Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
Out of these two budget watches, the Huawei Watch GT 2e has more features and better overall design and build.
TicWatch GTX vs. Huawei Watch GT 2e
Mobvoi is primarily known for its high-end smartwatch offerings. They often stand at the forefront of smartwatch innovation and are always looking to break the limits of the traditional smartwatch.
However, Mobvoi has recently been making moves on the budget smartwatch. And while the results have been hit or miss, we always appreciate larger brands making budget versions of their watches.
One of the budget watches that we have recently checked out is the TicWatch GTX. You can check our full review if you want to learn more. But in a nutshell, given its lower price, the TicWatch GTX offers unbeatable value.
But one question that may be in budget-oriented consumers’ minds is, what exactly do you get by upgrading to higher-priced budget Non-Wear OS watches? That is what we will be answering in this comparison.
In today’s comparison, we will be putting the TicWatch GTX against Huawei’s value-oriented Huawei Watch GT 2e. And by the end of this article, you should have a good idea of whether or not it is worth spending extra on the GT 2e.
Please note, we purchased the TicWatch GTX was bought directly from mobvoi.com on 03/04/2021, click here to check their current prices.
TicWatch Brand Overview
Mobvoi is a tech company based in Beijing, China. They were founded in 2012 by Nokia employees, researchers from top universities such as Harvard and Cambridge and Google AI experts. The primary goal of this company is the integration and advancement of voice AI communication.
Some of their revolutionary products include voice search engines featured on WeChat. Mobvoi has also developed its own voice search app engine called Chumenwenwen.
It was in 2014 when Mobvoi started venturing into the consumer electronics market. They developed an Android-based smartwatch operating system called TicWear OS. And soon after, they worked together with Frog Design to release the TicWatch.
The TicWatch brand differentiated itself from other smartwatches by having a strong integration with their AI technology. Its launch was very successful and only trails behind the Apple Watch in the domestic Chinese market.
Mobvoi continues to bring its expertise to the smartwatch market with the newer versions of the TicWatch.
Huawei Brand Overview
Huawei is no stranger to the smartwatch market. They have made successful smartwatches in the past, such as the original Huawei Watch and Huawei Watch GT. However, the success of their watches has largely been overshadowed by the success of their smartphones.
Their wearables have been mostly a side project in the past. However, in recent years, they have been consistently revamping their lineup and are proving to be a fierce competitor in the smartwatch market. This is evident with the successful release of the Watch GT Series.
Huawei has most notably moved away from Google’s Wear OS platform and has developed its proprietary operating system called the Huawei Light OS. Their current lineup is simple and is easy to follow. It consists of the flagship Watch GT 2, the midrange Watch GT 2, and the original Watch GT (which may be discontinued in the future).
You can learn more about Huawei’s history and product lineup in our Huawei Brand Overview.
🏆 #1 Best Overall
- Heart Rate and Sleep Monitoring: The Fitness Tracker monitors your heart rate automatically all day, and you can select manual mode through the App. The fitness Watch also monitors your sleep at night, providing a detailed analysis of your sleep quality (deep sleep, light sleep, awake time). It is a health advisor for women men in daily life.
- Multi Sport Modes with Activity Tracking: The fitness tracker features 9 sport modes like running, walking and more. Additionally, the activity tracker records daily steps, calories burned, walking distance and active time throughout the day. You can also set a daily steps goals through the App to track your progress.
- Smart Notification Reminder: You can get SMS messages, and SNS notifications directly on your wrist including Facebook, Twitter, Gmail ect. You won't miss any important calls and message and stay updated. Please note: the smart watch can not make calls or text.
- Long Battery Life and IP68 Waterproof: This smart watch only requires 2 hours of charging and can be used for 5-7 days continuously, IP68 waterproof rating can withstand daily sweat, washing hands and rainy day, allowing you to fully enjoy your workouts.
- More Functions & Compatibility: Fitness watch comes with multiple smart functions such as stopwatch, alarm clock, breathing guide and sedentary alert, enhancing convenience to your daily routine. The tracker is compatible with iPhone Android Phones which run on iOS 8.0 or Android OS 4.0 & Bluetooth 4.0 or above. Please note that it is not compatible with tablets or computers.
Packaging and Unboxing Experience
Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
As we always mention, the unboxing experience is mostly irrelevant to the value proposition of the product. However, we highly value them since they give the users a first look at their product. And in this case, the packaging alone makes it clear that one of these products is superior.
