Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro review: An iterative update to a great watch

There has never been a better time to be a fan of Wear OS. What was once a platform that looked all but destined to be left behind has blossomed into a varied and large ecosystem of watches. The competition in this space has also grown, with the best Android smartwatches coming from various manufacturers.

Last year, Mobvoi introduced the TicWatch Pro 5, which featured its dual display technology, the latest Snapdragon processor, and incredible battery life. The TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro took last year’s solid offering and refined it by slimming down the device, reworking the crown, and tweaking the software. Much like last year, Mobvoi created an amazing watch that does a lot well, but a few flaws hold it back from being something special.

Price, availability, and specs

The Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro launched in May 2024 with a retail price of $350. Its featured color is Obsidian, a jet-black color that is quite pleasing to the eye. It’s available directly from Mobvoi and Amazon.

Design and hardware

Slight changes, but mostly the same

I’ve long been a fan of the traditional watch look, and the TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro sure doesn’t disappoint. Crafted from 7000-series aluminum and high-strength nylon with fiberglass, the Enduro looks and feels like a premium timepiece. The bezel is raised slightly above the screen and has a nice texture on the sides.

The crown is slightly larger than last year and prominently displayed on the right side of the device. During my testing, it was a joy to use the textured crown to navigate the various menus. Sitting above the crown is a low-profile button, which is easy to hit and gives a satisfying click when pressed.

At 50.15 x 48 x 11.95mm and 44.7g, the Enduro is neither chunky nor heavy to wear. It has been slimmed down by 0.7mm compared to the standard TicWatch Pro 5. I found the sizing to be just about perfect for my wrist, but if you have smaller wrists, you may be more comfortable with a Pixel Watch.

The watch band that ships with the TicWatch 5 Pro Enduro was quite comfortable to wear and never got itchy. It uses 24mm bands, so finding a replacement should be easy. Mobvoi’s haptics are also quite good. I never worried about missing a notification, as the vibration motor was easily felt.

During my testing, I accidentally bumped the watch against various objects, such as the door leading into my apartment, and it survived unscathed. This is likely thanks to its MIL-STD-810H certification. It also has a 5ATM water resistance rating, making it safe to take for a swim.

Displays

Two displays are better than one

Sitting front and center of the Enduro are not one but two 1.43-inch displays stacked on top of each other. The top layer is an ultra-low-power LCD display that shows the always-on functionality. When not actively using the watch, this low-power display gives you quick access to the essentials, such as the date, time, heart rate, battery life, and daily step count.

Below that is a 466 x 466, 60Hz OLED display that kicks on as soon as you touch it. It’s a beautiful display gives you vibrant colors and is very responsive. It can also get quite bright, as I never struggled to view it outdoors. Once the OLED display is activated, the LCD one becomes invisible, allowing you to access the OLED in all its glory.

These displays are covered in Sapphire Crystal, which is very resistant to scratches. This is a welcome addition compared to last year’s Gorilla glass-covered display.

Software and performance

Some ups and downs

Where we praised last year’s TicWatch Pro 5 for having Wear OS 3.5, this year is a bit different. Google launched Wear OS 4 back in August 2023, and not only was the original TicWatch Pro 5 not updated, but the Enduro also ships with Wear OS 3.5. That’s inexcusable when devices like the Galaxy Watch 6 have had it since it launched.

Wear OS has your standard apps, such as Google Maps, Messages, and the weather. The app selection on Wear OS is also constantly growing, with apps like Spotify, Audible, and What’s App available for download.

Hopefully, you aren’t a fan of Google Assistant because it is nowhere to be found on the TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro. We complained about it last year, and sadly, it’s still not available. It’s also nowhere to be found in the Play Store. I have grown to rely on Google Assistant, so not having it on the watch is very disappointing.

Where the Enduro stumbles a bit with its software, it excels once you start talking about its internals. Powered by the same Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 processor as last year, this watch is a smooth operator. Coupled with 2GB of RAM, the TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro easily jumped between menus and loading various data.

If you are coming from a device that is a couple of years old, something like the Galaxy Watch 5, you are going to feel an immediate speed difference. Those slowdowns when navigating various menus are gone, instead replaced with a fluid experience.

