El TicWatch Pro 5 arrived on the market as a small revolution Among Wear OS watches, it boasted good hardware, a competitive price, and specifications that, on paper, placed it on par with Samsung or Google models. However, as the months have passed, testimonials and complaints have emerged, painting a picture quite different from what was promised at launch.
Today, many users are wondering if It's worth continuing to invest in the TicWatch Pro 5 or if it's better to look at other brands. Sensor failures, screen problemsErrors with updates, limited compatibility with key Google features, and less-than-ideal support from Mobvoi have seriously damaged the watch's reputation.
A watch with outstanding hardware but highly questionable software
The first thing to make clear is that the The hardware of the TicWatch Pro 5 is one of its greatest strengths.It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 processor, designed specifically for smartwatches, along with a high-capacity battery and a dual screen (one full-color AMOLED and another low-power) to maximize battery life.
On paper, this set allows Move Wear OS smoothly, install apps from Google PlayUse maps, respond to notifications, record workouts, and monitor multiple health parameters effortlessly. In fact, many users agree that, when working properly, the watch feels like a high-end model, with more than enough power to last for years.
The problem arises when they come into play Mobvoi's software layers and integration with Wear OSThe combination of the brand's own apps, its system layer, and the update management Google's approach has resulted in a kind of "perfect storm" of errors: restarts, synchronization failures, crashes, notifications that don't arrive, and an experience that falls far short of what is expected in a wearable at this price.
The same idea is repeated in online store reviews, forums, and communities like Reddit, X, or Facebook: “Hardware is a 10, but the software ruins the product”Some users literally comment that the watch freezes, restarts for no reason, and that the Mobvoi Health app is full of advertising and unnecessary extras, which is especially annoying when a significant amount of money has been invested.
User testimonials: problems that appear after a few months
Beyond the technical specifications, what truly reveals the weaknesses of the TicWatch Pro 5 are the accounts from people who have used it for a year or moreThis is where the alarm bells start ringing: many agree that the watch works well for the first few months, but over time, problems begin to appear that are not always solved with a simple restart.
A very representative case is that of a user who bought his first TicWatch Pro 5 in 2023Initially, he was delighted: good battery life, good performance, and all the health and fitness features were available. However, after about a year, coinciding with the upgrade to Wear OS 4, problems began, although he himself doubts that the blame lies solely with that version of the operating system.
In your case, the The touchscreen started malfunctioning with ghostly touches (as if someone were pressing buttons on their own) and times when it simply stopped responding. Shortly after, the sensors stopped working: the heart rate monitor stopped measuring automatically, the step counter deactivated, and other sensors linked to health and activity simply stopped recording data.
After contacting technical support, Mobvoi agreed replace the watch under warrantyThis initially seemed like a reasonable solution. But the story didn't end there: with the replacement device, after about 7 or 8 months, new errors emerged, starting with the pressure sensor, which displayed a message indicating that the TicWatch Pro 5 did not have a barometer, when in fact it did.
Although this user tried reset and restore the factory clockThe error persisted, and once again, the heart rate, blood oxygen, and step sensors stopped working automatically. When he contacted Mobvoi again, he discovered that the new device was no longer covered by the warranty because, according to the company, the warranty period began from the purchase of the first watch, not from the delivery of the replacement.
This point has further inflamed passions because, according to European regulations and the Italian Consumer Code (which transposes EU directives), A newly delivered product should enjoy its own warranty periodUnless it's refurbished and clearly stated as such, Mobvoi refused to repair or replace the second watch free of charge, offering only a 75% discount coupon for another TicWatch Pro 5, bringing the price down to around €89. Clearly, the user's trust was severely compromised.
Connection errors, notifications and very weak vibration
Among the most frequent complaints from those who have tried the watch are the constant connection and notification problemsThe official Mobvoi app doesn't always work well with mobile phones, which sometimes results in alerts not reaching the watch or Bluetooth connection being lost for no apparent reason. In some cases, these issues have been reported. notification problems that affect daily experience.
Some users point out that the Notifications from apps like WhatsApp arrive irregularly.Messages from the same person appear intermittently, with no clear pattern. Others report difficulties obtaining weather data, with recurring errors when updating meteorological information.