The extremely budget-priced TicWatch GTX does a great job given its price constraints. It has the same general design philosophy as the higher-end TicWatch models. It sports an all-black finish with a relatively clean design. The interior part of the packaging is less impressive but still gets the job done.
The Huawei Watch GT 2e, on the other hand, takes things to the next level. It has a packaging that is very similar to Huawei’s high-end smartphones. Most users might even think that the GT 2e is part of Huawei’s premium offerings based on the packaging alone.
Everything from the exterior to the interior of the box feels premium. Even the way the GT 2e is presented makes you want to immediately experience the smartwatch.
Overall, both companies did well in terms of packaging. However, the GT 2e pulls ahead thanks to its more high-quality presentation.
Design and Build Quality
Rank #2
- Personalized Watch Faces with Practical Tools: The fitness watch for women comes with theme dials and you can personalize the watch face to your liking and customize the display content. Brightness adjustment make you an optiomal experience based on environment change. The smartwatch features practical tools such as stopwatch, timer, music control, breathing training, night mode, alarm clock and wrist up awake, giving more convenience and fun to your life.
- Healthy Monitor on Your Wrist: The smartwatch monitors your heart rate in real time and you can view recorded data on the watch or App. Our watch also allows for manual detection of blood oxygen. Besides, the fitness watch tracks your sleep status automatically, including light sleep, deep sleep and awake time, helping you develop healthy sleep habits and improve sleep quality.
- Multiple Sport Modes with Waterproof: Our fitness watch is equipped with 10 different sports modes suan as yoga, walking, running, ect, tracking automatically your steps, distance, calorie burn, and activity time. The smartwatch also can track your outdoor workout route if connected with your smartphone's GPS. The sport watch features IP68 waterproof rating, ensuring that it can withstand sweat, hand washing, or rain in daily life, and is also suitable for swimming and diving.
- Get Notified on Smartwatches: The smart watch receives incoming call and notifications from SMS, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp etc, This helps you stay up-to-date and avoid missing important information. (The watch can not make calls or text back). The watch also has a sedentary reminder function and you can create reminders for drinking water, meetings, dinners, appointments and more in the alarm settings, enjoying a healthier lifestyle and a well-planned schedule.
- Long-lasting battery and Extensive Compatibility: The smart watch will take 2 hours to charge and last for up to 7 days of continuous use or 30 days standby time. The watch is compatible with smartphones that run on iOS 10.0 or Android OS 5.0 and have Bluetooth 4.0 or higher. Please note that it is not compatible with tablets or computers.
Overall Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
Both companies show that they can design a great-looking smartwatch even with a limited budget. The TicWatch GTX and GT 2e are arguably some of the best-looking watches in their respective price brackets. However, when we compare these two, there is a clear winner.
The TicWatch GTX has a very impressive design that is almost reminiscent of Huawei’s premium Watch GT 2. It is based on the classic wristwatch look and even sports engravings on the watch face. Of course, these aren’t quite as authentic as the Watch GT 2, but they are a welcome addition to the GTX.
Additionally, the TicWatch GTX has two side buttons. This was a pleasant surprise considering the TicWatch E2 and S2 only had a single side button. And in terms of materials, the GTX is made with a combination of metal and plastic.
The overall build is very impressive for a budget smartwatch, and we believe that it will survive most users’ daily routines. However, when compared to the higher-priced GT 2e, the limitations of the GTX start to show.
The GT 2e has a very similar build quality to the GT 2. This is saying a lot since the GT 2 has a significantly higher price tag. The GT 2e has an aluminum + plastic build, which feels heftier and more premium than the GTX. It isn’t a heavy watch, but the added weight prevents the watch from feeling cheap.
And in terms of the side buttons, the two flat buttons of the GT 2e feel way better than the GTX. The stock strap also seems to be made of better materials compared to the GTX. The only thing that we did not like with the GT 2e’s strap design is that it cannot be laid flat.
But aside from those minor gripes, the GT 2e feels very similar to Huawei’s flagship offering. The GTX, on the other hand, has too many compromises, which make it feel like a more entry-level offering. But again, we highly consider it to be better than most budget smartwatches.
Display Quality
Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
The display on the Huawei Watch GT 2e is clearly superior. It uses AMOLED and is able to display clear, sharp, and vibrant images. It can get fairly bright and is easily usable in both indoor and outdoor conditions.
The TicWatch GTX, on the other hand, only uses a TFT LCD display. This isn’t usually a problem since a lot of TFT displays can still look good with proper implementation. But sadly, the GTX’s display doesn’t get very bright and only has three brightness levels.
