Until the release of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Mobvoi’s Ticwatch E3 and Ticwatch Pro 3 were the only future-proof smartwatches for Android users.
As Samsung and Google aligned forces to develop the new Wear OS (Which now runs the GW4), many high-profile titles like the Fitbit Sense, Fossil Gen 5, Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 were left in the lurch. But not Mobvoi’s latest watches.
Mobvoi was the only manufacturer that featured the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4100 as soon as it hit the market in its latest watches. This, combined with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB storage make its watches( Ticwatch Pro 3 ) perfectly suitable to make the jump to the latest Wear OS 3.0.
Note: Keep in mind, it won’t happen until 2022 that you can run the new Wear OS on your Ticwatch.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is now unveiled, and Ticwatch Pro 3 is its direct competitor. First and foremost, they lie in the same price bracket. Second, they aim to conquer the same audience: people who are interested in full-fledged smartwatches that also cater to their fitness and health needs.
If reading a lengthy post just to find which smartwatch is superior seems like a ridiculous idea, just take our words for it. For Android users, especially those who own Samsung phones, nothing can be better than Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 at the moment.
The watch is moderately priced, has tons of health and fitness features, and has all the bells and whistles of a smartwatch.
And if this mere statement fails to make an impression, you should read on for a thorough Ticwatch Pro 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 comparison.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at the general comparison of these watches.
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General Comparison:
Price and Value Difference:
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has two sizes and has LTE and Bluetooth models. The smaller 40mm GW4 is starting at $250 (for the Bluetooth model) and goes all the way up to 300 USD (40mm, LTE variant).
On the other hand, Ticwatch Pro 3 has two variants: GPS & LTE/cellular. The LTE model costs around $50 more, whereas the GPS model is priced around $300 at the time of writing this comparison. The recently released Ticwatch E3 undercut both these smartwatches.
Related Comparison: Ticwatch Pro 3 vs Ticwatch E3
As far as the price is concerned, Samsung seems to have an upper hand. It offers nearly double the power and is equipped with a cutting-edge OS. There is one major drawback: the watch is only compatible with Android so far and many of its health features are locked to only Samsung devices.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 40mm Smartwatch with ECG Monitor Tracker for Health, Fitness, Running, Sleep... | $116.71 | Check Amazon Price |
Design & Display:
Design Comparison:
In the looks department, Ticwatch Pro 3 and Galaxy Watch 4 have a distinct identity.
Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS has a circular design and resembles a traditional timepiece. It has a sleek appearance with its matte black metal case, black glossy dial with thin bezels, and relatively thin build. The watch is quite big at 48mm wide and therefore is highly suitable for those with large wrists.
Ticwatch is relatively chunky (compare its 12.2mm thickness to Galaxy Watch’s 9.8mm). It has two pronounced buttons on the side for easy navigation when your hands are sweaty.
Mobvoi features a premium silicone band in this watch that looks like a leather band. The band is highly comfortable and easily swappable. Unlike Ticwatch Pro Connected, this one doesn’t have military-grade certification or gorilla glass protection. The watch is just suitable for pool swimming.
We were particularly disappointed by the limited color option. At $300, there must have been more than three color options, not just one.
Similarly, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has a round dial that resembles the Galaxy Watch Active 2 released years ago. Unlike a stainless steel and plastic sandwich in the Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS, you get aluminum casing through and through. It is on the slimmer side and sits comfortably on your wrist. There is no rotating bezel like the G4 classic or the old GW3. However, there are two size options: 40mm & 44mm.
There are two inconspicuous buttons on the side. Both its models are extremely lightweight and have passable protection against water
The silicone band that comes with the watch, however, has been a major letdown. It is uncomfortable to wear during sleep and can’t handle intense workouts. You might have to invest in a separate band.
The color options are not that great: The 40mm Watch 4 comes in black, gold, and silver, while the 44mm model comes in black, green, and silver.
Samsung Watch caters to a large audience with its different size options, lightweight design, and sleek form factor. Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS has painted itself into a corner with that 48mm casing that fits only large wrists.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS Smart Watch Men's Wear OS Watch Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 Platform Health... |
$288.56 |
Check Amazon Price |
Display Features:
In the display department, these watches compete fiercely.
TicWatch Pro 3’s 1.4-inch 454 x 454 display is very crisp, bright, and responsive to the touch. However, the watch comes packed with a dual-screen. When low on battery, you can switch to a monochromatic CASIO-style display to save juice.