In some forums, there is also talk about the watch It barely vibrates when a notification comes in.Compared to other models, such as some from Huawei, the vibration of the TicWatch Pro 5 is so weak that it's easy to miss important notifications. For a smartwatch that aims to be an extension of your phone's notifications, this becomes quite annoying in everyday use.
There are even reports from users who, right out of the box, encounter problems during the update process: the watch gets stuck on the "downloading update" screen for hours. even if they restart or do a full resetIn these cases, many end up choosing to return the product to the seller because they cannot find a quick solution.
Sensors that stop working for no apparent reason
Another frequently repeated complaint has to do with the TicWatch Pro 5 health and activity sensorsUsers who had been tracking their heart rate, steps, sleep, or blood oxygen levels for months suddenly find that their watches stop measuring this data practically overnight. This type of issue fits with some of the problems that smartwatches have not yet solved.
In some cases, the device stops automatically recording the heart rate, so that It can only be measured manually. (and sometimes not even that), while the pedometer registers zero steps or clearly inaccurate values. The same happens with sleep analysis and other sports parameters, which stop updating for no clear reason.
The most frustrating part is that, according to many testimonies, Restoring the clock to factory settings does not solve the problem.After the reset, the erratic behavior persists, leading to the suspicion of a deep firmware or Wear OS integration issue that cannot be fixed with standard user tools. If you're looking for repair guides, some articles that show how to fix common problems They can be helpful as a reference.
In official forums and major wearable communities, it's repeatedly emphasized that these failures are not isolated incidents. There's a clear pattern: Several owners have had very similar experiencesThis suggests that the problem goes beyond a couple of defective units.
Specific problems with Wear OS: updates, GPS, and watch faces
Wear OS's role in this whole story is also significant. Many users agree that the Mobvoi watches have never quite meshed well with Google's operating systemThe arrival of Wear OS 3 and later Wear OS 4 has brought several conflicts to the table.
On one hand, there is the issue of the updates that take a very long time to arriveWhile brands like Samsung update their Galaxy Watches relatively quickly to each new version of Wear OS, TicWatch models have traditionally lagged far behind. A clear example was the TicWatch Pro 3, launched in 2020, which took years to officially receive Wear OS 3, as did its Pro 3 Ultra variant. Similar cases of devices with problems updating They show why the community distrusts long-term support.
This history of delays makes many people distrustful of the Mobvoi's commitment to long-term supportAlthough the TicWatch Pro 5 appears to be the brand's most advanced watch and already has recent versions of Wear OS, the general feeling is that the user is always one step behind compared to other brands, without knowing for sure when (or even if) it will be updated to the next major version of the system.
Furthermore, the update to Wear OS 4 seems to have brought a worsening GPS accuracy In some cases, there are reports of incorrectly recorded workouts, routes that appear with significant deviations, or activities that the watch doesn't even detect correctly. Users have tried completely resetting the device without success, so everything points to a software-related problem.
Another open front is the watch facesSome developers and users have detected specific errors related to the com.google.wear.watchface.runtime package. Mobvoi has even acknowledged internally that they themselves encountered this bug while developing watch faces, and they directly point to Google and Samsung as responsible for the fix.
Mobvoi itself has suggested the use of a very specific version of the Watch Face Studio (WFS) tool To avoid the problem, but this leaves many users wondering where to find spheres created with that specific version and whether a permanent solution is actually being worked on. Meanwhile, some spheres aren't behaving as they should or are generating unexpected errors.
Bugs after getting the watch wet, battery and water resistance
Despite the fact that the TicWatch Pro 5 boasts water resistance 5 ATMThere have been some negative experiences related to its use in swimming pools or moderate water activities. On specialized forums, you can find messages from users who claim their watch "died" after being submerged in water, even without exceeding the official limits indicated by the manufacturer.
In other cases, the clock continues to work but appears water or moisture inside the screen after swimming with it for a while. Obviously, this situation generates a lot of distrust, because a smartwatch designed to accompany training and sports activities shouldn't have such serious problems with reasonable aquatic use.
There are also complaints surrounding the actual battery lifeAlthough the specifications promise very generous battery life, with several days of use, some members of the community point out that, even with power-hungry features disabled (continuous GPS, always-on display, intensive tracking), the watch consistently fails to reach 3 days.