It is also no match when it comes to sharpness and vibrance. Of course, these are a given considering the large disparity in their prices. The GTX’s display is perfectly usable as long as it isn’t directly compared to an AMOLED display.
Both watches do not offer any form of screen protection. However, throughout our testing, both watches survived occasional bumps. But again, we’d give the edge to the Huawei Watch GT 2e and are willing to bet that it is using better glass.
Rank #3
- 【24/7 Heart Rate Monitor 】This blood pressure watch supports real-time dynamic heart rate, blood oxygen, blood pressure ,Sleep Tracking,temperature monitoring so you can know more about your physical condition.
- 【Sleep Tracking 】The Smart watches monitors your sleep and analyzes your sleep quality through Deep Sleep, Light Sleep, Awake stage, gives you a nightly sleep score in the app, leading a healthy lifestyle.
- 【25 Sport Modes Activity Tracker】you can select any number of sports modes in the app as your exclusive sports mode to record your sports data.can record all daily health data such as steps, distance, and calorie consumption in the App "Keep Health"
- 【1.10 inch AMOLED HD Touchscreen】 The durable stainless steel frame of C60 pairs flawlessly with the Skin-friendly fitness straps, while its 1.10 inch AMOLED HD Touch Color Screen design and multitude of invigorating watch faces blow you away any moment
- 【Smart Functions】An easy-to-use activity fitness tracker with various intelligent features. Including Call & Message Reminder,Remote Photograph, Drink Water Reminder, Sedentary Reminder, Female Health,Family Health, Alarm Clock, Stopwatch, Find Device, etc
Features
Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
The TicWatch GTX has an excellent feature set for its price. But again, the GT 2e beats it in almost every way.
The GTX covers most of the basic features. It has limited notification support that is only capable of showing notifications from allowed apps. There is no option to respond to them.
It also has an optical heart rate sensor as well as a built-in accelerometer. The GTX also has basic features such as a stopwatch, timer, weather, flashlight, and find my phone. It also has music control which is nice to have but a feature that I often do not find useful. It has no internal storage and cannot connect to Bluetooth headphones.
That’s pretty much it. It is enough for users coming from smart bands/fitness trackers or users with basic needs.
The GT 2e, on the other hand, has way more features than the GTX. It also has an optical heart sensor and an accelerometer. However, it also has a built-in GPS as well as a load of other sensors.
Both watches have sleep tracking. However, we found Huawei’s implementation to be more accurate.
The Huawei GT 2e is considered a basic smartwatch since it doesn’t have deep customization or the ability to connect with Wi-Fi. However, it not only fulfills the user’s basic needs. It delivers it in a very seamless way making it an essential tool for daily tasks,
Overall, the premise of both watches is similar. However, the GT 2e does more and executes everything the GTX can with vast improvements.
Health and Fitness Tracking
Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
The health and tracking features of the GTX are arguably its weakest point. It has a heart rate sensor as well as support for fitness tracking activities. However, it only has 14 workout modes. It covers the basics, but even a more basic fitness tracker has more activities available.
In comparison, the GT 2e has more than 100 sports activities right out of the box. This doesn’t even include the other fitness activities and the free training mode. Additionally, Huawei has added activities in the past, which indicates that they will keep on supporting watches part of the GT 2 series.
Overall, there is no competition. The GTX has some workout modes, but it falls flat to the number and quality of activities found on the GT 2e.
Rank #4
- Multi-Functional Sports Tracking & 100+ Sport Modes:The fitness watch is equipped with more than 100 sports modes, such as walking, running, swimming, hiking, cycling, mountaineering, yoga, etc. Accurately record all-day activities, this fitness tracker for men and women is waterproof with an IP68 rating, you can safely wear it for swimming, washing hands and showering. However, it is not recommended to use it in hot water (sauna) or sea water (diving).
- All Day Health Monitoring:This smartwatch for Android and Iphone (Please note: it requires iOS 9.0 and above and Android 6.0 operating system) is equipped with advanced sensors that provide insights to help you better understand your health and adjust your lifestyle. It not only can monitors your health indicators (heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep), but also records women's menstrual period. It can also automatically monitor your sleep status and provide a comprehensive sleep quality analysis to help you have a better sleep.
- Smart Notifications & Bluetooth Calling:Make and receive calls directly from your smartwatch with SMS and calling features through the built-in microphone. Stay connected to SMS and app messages (text, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) and never miss anything important. The AI Voice feature on this smartwatch lets you free your hands to control music playback, check the weather, set alarms, timers, and more by just speaking into your watch (message replies are not supported).
