to see the content even in bright sunlight. Sun. Something I like is having the always-on screen option, with a minimum brightness, but that allows you to see the time without having to activate it completely. On the one hand, it costs extra battery, but on the other it saves because you don't need to turn it on with the classic wrist gesture to see the time. Of course, forget about using it on the street under direct light, because you can't see anything.

Applications, finally, from the clock

It was one of the great limitations of the first models with Android Wear, and that is that having an iPhone without access to the Google Play Store you could not install any application on a smartwatch with this operating system. Things have changed radically and already we can install all applications for Wear OS from the watch itself, because you have access to its application store from the device itself.

This is more important than it seems, because not only is it that you can install third-party applications to monitor exercise, or install different faces for your watch, but you can also bypass some of the Wear OS restrictions on iOS, since it does not have access to some functions that the Apple Watch can use. For example you have Telegram for Wear OS, so you can see the chats from the messaging app, you can reply to messages, etc.

We are not going to overlook what I have commented before about the spheres for the TicWatch. It is a function that many miss in the Apple Watch, and that they have been asking for since the first generation of the watch, but that Apple is reluctant to allow. Thanks to Wear OS you can choose between hundreds of different spheres and install them so that your watch has the appearance that you like the most. Are you one of those who prefers to wear a classic watch on your wrist? Or do you like sports watches more? Do you like spheres with a lot of complications and information? You will find spheres for all tastes in the Google application store.

Depending on the sphere you choose, you will have different configuration options, from different themes with customizable colors to the possibility of set different complications with information such as weather information, calories burned or calendar events. Any application that you have installed on your TicWatch and that is compatible with complications may be chosen to appear on the main screen of your watch.

Exercise and health monitoring

An important part of the function that a smartwatch has in our daily use is exercise monitoring, and here the TicWatch fulfills perfectly. You can use the clock application itself that is pre-installed, or opt for the Google application. Everything depends on the design that you like the most, since both applications do their job very well and offer you all kinds of information, including monitoring your heart rate. The same can be said of health applications, with factory options that are already pre-installed or with the alternatives that Google offers us. And if none of them is enough for what you are looking for, surely in the Google application store you have one that you like more.

Editor's opinion

With a design that makes it indistinguishable from a conventional watch and materials and specifications typical of higher-priced watches, this TicWatch C2 is in a position that can be interesting for those who want to enjoy the benefits that smartwatches offer us at a price. good price, but with the feeling of a real watch on your wrist. . As a negative point, the fact that it does not have a speaker, and a simply fair autonomy that will allow you to reach the end of the day but no further. This TicWatch C2 is priced at € 199 on Amazonlink)