TicWatch E2 and S2 bring swim-proofing to Mobvoi’s budget wearable

Chinese firm Mobvoi isn’t yet a household name in the UK, although it has been gathering steam in the past year with the different versions of its affordable Ticwatch wearable. We were impressed with the Express (E) and Sport (S) models, and the company has now unveiled a pair of follow-ups, dubbed the TicWatch E2 and S2, at CES 2019 in Las Vegas.

The pair come quick off the back of the Ticwatch C2, and there’s honestly not much setting them apart from this model except for a lower cost polycarbonate case and a slightly bigger screen. All three use Google’s Wear OS, and are powered by the long-in-the-tooth Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip; a shame when you consider a wearable like the Fossil Sport boasts the newer Snapdragon Wear 3100.

READ NEXT: Best cheap smartwatches 

The E2 and S2 do have a 5 ATM waterproof rating, meaning they can withstand the pressure of being submerged in water up to 50m. Coupled with an in-built swim-monitoring mode, the new models are a step up from last year’s models – and indeed the C2 – in terms of fitness tracking. What it adds in the way of swimming it loses in the way of shopping, with no NFC support. If you want to pay for things using a TicWatch, you’ll need the C2 or Pro model.  

Battery capacity is 415mAh, which Mobvoi says will last between one to two days on a single charge. Both the E2 and S2 also come with in-built GPS and a heart rate sensor. “TicWatch E2 and TicWatch S2 are designed for those with really active lifestyles”, said Zhifei Li, CEO and co-founder of Mobvoi.

There’s no word on price yet, but are likely to be around the £170 mark given the pricing of their predecessors. Both are expected to be available in the coming weeks.    

TicWatch E2 and S2 specs