- Variety of Watch Faces & Customization Options:This multifunctional smartwatch is equipped with a 1.27-inch round full touch screen, which brings you a refined visual experience and a better appearance experience. You can upload your favorite pictures as the watch face. It contains many daily practical functions that you can choose by yourself, such as message reminders, weather forecasts, music control, stress monitoring, alarm settings, stopwatch, timer, sedentary reminders, breathing guidance, raise to wake, find phone, adjustable brightness, etc.
- Worry-free after-sales services:KEEPONFIT smartwatch supports SMS and call functions, and is seamlessly compatible with most iOS 9.0 and above and Android 6.0 and above smartphones (only for smartphones, not for PC, laptop or iPad), plz make sure download the VeryFit App and turn the bluetooth on before you connect it to your phone.Making it a great gift for boyfriends and girlfriends! We are committed to providing you with the best service, if you have any questions, please feel free to let us know, our professional technical team will serve you within 24 hours!
Watch Software Performance
Overall Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
The best part about these two watches is their software experience. Both show that having a simpler but smooth-performing OS beats out more complicated software with lots of bugs and performance drops.
The TicWatch GTX utilizes proprietary software that is very similar to the GT 2’s Light OS. Navigation is very simple and easy to get used to. There are some design elements that are similar to the icons used on the Wear OS TicWatch models, which certainly help give the OS some flair.
The surprising thing about the GTX’s software is that it is significantly faster and smoother than the TicWatch E2 and S2’s Wear OS implementation. Of course, those two watches beat the GTX in terms of features, but the speed and responsiveness of the GTX were very astonishing.
The Huawei Watch GT 2e has a similar but more refined approach. The UI is snappy with a well-thought-out layout to quickly access essential menus and features. The GT 2e is also powered by the same Kirin A1 processor found on all of Huawei’s other GT 2 Series watches.
It isn’t free from slowdowns or bugs, but these are kept to a minimum. Most people would be very happy with using this watch as their daily driver simply due to the reliability of the software.
Watch Faces
Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
Despite its excellent software performance, we highly consider the watch faces to be a weak point of the GTX. Despite having some stand-out designs, most of the selection is pretty bland and uninspiring. The watch face selection is also fairly limited.
Additionally, adding new watches is a huge pain since you have to wait a few minutes. This discouraged us from trying out different watches and instead settled for a simpler look. It is also unclear if Mobvoi is interested in developing the GTX’s platform, given how most of their flagship smartwatches utilize Wear OS.
The Huawei Watch GT 2e, on the other hand, has a far superior watch face library. They have steadily built it from the ground up and now sports lots of unique and interesting designs as well as collaborations with different artists. The watch face syncing is also very seamless.
💰 Best Value
- 【Superb Visual Experience & Effortless Operation】Diving into the latest 1.58'' ultra high resolution display technology, every interaction on the fitness watch is a visual delight with vibrant colors and crisp clarity. Its always on display clock makes the time conveniently visible. Experience convenience like never before with the intuitive full touch controls and the side button, switch between apps, and customize settings with seamless precision.
- 【Comprehensive 24/7 Health Monitoring】The fitness watches for women and men packs 24/7 heart rate, 24/7 blood pressure and blood oxygen monitors. You could check those real-time health metrics anytime, anywhere on your wrist and view the data record in the App. The heart rate monitor watch also tracks different sleep stages for light and deep sleep,and the time when you wake up, helps you to get a better understanding of your sleep quality.
- 【120+ exercise modes & All-Day Activity Tracking】There are more than 120 exercise modes available in the activity trackers and smartwatches, covering almost all daily sports activities you can imagine, gives you new ways to train and advanced metrics for more information about your workout performance. The all-day activity tracking feature monitors your steps, distance, and calories burned all the day, so you can see how much progress you've made towards your fitness goals.
- 【Messages & Incoming Calls Notification】With this smart watch fitness trackers for iPhone and android phones, you can receive notifications for incoming calls and read messages directly from your wrist without taking out your phone. Never miss a beat, stay in touch with loved ones, and stay informed of important updates wherever you are.
- 【Essential Assistant for Daily Life】The fitness watches for women and men provide you with more features including drinking water and sedentary reminder, women's menstrual period reminder, breath training, real-time weather display, remote camera shooting, music control,timer, stopwatch, finding phone, alarm clock, making it a considerate life assistant. With the GPS connectivity, you could get a map of your workout route in the app for outdoor activity by connecting to your phone GPS.
