Is it possible that for 25 euros you can put on your wrist a smartwatch capable of doing even what an Apple Watch cannot do? Let's face it: not that Apple is not thinking about it, for years it has been working on technologies, some already patented, to ensure that from the wrist people can keep an eye on blood pressure, maybe even saturation and why not, the temperature. corporeal.
But if today, in 2020, there is still no Apple Watch that does all this, it is clear that there is a reason. And we're not just talking about medical certifications or even technologies. It is precision that everything is at stake: because a wrong measurement in the health sector can hide a health problem that, when you rely on a device that promises a certain feature, you are expected to promptly discover; or on the contrary, it could unnecessarily generate panic. A wrong value can cause a loss of credibility, therefore the market and the public, also decreeing the fate of a multinational that lives with the trust of its customers.
But let's go back to the Ticwrist GTS, a smartwatch that we have tried in recent weeks and that promises incredible measurements for a wrist device of this type, moreover at a ridiculously low price, especially when compared to what it promises. Does it promise, or does it really succeed? We asked ourselves and if you are wondering too, you are in the right place: the answer is right here.
A premise
To understand if the measurements it proposes are really valid, we compared the values detected by the smartwatch with those obtained through a professional tool, a rather reliable medical device whose price is hundreds of euros, therefore well above the cost of this smartwatch. We performed the individual measurements, simultaneously, from both devices, in such a way as to have a valid comparison on which to base what you are about to read.
For each of the various parameters – temperature, frequency, pressure and saturation – we performed ten measurements, at three different times of the day, in two different conditions, at rest and after a light domestic activity, both with the strap as tight as possible, and keeping it a little lighter but with the case always close to the skin, which is how we usually wear traditional watches.
Heart rate
Let's start with a fact that others are also able to provide. To measure the heart rate just hold it on the wrist: the wait is about 10 seconds from when the measurement is activated, which seemed to us quite accurate: the error is about 1 beat at rest, while it rises to more or less 3 beat if we try to hop on the spot. Low margin of error even immediately after physical activity. This, with the strap tight on the wrist. With a slightly lighter strap, the measurement is still excellent at rest, while it completely busts during a small activity: here the margin of error is also more or less 30 beats compared to the most reliable figure.
Blood pressure
How it will be accurate enough even with blood pressure measurement, we don't know. The best technology for this kind of measurement today is still the one offered by inflatable armrests. However, we know that Apple is also working on an equally valid alternative that uses a different technology. Whatever the system adopted by Ticwrist GTS is, it is not much wrong. In this case the values measured with a narrow or wide strap do not change, in any of the physical conditions in which it was subjected to the test. The margin of error is always about 4-5 on the maximum and 10-13 on the minimum. This means that for very quick evaluation, this smartwatch can probably work. However, we do not know what the margin of error is in case of completely out of control pressure: in recent weeks, fortunately ours has been an iron health.
Blood saturation
Here, too, the sensations are the same as those we had with the blood pressure measurement. The margin of error is one percentage point, down on the smartwatch. However, even here, the data must be contextualized, especially in this historical moment in which instruments of this type sell a lot due to the fact that they allow you to control the functioning of the lungs and can therefore be an alarm bell to catch a possible contagion of coronavirus in time.
Those who are healthy have a saturation that fluctuates between 95% and 100%: it means that the lungs are working well. Below this threshold, on the other hand, there is a reduced presence of oxygen in the blood, therefore the gaseous exchanges between blood and atmosphere, which take place at the level of the pulmonary alveoli, are not taking place in a normal and adequate way. In cases like this, it is hard to breathe. Sars-CoV-2, as we said, attacks the deep airways and can cause very dangerous atypical pneumonia. Those in isolation are asked to monitor any breathing difficulties at home, a possible prelude to an aggravation that precedes any hospitalization.
This is why the oximeter: it does not allow to establish with which gas the hemoglobin is linked, but only the percentage of hemoglobin bound: normally hemoglobin binds oxygen, therefore in essence it allows to obtain an estimate of the amount of oxygen present in the blood . Normally a device like this is used in hospital wards and on emergency vehicles as it is a non-invasive device (i.e. it is not necessary to perform maneuvers or analyzes that penetrate the patient's tissues) and is early in recognizing hypoxia with respect to the conditions of cyanosis, allowing a diagnosis of oxygen desaturation before serious complications.