The screen brightness is enough to make it clearly viewable in bright and dark environments. The always-on feature comes very handy when your hands are full.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 lush Super-AMOLED display is second to none. There is a plus in the virtual rotating bezel which makes navigation a painless process. The display goes edge-to-edge with no discernable bezel at all. It gives the watch a crisp, modern, sporty look.
Even though the Galaxy Watch 4 has gorilla glass protection, Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS has an edge with its raised bezel. The Samsung watch is more vulnerable to scratches as it takes the brunt of collisions with desktops, doorways and all the other daily obstacles.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 40mm Smartwatch with ECG Monitor Tracker for Health, Fitness, Running, Sleep... | $116.71 | Check Amazon Price |
Smartwatch Features:
| Ticwatch Pro 3 | Samsung Galaxy Watch4 | |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 Wi-Fi:802.11b/g/n Cellular (LTE Model) | Bluetooth 5.0Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4+5GHz, Cellular (Only in LTE models)NFC |
| Companion App | Google Fit | |
| Storage | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Processor | Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear™ 4100 Platform (1.7 GHz) | 5nm Samsung Exynos W920Dual-core 1.18GHz |
| RAM | 1 GB | 1.5 GB |
| Notification Alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calendar, Weather | Yes | Yes |
| Offline Spotify | Yes | Yes |
| Timer & Alarm | Yes | Yes |
| Customizable Watch Faces | No | Yes |
| Voice Assistant | Yes (Google Assistant) | Yes (Bixby) |
| Music Storage, Control | Yes | Yes |
| Third-Party Apps | Yes (Google Play Store) | Yes (Wear OS play store) |
| Make calls, send texts & Emails | Yes | Yes |
| Browse Web | Yes | Yes |
| Contactless Payment | Yes (Google Pay) | Yes (Google Pay, Samsung Pay) |
These watches are close enough in terms of sheer power. Ticwatch Pro 3 is backed by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 chip, 1 GB RAM, and 8 GB storage. Galaxy Watch 4 packs Samsung’s own Exynos W920 chipset and 1.5GB of RAM. Plus, it has a 16 GB storage capacity for songs and third-party apps.
In terms of OS, Ticwatch is still running the old Wear OS that is laggard in performance but the watch’s superior hardware compensates for it. Ticwatch Pro 3 would be upgraded to Wear 3.0 late in 2021.
Samsung is the only watch that is running the Wear 3.0, but with a clever spin at the top. The Galaxy Watch One UI on the top can trick you into believing that it is running Tizen. Rather, it takes the best of the Tizen experience and integrates it well with the Wear OS.
Sooner or later both watches would be running the same platform and would have access to the same Third-party apps in addition to the access to Google’s wider ecosystem. This includes the Play Store, Google Pay (with NFC payments), Discover, and of course the Google Assistant, which can talk back to you via the watch’s speaker. (Samsung has its own voice assistant ‘Bixby’ and contactless payment system ‘Samsung Pay’ integrated into Galaxy Watch 4).
Apart from this, these watches cover all the essential features other watches can provide. Notification alert, Calendar, Music control, Alarm, Stopwatch, timer, all these features are prebuilt into the watch.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS Smart Watch Men's Wear OS Watch Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 Platform Health... |
$288.56 |
Check Amazon Price |
Fitness & Health Features:
| Ticwatch Pro 3 | Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 | |
| Built-in GPS | Yes(Plus GLONASS / BEIDOU / GALLILEO) | Yes (GPS/GLONASS/Beidou, Galileo) |
| Heart Rate Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Oxygen | Yes | Yes |
| ECG | No | Yes |
| Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis | No | Yes |
| Steps, Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Menstrual cycle | Yes | Yes |
| Sport Mode | 13 that includes Pool Swimming Yoga Rowing Machine Mountaineering Body Mechanics Trail Running Elliptical Machine Outdoor Run Indoor Running Outdoor Walk Indoor Cycling FreeStyle Outdoor Cycling | 90+ |
| Sync Data With Strava, Apple Health | Yes | Yes (with Starva and Nike Run Club) |
Both Mobvoi and Samsung have made the best use of Wear OS. They have meshed their own UI at the top along with a suite of their own health and fitness apps pre-installed on the watch. Given the limitation of Google Fit Apps, this is a welcome addition.