This doesn't mean the battery is bad, but it does mean that The official figures seem somewhat optimistic Regarding the experience of some users, in a market where many brands fine-tune battery life to stand out from the competition, any difference between the promise and the reality is noticeable and discussed.
Google Assistant, Wallet, and the Wear OS 5 question
One of the points that most confuses those considering buying the TicWatch Pro 5 is the compatibility (or lack thereof) with key Google servicessuch as Assistant and Google Wallet. Some users who have acquired the watch at a good price acknowledge that they are satisfied with its overall performance, but feel very limited by not being able to use such basic functions as mobile payments or the voice assistant.
Whereas on other watches with newer Wear OS —such as certain OnePlus models— Google Wallet works after a few seconds of setup. And while Google Gemini is already available, some TicWatch Pro 5 owners report that there is no way to activate Wallet or enjoy Assistant, despite trying everything.
This leads to the big question: Will the TicWatch Pro 5 receive an update to Wear OS 5? Will it unlock all these features seamlessly? At the moment, there's no clear official answer from Mobvoi, and the brand's history of delayed updates doesn't exactly help to quell doubts.
For those comparing models, this situation is very frustrating: the TicWatch may cost less than a OnePlus watch or other brands, but if It does not offer the full Google experience (payments, assistant, full integration with the ecosystem), the price difference may not justify the sacrifices.
Factory reset: what is actually erased from the TicWatch Pro 5
Faced with so many software errors, many users resort to hard reset or full format of the TicWatch Pro 5 as a possible solution. It's important to understand what this process entails to avoid unpleasant surprises once it's implemented.
When performing a factory reset, They delete all data stored since the first time the watch was started.This includes installed applications (except those that come pre-installed), custom settings, downloaded watch faces, and any user settings that have been applied over time.
The watch also becomes unlinked from all associated accounts, such as your primary Google account, possible social media logins or email services, as well as any integrations with apps like Facebook, Instagram or other third-party services that you have authorized.
They are also deleted conversations, messages, photos, videos, audios and files that were downloaded or synced to the device during use, provided they were stored locally. After formatting, the TicWatch Pro 5 is virtually the same as when it came out of the box.
The positive aspect is that, if you have your data synchronized with the cloud, whether through Google Drive, your own Google account, or other backup servicesYou can recover much of your data by setting up a new device and connecting it to a Wi-Fi network. However, software issues specific to the watch or Wear OS aren't always resolved by this process, as many users have discovered.
A complicated relationship exists between TicWatch, Wear OS, and Mobvoi support.
All these errors and negative experiences highlight a reality that many users have been pointing out for some time: The relationship between TicWatch watches and Wear OS has never been entirely smooth.Although on paper it's the perfect combination — good hardware with Google's official system — in practice there are many loose ends that haven't been ironed out.
On the one hand, there is the Mobvoi's customization layer and appsThese features add functionality but also complexity and potential sources of errors. The Mobvoi Health app, with its constant advertising and promotional elements (such as paid spheres), is one of the most criticized aspects by those seeking a clean and distraction-free experience.
Furthermore, the Delays in updates and a lack of clarity in the roadmap This creates uncertainty. While other brands boast about having their watches up-to-date with the latest versions of Wear OS, Mobvoi is often late and doesn't communicate much with its users, which fuels a feeling of neglect.
To this is added a Communication with customer service could be greatly improvedSome report weeks of waiting without a response, others receive generic replies, and very few share experiences of quick and satisfactory solutions. In a scenario where software bugs are piling up, the lack of solid support exacerbates the loss of trust.
Given all this context, it's not surprising to see how the The average rating of the TicWatch Pro 5 on platforms like Amazon has been decreasing. gradually settling around 3,9 stars. Many agree that the watch could have been a major player with Wear OS, but that the software and support have brought it to a standstill.
The general feeling in the community is that, although The TicWatch Pro 5 remains a powerful and very complete watch in terms of specifications.The combination of recurring failures, doubts about updates, problems with key Google services, and less-than-ideal customer service means that more and more users are recommending seriously considering alternative options from other brands before making a purchase decision.
