In test Mobvoi TicKasa Vibrant yet another economic smartwatch that will certainly please fitness lovers. Not only because the shapes are inspired by the much better known Apple Watch from Apple, but also because it integrates a GPS on board, which allows you to run and practice outdoor physical activity without the need to carry your smartphone to track the activity. . It is also cheap (just over 50 euros), and for this it certainly deserves attention.
In addition to being inspired by Apple's Apple Watch, Mobvoi TicKasa Vibrant practically recalls the YAMAY smartwatch, both in the form factor and in the software, which we reviewed a few weeks ago. It is practically the same watch, but with the difference of having different watchfaces, as well as the integrated GPS module.
The aesthetics of this terminal is certainly clever, because as mentioned it slightly recalls that of the Apple Watch, although perhaps it would be more correct to remember the Amazfit Bip, which was one of the most popular low-cost fitness watches in the past.
Even the silicone strap does its part, because it has a small colored line, which stands out against the black, and which makes it even more pleasing to the eye. The material used immediately suggests its use in the fitness field, offering design and sports materials.
It is well assembled and with good materials, minimal in the external look, with only one physical button positioned on the right side. It offers an easily removable and interchangeable standard silicone strap, even if the one supplied is particularly comfortable and beautiful to the touch and to the eye.
In terms of screen Mobvoi TicKasa Vibrant offers a 1.3-inch diagonal, with TFT LCD color touchscreen technology. The colors displayed on the screen are not very bright, but all the elements shown offer an appreciable resolution, with well-finished writing, free of smudges, and the icons just as clean, especially in the outlines.
Too bad for the mere presence of three watch faces, which are not customizable: there seems to be no way to add others downloaded from the internet, nor to create them from scratch. The watch pairs with iOS and Android smartphones via Bluetooth 4.2, and works with both Android 4.4 and iOS 8.1.
The proprietary operating system is really simple, but it's really well structured. This is because, through a simple slide upwards, starting from the home, the user can view steps, calories, distance traveled and, finally, a sort of summary containing the movement information recorded during the last week.
This is a particularly successful choice, because basically this will be the information that the user will want to look at most often. A slide down, on the other hand, opens the notification hub where all incoming messages on the smartphone are collected, to which it is not possible to reply, neither with pre-set phrases, nor with texts or emojis.
We have already said about the small number of watch faces, but at least they can satisfy all tastes: two are digital, one is analog. Only in the first digital one is there the number of steps and calories burned, together with the clock.
To access the functions menu, it is necessary to slide to the left from the home page. From here it will be possible to access the heart rate calculation function, the hub to track 8 sport modes, with all the information and statistics in real time to be displayed on the screen even without a smartphone, such as heart rate, steps, distance, calories.
Notifications
As already mentioned, another important feature of the Mobvoi TicKasa Vibrant smartwatch is the notification hub. This is called up with a slide down from the Home screen. Here all incoming messages and notifications are grouped, also in this case easy to consult.
GPS
Mobvoi TicKasa Vibrantgode by GPS, and combines with the smartphone with the VeryFitPr app, which for the female audience will also allow you to track menstrual cycles, record any symptoms and view a calendar on ovulation. The GPS is not the most lightning fast, and to get the signal you need to wait a few seconds, making sure you are in an area completely open and free of possible interference.
During our tests we found that, after waiting a few minutes, the GPS signal becomes stable and, therefore, functional. With GPS active, of course, the battery life is drastically reduced to 10 hours, while without using it it reaches 10 days, with a month and a half of standby.
There is no shortage of other functions such as those of stopwatch, find phone, and sleep monitoring, alarm clock, and remote control of music. The watch tracks 14 sports modes, although only some of these have GPS support.
How does it work
The features are many, but the clock is accurate. We feel, even in this case, to give an affirmative answer. We tested it alongside other smartwatches, some of the highest-end, others of the same category. Mobvoi TicKasa Vibrant performs well and turned out to be the one with the result in the middle ground.
It should be noted, however, that the watch enjoys the 5ATM certification, thus allowing it to withstand water up to 50 meters deep. Another fact that could certainly be worth the purchase price.
Conclusions
This Mobvoi TicKasa Vibrant watch more than others represents the ideal solution and alternative to the Amazfit Bip. It is true that the latter is more sought after in the software and offers a myriad of more customizations, but TicKasa offers GPS, a great shortcoming of its direct opponent. In addition, it is 5ATM certified, two characteristics that certainly make it worthy of interest. It is offered at € 54.12, a price absolutely in line with the competitor.
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Price and availability
At the moment this version of the Mobvoi TicKasa Vibrant smartwatch can be purchased for 54.12 euros directly at this address.