Health and fitness

Giving you all the basics

Health and fitness all start with TicHealth, which gives you the essentials. It shows your daily step goal count, calories burned, stairs climbed, total distance, heart rate, blood oxygen level, VO2 max, how much you slept last night, and how many times you have hit your goal for the week. For the most part, it only shows you the most recent day’s data on the watch itself. If you need anything further back, you will have to view it in the Mobvoi Health app on your phone.

Sleep tracking was generally accurate for my normal sleep patterns. It tracks your REM, light, and deep sleep cycles and how often you wake up. It can also detect snoring, which I wasn’t able to test. The Enduro does enter a power-saving mode when you go to sleep and stays on until you wake up.

Outside of TicHealth, you get TicBreathe, TicCare, and TicExercise. TicBreathe is a guided breathing app that helps lower stress levels, and TicCare lets you share your workout data with friends. With over 100 different options, TicExercise is going to be a favorite for anyone into tracking their routines.

Overall, I found the options in TicExercise to be a bit limiting. The basics are there for each exercise, including setting the duration, distance, and calories, but there wasn’t much else.

The TicWatch Pro 5 Enduor also took its sweet time when trying to lock onto a GPS signal. It could take up to 20 seconds for the watch to get a lock and let me know I could begin my workout. Once locked on, GPS was also a bit inconsistent.

I went for multiple walks during my testing, and the GPS was mostly accurate in tracking my route. However, when I went for a two-mile run at my local track, the GPS was all over the place. By the end of the run, it was a quarter of a lap off from where it should have been. This is an issue I have had with Wear OS devices in the past.

Google really needs to implement a track detection feature similar to what Apple has on its watch. If you prefer not to use any of Mobvoi’s health apps, you can use the Google Fit app.

Battery life and charging

Freedom from the outlet

With a combination of a low-power display, the efficiency gains of the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 processor, and a 628mAh battery, the TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro is a battery champion. When not taxed with GPS activity, the watch lasted four full days between charges. Coming from a Galaxy Watch 5, not having to charge every day has been a nice bonus.

Using the GPS will drain the battery a bit quicker. Even with that type of usage, I could easily go two to almost three full days between charges. If you are going to be away from an outlet for an extended period, Mobvoi claims that the watch can last up to 45 days in power-saver mode.

The Enduro charges using a proprietary pin charger. It would have been nice to see a USB-C charger, but at least it charges quickly. A 30-minute charge will get you roughly halfway and an hour is needed to fully charge it.

Competition

The Mobvoi TicWatch Enduro Pro 5 has some serious competition at its $350 price tag. The $350 Pixel Watch 2 comes in either a Wi-Fi-only model or an LTE version, granting you access to not needing to be tethered to your phone at all times. It also runs Wear OS 4. It is a bit smaller with a 1.2-inch display, and its battery isn’t going to be anywhere near as good as the Enduro’s.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 might be a solid alternative if you have a Galaxy device. It starts at $300 for the 40mm version or $330 for the 44mm one. It, too, comes in an LTE version, which adds $50 to the price tag. The Galaxy Watch offers seamless integration with Galaxy Watches and Samsung Health, which is a more robust and feature-rich health tracking tool. It’s missing the battery life of the Enduro, and it won’t be as durable.

If you want something with similar battery life, the OnePlus Watch 2 gives you four days of battery life on a single charge. It has a retail cost of $300 and offers solid overall performance. I find the styling to be a bit off-putting, but that’s purely subjective. It also has a subpar software experience overall.

Should you buy it?

For all intents and purposes, the TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro is the same device as last year, with a few minor refinements. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as last year’s model was quite good overall. If you already have the standard TicWatch Pro 5, you can safely skip this model.

On the other hand, if this is your first foray into Android wearables or your current watch is feeling a bit slow, then the TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro makes perfect sense. It has a fantastic-looking dual display setup, beautiful looks, and amazing battery life. I can’t even begin to explain the sense of freedom that comes with only having to charge your device every couple of days.

This watch is also great for anyone who wants the basics of health tracking. If you are a hardcore health fanatic, this watch will likely do little to satisfy your requirements for accurate tracking. I suspect that the user base is relatively minor, leaving the Enduro more than capable enough for those hoping to track their general fitness.