Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra brings military durability, faster performance

Wear OS watchmakers won’t have access to the big Wear OS 3 upgrade until next year, but that’s not stopping Mobvoi from releasing new smartwatches to cater to different crowds. Mobvoi has announced the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra and TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra 4G, bringing a better durability rating and new health-tracking features to the lineup.

The TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra and Pro 3 Ultra 4G share the same internal specs and software features, except connectivity. The 4G model can connect to mobile networks for on-the-go internet use without having a phone nearby. If you don’t need standalone 4G connectivity, the standard Pro 3 Ultra will be more suited for you.

Despite the “Ultra” moniker, most of the hardware found in the new smartwatch has been carried over from 2020’s TicWatch Pro 3. It’s still powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 4100 SoC and Mobvoi’s dual-processor system, which assists with app launching and battery consumption. One important note to take away from the press release: Mobvoi will tell you the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra has “increased performance up to 40%,” but that’s compared to the company’s original TicWatch Pro, which was released in 2018 and was powered by the Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip. Sly marketing, Mobvoi.

Our verdict: Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 review

Elsewhere, the watch has 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, and a 577mAh battery — again, same as the 2020 TicWatch Pro 3. The display is also unchanged, but that’s a good thing. Since its inception, the 1.4-inch AMOLED + FSTN dual display has been one of our favorite aspects of the TicWatch line. This allows for the watch to be used as usual but switch to an “essential mode” for up to 45 days of battery life if need be. Standard-use battery stats are still rated at 72 hours.

The TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance and a MIL-STD-810G rating for durability. This is great news for those who like to brave the elements without worrying about their smartwatch.

There are new health-tracking features, too. In addition to tracking all-day heart rate data, the TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra will send an alert if it senses your heart rate is too high or low during times of inactivity. It’ll also alert you of early warning signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib). However, the watch has not received FDA or CE certifications for AFib detection, meaning they should not be used as medical devices.

The smartwatches will also provide mental fatigue assessments based on your heart rate variability, as well as energy level measurements, presumably based on sleep and other activity data.

Again, these watches won’t ship with the new Wear OS. That update won’t be available until 2022. The TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra will certainly be on the list of watches eligible for the upgrade when it becomes available.

Interested? The TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra goes on sale Friday, October 15, on Mobvoi’s website and Amazon. It comes in one colorway — Shadow Black — and costs $299.99. The 4G model will be available this November for £329.99 / €359.99. As of this writing, the 4G model will not be sold in the US.