Battery Life
Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
Both watches offer excellent battery life. The Huawei Watch GT 2e offers two weeks of battery life. And even while using features such as GPS and Always-on display (AOD), you can still expect at least one week of use.
The TicWatch GTX, on the other hand, can last up to a week. This is very impressive given its price point but is pretty much expected given its fairly basic feature set.
Unfortunately, the GTX’s charger doesn’t offer a removable cable, and the magnet isn’t very strong. The GT 2e’s charger, on the other hand, offers stronger magnets and a removable Type-C cable. Of course, this shouldn’t matter since you won’t be needing the chargers too much.
Comparison Winner: Huawei Watch GT 2e
The TicWatch GTX is without a doubt an excellent budget smartwatch and is an easy recommendation if you are on a tight budget. However, the Huawei Watch GT 2e easily proves that you get more if you pay more.
It is superior in every way and is a better fit for both casual users and fitness enthusiasts. If you have the extra cash, we highly recommend going for the Huawei Watch GT 2e.
Specifications
Huawei GT2e |
Mobvoi TicWatch GTX  |
|
| Brand | Huawei | Mobvoi |
| Model | GT2e | TicWatch GTX |
| Screen Size | 1.39” AMOLED Display | 1.28” TFT LCD |
| Screen Protection | No Official Certification | No Official Certification |
| Screen Resolution | 454 x 454 pixel | 240 x 240 pixel |
| Pixel Density | 326 PPI | – |
| Input Type | Touch Screen | 2 Physical Buttons |
| Watch Dimensions | 46.9 x 52.2 x 12.9 mm | 48.7 x 48.7 x 11mm |
| Weight | 53.2 grams | 57.6 grams |
| Watch Case Material | Stainless Steel + Plastic | Stainless Steel |
| Bezel Material | Polycarbonate | Stainless Steel |
| Watch Design | Circular | Circular, Curved |
| Strap Size | 22 mm | 20 mm |
| Watch Colors | Graphite Black, Lava Red, Mint Green, and Icy White | Black |
| Water Resistance | Waterproof (5ATM) | IP68 |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Not recommended |
| NFC | Not Supported | Not Supported |
| GPS | GPS/GLONASS/Beidou | No |
| CONNECTIVITY Wi-fi |
No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| SENSORS Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate | Yes | Yes |
| Compass | Yes | No |
| Gyroscope | Yes | No |
| Altimeter | Yes | No |
| SPO2 | No | No |
| Elevation | Yes | No |
| Ambient Light | No | No |
| Barometer | Yes | No |
| FITNESS TRACKING Sleep tracking |
Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors Climbed | No | No |
| Heart Rate Monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | Yes | No |
| VO2 Max | Yes | – |
| Blood Oxygen | Yes | No |
| Blood Pressure | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle tracking | Yes | No |
| Swim tracking | Yes | No |
| Underwater heart rate tracking |
No | No |
| On-screen workout modes | No | No |
| Triathlon mode | Yes | No |
| ECG tracking | No | No |
| Preloaded sport modes | Yes | Yes |
| Safety tracking | No | No |
| Battery Life | 14 days | Regular: up to 7 days Battery Saver Mode: 10 days |
| Battery Technology | Li-Ion | Li-Ion |
| Charging Time | About 1-2 Hours | About 1-2 Hours |
| Charging Type | USB based charging dock | USB based charging dock |
| Compatible OS | Android iOS |
Android iOS |
| NOTIFICATIONS Email Alert |
Yes | Yes |
| SMS Alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls Alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event Reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Weather | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party Apps | No | Yes |
| MEDIA Audio |
mp3/mp4 | No |
| Music Streaming | No | No |
| Bluetooth Music | Yes | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| Loud Speaker | Yes | No |
| Microphone | Yes | No |
| CLOCK FEATURES Time/Date |
Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes | Yes |
| OTHER FUNCTIONS Control camera | Yes | No |
| Music Control | Yes | Yes |
| Find Phone | Yes | Yes |
| Text Response | No | No |
| Answer Call | Yes | No |
| MISC Payment System |
No | No |
| Companion App | Huawei Health | Mobvoi App |
| Customizable watch face | Yes | Yes |
| Interchangeable band | Yes | Yes |
| Voice command | No | No |
| Internal Storage | 4 GB | 16 MB |
| Operating system | Huawei Light OS | Proprietary OS |