Choosing between Wear OS smartwatches has arguably never been harder, and two of the most popular options to consider in 2024 are the Xiaomi Watch 2 and Mobvoi TicWatch Pro.
Both sit on the more budget-friendly end of the spectrum and, despite being from different manufacturers, provide plenty of the same features and strong points.
To help you split the hairs between the two, then, we've created this detailed comparison guide.
After spending some time with each device, we're able to explain all the key differences in design, features, battery life, and that all-important price.
Price and versions
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- TicWatch Pro 5: $349.99 / £329.99 (RRP)
- Xiaomi Watch 2: $199 / £170 (RRP)
Just above, we described the TicWatch Pro 5 as a device to consider on a budget, which might be confusing if you look at the RRP in either the US or the UK. However, even shortly after releasing in the summer of 2023, it's been the subject of consistent and chunky discounts from Mobvoi.
You can typically pick it up much closer to $250 / £230 on Mobvoi's website, as well as through third-party retailers such as Amazon.
That places it much closer to the Xiaomi Watch 2 (and right in line with the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro), though it must be said that this is by far the cheapest watch to run at least Wear OS 3.5 (more on that later).
We should also note the versions on offer here. Neither is available with a cellular/LTE variant or in multiple case sizes, which means you can focus on just the base model of each (and which finish you prefer).
Design and display
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- TicWatch Pro 5 dimensions: 50.1mm x 48mm x 12.2mm
- TicWatch Pro 5 display: 1.43-inch AMOLED & low-power LCD
- Xiaomi Watch 2 dimensions: 47.5mm x 45.9mm x 11.8mm
- Xiaomi Watch 2 display: 1.43-inch AMOLED
With the Xiaomi Watch 2 only just announced at the time of writing, we've so far only had a quick hands-on test of the design and display performance.
Our first impressions, however, are that the brightness and detail are just as impressive as on its Pro sibling. It's also a much more comfortable experience on the wrist, thanks to the lighter aluminum case, and one we're sure we'd prefer to perform outdoor workouts with than the stainless steel TicWatch Pro 5.
Without the strap, Xiaomi indicates it should weigh around 36.5g, which means it's a shade lighter than the 44.4g TicWatch Pro 5. And the distribution of this weight feels slightly more natural when you're wrist moves around a lot.
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The ace that the TicWatch Pro 5 holds is in its dual display. Not only does it offer a similarly dazzling 1.43-inch display as the Xiaomi, but it also hides another more efficient screen underneath.
This allows it to retain an always-on LCD look while maximizing battery life, and this has plenty of ingenious functions in use (such as changing colors to indicate different HR zones).
The Xiaomi Watch 2 is by no means a slouch in the design - especially for the price - but we do slightly prefer the TicWatch Pro 5 at first glance. It's slightly more premium-feeling, and the bonus of that low-power LCD screen is hard to ignore.
Neither, we'd say, is the best for those with smaller wrists (unless you like an oversized watch) - and, as we've already mentioned, there are no additional sizes to consider.
Wear OS and performance
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- Both feature Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chip
- Xiaomi Watch 2 uses a WearOS-MIUI skin
- TicWatch Pro 5 is native Wear OS with bloatware
We had a very mixed time with the Wear OS experience on the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro, so we're keen to see if the company has ironed out some of the stability issues and app experience for the Watch 2.
The positive here is that the Watch 2 retains the core of Google's services despite featuring a skinned version of Wear OS 3.5, and it also has the advantage over the TicWatch Pro 5 by offering Google Assistant support.
The roadmap for future updates is our key concern with Xiaomi's watches, given its semi-proprietary software, though the same could also be said for any watch partner outside of Samsung based on what we've seen over the last few years.
We found the base Wear OS experience much friendlier on the Watch Pro 5, by comparison, with little to no stuttering or bugs in our in-depth test period.
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With that said, though, there's an insane amount of bloatware to sift through in the menus that might frustrate some users.
It's hard to pick a preferred option here, given the fact we're yet to strap on the Xiaomi Watch 2 full-time, but we suspect most will prefer the standard OS offered by Mobvoi. We'll update this section with more impressions in the coming weeks.
Fitness and health tracking
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- Xiaomi Watch 2 features dual-frequency GNSS
- TicWatch Pro 5 shows consistent and solid accuracy
We had a very positive experience with essentially every element of the TicWatch Pro 5's tracking. GPS tracking was well within the range of our gold-standard test devices in our review, as were heart rate readings during exercise, blood oxygen estimations, and sleep time/wake tracking.
Unlike we've found previously with Xiaomi, the more in-depth features (like VO2 Max estimates) were also pretty bang on. It's not clear whether this will extend to Xiaomi's Watch 2, but, like with the Wear OS experience, we're expecting the tracking accuracy and presentation to be generally less polished than on the TicWatch Pro 5.
One big advantage it could prove to hold over the Mobvoi device, though, is the inclusion of dual-frequency GNSS. It's unheard of, really, for this feature to be offered in an entry-level device, and should mean the Watch 2 can match Garmin's premium sports watches and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 for outdoor tracking accuracy.
We found this feature to underperform on the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro, so here's hoping it shows improvement on the cheaper variant. If it does, it becomes highly recommendable for outdoor exercisers - particularly when coupled with the lighter design - and a step up from what Mobvoi can offer.
Battery life
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- Xiaomi quotes 65-hour battery life
- TicWatch Pro 5 lasts 2-4 days in AOD mode
With both of these devices featuring the same snappy, flagship Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 processor, it's no surprise that the battery life - or at least the estimations - are similar.
Mobvoi indicates that you can expect around 80 hours from the TicWatch Pro 5, and, in our testing, we found this to definitely be achievable in the right conditions. Using the LCD screen as our always-on display, and with brightness maxed out and plenty of outdoor tracking, we found it was able to stretch to around 2-3 days.
If you're more sparing, particularly with features like raise-to-wake, we think stretching to four days and beyond is possible.
We're keen to see how the Xiaomi Watch 2 matches up. The spec sheet shows that it features a smaller 495mAh battery unit than the TicWatch (628mAh), but the drop-off may not be substantial, with Xiaomi estimating around 65 hours of use between charges.
We found the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro was capable of at least a couple of days in AOD mode (and has the same battery estimation), so the signs are certainly positive.
Either way, we don't think you can really go wrong here. There's genuine multi-day life even with intensive use, and plenty of battery-saving modes at your disposal if you need to stretch things out by a few hours.
Verdict: Which is best?
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Despite their similarities, the differences between these watches begin to appear when you scratch beneath the surface. Not only are they for slightly different budgets, but they also feature quite different designs and skins of Wear OS.
We'll reserve our full judgment over which is best until we've reviewed the Xiaomi Watch 2 in full, but, for now, these are our recommendations:
Choose the Xiaomi Watch 2 if:
- You want the cheapest new-gen Wear OS watch
- You don't prioritize a premium-feeling design
- You like the idea of dual-frequency GNSS
Choose the Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5 if:
- You want a polished software experience
- You require accurate fitness and health tracking
- Your budget can stretch to around $250-$350
How we test
Conor moved to Wareable Media Group in 2017, initially covering all the latest developments in smartwatches, fitness trackers, and VR. He made a name for himself writing about trying out translation earbuds on a first date and cycling with a wearable airbag, as well as covering the industry’s latest releases.
Following a stint as Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint, Conor returned to Wareable Media Group in 2022 as Editor-at-Large. Conor has become a wearables expert, and helps people get more from their wearable tech, via Wareable's considerable how-to-based guides.
He has also contributed to British GQ, Wired, Metro, The Independent, and The Mirror.