Mobvoi has named its apps quite logically with each starting with the prefix Tic-: TicBreathe, TicExercise, TicHearing, TicOxygen, TicPulse, TicSleep, TicZen, and the TicHealth app, which brings the readings all together. Nearly all of them are self-explanatory: They monitor from the usual steps and activity monitoring to advanced stress, sleep, heart rate, and blood oxygen saturation.
The accuracy of Ticwatch is a bit off, and some metrics are downright incorrect or inconsistent. You might find this issue with the sleep and dynamic heart rate data.
The TicExercise app caters for a number of activities including cycling, rowing, swimming, and yoga (a total of 13) but cannot automatically recognize workouts. The accuracy of sports data tracking and the onboard GPS is questionable, but we can rely on its health and fitness data. Mobvoi allows you to sync data with apps like Google Fit, Strava, Runkeeper, and Nike Run Club.
Like Ticwatch Pro 3, Galaxy Watch 4 promises you a comprehensive suite of health and fitness-tracking features. Samsung has an advantage with its capability to monitor ECG and BMI. The latter is a brand new tool that can tap into your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), weight, muscle, fat mass, and body fat. Previously, we have seen similar types of metrics on smart scales.
Also, Samsung detects workouts automatically and there are tons of preloaded modes that include running, walking, cycling, swimming, circuit training, rowing, weight machines, treadmills, and more. GW4 does a decent job in picking out the correct workout.
Spoiler: Most of the health-focused bioanalytic data the Watch 4 generates (like electrocardiograms and body analysis) only sync with Samsung apps. (Source: Forbes)
So far, Samsung offers more health and fitness benefits to average users and is surprisingly not demanding top dollars for it. In a head-to-head competition, Ticwatch Pro 3 is a definite loser.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 40mm Smartwatch with ECG Monitor Tracker for Health, Fitness, Running, Sleep... | $116.71 | Check Amazon Price |
Battery Life & Charging:
| Ticwatch Pro 3 | Samsung Galaxy Watch4 | |
| Battery Performance | 3 Days with heavy usage/45-day battery (Essential Mode) | 1-2 days (mixed usage), It varies with the smartwatch size, and usage of features like GPS and Music, and Always-on |
| Battery Size | 577mAh | 44/46mm: 361mAh40/42mm: 247mAh |
| Charger Type | Small USB cable that magnetically attaches to the back of the watch | WPC-based wireless charging |
| Fast Charging | No (Takes 2 hours to fully charge | No (Takes almost 2 hours to fully charge) |
By comparing just raw specs, one is led to believe that Ticwatch Pro 3’s battery performance would be at least double what Galaxy Watch 4 can deliver. It features a huge 577mAh battery as compared to the 361 mAh in GW4 (44mm) and 247 mAh GW4 (40mm). However, the real-time performance contradicts this assumption.
Galaxy Watch 4 delivers an average of 2 days with normal to intensive use (varies with the model size) and can make it to 3 days if you aren’t working out or using features like GPS and Always-on display.
Ticwatch Pro 3 despite its battery size manages 3 days of performance in a single charge. However, it has one remarkable trick up its sleeve. The watch allows you to switch to essential mode ( a bare-bones monochromatic digital watch-style always-on display), which prolongs the battery performance for weeks.
In the essential mode, Mobvoi boasts you get a 45 day of performance and actual figures are very close to this claim. You get a Casio-style monochromatic display with all important metrics like heart rate, step count, and sleep monitoring data.
So both watches are compelling options when it comes to battery performance, but if you can live with a Monochromatic display, Ticwatch takes the lead.
Apart from the battery performance, these watches also differ in charging method though they take the same amount of time to top-up from 0-100%. GW4 can be more conveniently charged, thanks to its WPC-based wireless charging dock.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS Smart Watch Men's Wear OS Watch Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 Platform Health... |
$288.56 |
Check Amazon Price |
Ticwatch Pro 3 vs Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: What should you buy?
We would definitely cast our vote in favor of Galaxy Watch 4. The watch has two size options for nearly all wrists, packs the latest Wear OS with its own One UI at the top, offers a ton of smarts, and above all, is relatively affordable. Also, it doesn’t disappoint as a health watch with its up-to-date suite of fitness features. However, it doesn’t mean that the watch doesn’t have caveats. It pairs only with Android watches and its new health metrics are locked for Samsung Devices. So far, Samsung hasn’t been able to integrate the most likable features of Wear OS into this device (For instance: Google Assistant).