What you need to know
- Mobvoi has started rolling out its Wear OS 4 update, which has been a long time coming for TicWatch Pro 5 and Pro 5 Enduro owners.
- The update offers two new features and several enhancements for TicExercise and TicMotion.
- Mobvoi is a year late in bringing its Wear OS 4 update to Pro 5 owners, which sucks because everyone is getting excited about Wear OS 5.
It’s finally here; Mobvoi has started rolling out its major Wear OS 4 update for all TicWatch Pro 5 series owners.
Mobvoi stated in a blog post that its Wear OS 4 update is starting to arrive on the TicWatch Pro 5 and Pro 5 Enduro. These devices have been rocking Wear OS 3.5 for a while now and this next OS release kicks things off with new features. Mobvoi states both watches are preparing to receive “Backup and Restore.”
This will let users seamlessly “backup your data and settings from your old watch while keeping all of your data, settings, and watch faces in place.” Phone Transfer is a lifesaver as users can easily swap their watch from one phone to another without factory resetting it.
The Wear OS 4 update brings a long list of enhancements for the TicWatches, beginning with TicExercise. There are 25 new exercises users can start getting into with their devices. A few include hiking, pickleball, CrossFit, and stair stepper. Workout data for outside exercises will display more data like GPS, distance, and speed.
Customizable workout lists and auto-pause join alongside changes in the UI and “calorie calculation.”
TicMotion picks up a few enhancements for cycling detection, enhanced data detection, and the ultra-low power display now shows a workout tile.
A few more updates are as follows:
- Multi-language Translation Enhancements: Optimizations to the translation of multiple languages.
- Watch Face Customization: Customizable watch face styles, colors, and complications. (TicWatch Pro 5 owners)
- Custom Button Functionality: Side button now supports customization to open a user-defined app (default is the recent apps list). (TicWatch Pro 5 owners)
- Other Bug Fixes: General bug fixes and stability improvements.
Mobvoi adds that its Wear OS 4 update brings the latest September 2024 patch for its two Pro 5 watches. More importantly, the update has started today (Sept 3); however, it may take some time before it hits your watch.
It’s no hiding that Mobvoi TicWatch owners have become weary of the Wear OS waiting game. The company was incredibly slow in rolling out the Wear OS 3 update and that continued as we’re just getting Wear OS 4. Mobvoi kickstarted its beta period for the software earlier this year in April.
TicWatch users were late to the party as Wear OS 4 originally launched a year ago. What makes things strange is that we’re waiting for Wear OS 5 to start hitting more devices. It seems that Google is starting to get the memo and bring more consistency to its Wear OS ecosystem. This could mean we’re in for major yearly Wear OS updates, though we’ll have to see how things go.
This also means that Mobvoi will likely have to step things up as we progress.
There’s a new sheriff in town
Mobvoi’s TicWatch Pro 5 might hit all the notes you’re expecting a smartwatch to hit. After a long wait, the TicWatch Pro 5 delivers incredible performance for all your wearable apps and tools. The watch also offers multi-day battery life, which is a privilege in this day and age. Now, with Wear OS 4 finally here, the TicWatch Pro 5 can utilize the power and features it missed out on for a while.