Hypoxemia is also typical of various diseases: airway obstructions, anemia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, COPD, emphysema, interstitial lung disease, pneumonia, pneumothorax, pulmonary edema, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary fibrosis and obstructive apnea syndrome during the sleep. The device is not designed for continuous monitoring, therefore it does not replace what we find in the operating room for example: it is rather designed for home use and is indicated to provide additional information to your doctor.
With Ticwrist GTS, we said, the error is one percentage point but we are not able to provide you with a more precise test in case of discomfort. Again, let's touch iron and make all the necessary precautions: readers do not want it, for this reason they will not be able to have a broader comparison of the data.
Body temperature
We are still in the COVID-19 topic, because temperature is another value that can anticipate the onset of the disease. Here the smartwatch is very clear: every time the measurement is started, a notification reminds us of two conditions for which correct monitoring is promised: the device must be on the wrist for at least an hour and the measurement must not be carried out in extreme environments. We'll put the third on: strap as tight as possible. If it is kept freer, in fact, the contact with the skin, even if present, is less efficient. The error is about two points downwards: 36.3 ° C our temperature measured on the medical instrument, 34.4 ° C that of the smartwatch. When the strap is narrow, the measurement is superimposable: 36.3 ° C on both: no error.
Of course, these are somewhat limiting conditions because it means that if we take off the smartwatch to recharge the battery, at least an hour must pass before we can measure the temperature. Furthermore, we are not assured of the correct measurement, let's imagine, outdoors in the middle of winter, with the case of the smartwatch exposed to the elements, and perhaps not even when we are on the beach, on the hot sand. For both situations we cannot be of help but from our home tests, the data appears excellent. Again, we had no fever (and three, where did I leave the red horn?) So the test stops there.
And instead as a smartwatch: how are you?
Good and bad, it depends on where you look at it. We start from the negative things, which then we make up our mouths with what is good. The pedometer is something exaggerated, with a margin of error that sometimes adds or subtracts even a thousand steps to the real data, a value that this time we compared with the pedometer integrated in the iPhone 6: certainly not the best comparison tool, but according to the statistics, however, precise enough to be taken as a yardstick.
As a pedometer, we said, forget about using Ticwrist GTS, therefore also all the functions related to the monitoring of sports activity: for these, better if you buy a sports watch. For the sleep monitoring functions: the detection is there, apparently the indications it provides also seem reliable (for this night, for example, it tells us that we had 4 hours of deep sleep and another two of light sleep, approximately: we actually feel rested ), but what do we compare it with? We are not fans of the genre and do not have Smart pillows or mattresses for a more accurate comparison.
Let's shift our attention to the aesthetic aspect: it is very small, light, with sweet and elegant curves. In fact, the Apple Watch looks a bit like us. It even has a miniature replica of the digital crown, only here it has the sole function of a multifunction button: it rotates, in fact, even with some resistance, but it is not associated with any function. A real shame, also because the screen is small and with your finger in some sections of the apps it is difficult to move.
But there is also some good in this smartwatch. For example, you can set an alarm, check the music playing on your smartphone, read notifications, use the timer for cooking pasta or other, there is a stopwatch and then there are four different dials, a few in fact also because they don't you can add your own, but they are enough to have different styles that should satisfy all tastes. The visibility of the screen, even in direct sunlight, is not bad at all and the autonomy is also good: if you do not play too much with the four health monitoring functions it also works for “days” on a single charge. Finally, the reactivity of the screen is very good, the touch works well while the sensor to awaken the screen by raising the wrist occasionally misfires: a few times in a day, and just press the side dial to take a look at the time .
Conclusions
Buying it or not buying it is dictated by the functions you intend to use with a device like this. There are many, many of those that we find in most smartphones, but not all of them work well. Then there are the special ones, which very few have, which have their limits. Put your needs on the scales with what Ticwrist GTS offers, and the answer comes by itself.
Retail price
If you want to buy it, you can find it on Gearbest for only 25 euros.
Pro Ridiculous price, it performs the basic functions and has some gems that even the big ones do not yet have
Cons It's not very accurate, above All is not with all the functions it offers. It should be used as an emergency measurement system or to understand a trend but then relying on truly reliable tools.
