Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro vs. GTH

Let’s face it: Not everyone has hundreds of dollars to drop on a new fitness tracker or smartwatch. If you don’t know much about them and just want something simple, Mobvoi has some great options. 

Looking at the Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro vs. Mobvoi TicWatch GTH, they appear to be identical. But there are a few differences that could sway you towards the entry model, or to upgrade to the higher end one.

Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro vs. GTH: How they look

At first glance, it might seem that these two smartwatches are one in the same. They both feature a square face reminiscent of the Apple Watch, with a single function button on the side. 

They are the same size with a 1.5-inch 360x320 color touchscreen display and the Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro comes in Meteorite black while the Mobvoi TicWatch GTH comes in Raven black, two finishes that are almost indistinguishable from one another. 

They both come with a single 20mm strap, the GTH Pro is rubber and the GTH in silicone and both are quick release with the option to swap out the band for interchangeable ones from the company or third parties. 

The Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro has a side-mounted PPG sensor along with the one on the underside to measure a variety of health metrics (more on these later). Android Central’s Chris Wedel noted in his review that the Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro is very comfortable as well. 

Both let you choose from a wide range of watch faces using the Mobvoi app, and you can even choose your own personal photo to display on the face for a totally customized look. There’s a tilt-to-wake feature, versus an always-on display. 

Both sport a generous 10-day battery life, which means you’ll only need to recharge every week and-a-half or so, which is a nice departure from the weekly, or even daily, charging needs of other smartwatches. 

With a 5ATM rating, you can confidently wear them while swimming, in the shower, washing dishes, out in the rain, snow, or other wet conditions, without worrying about damaging the watch. 

Both are also powered by the custom RTOS software, which is a departure from other models in the line that are powered by Google’s WearOS. It’s not the best OS option, so you might want to look elsewhere if you prefer Google WearOS.

Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro vs. GTH: Let’s compare the specs

Before getting into details on what makes them different, let’s get into the specs of both smartwatches.

What’s the difference here? It would appear these two bands are exactly the same, with the exception of the slight difference in color. But there’s more to the story.

Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro vs. GTH: What they can both do

When it comes to tracking workouts and basic health metrics, both these smartwatches are virtually identically. 

Both track daily steps, blood oxygen, heart rate, sleep, and skin temperature. They both come loaded with 14 workouts, including basics like running, indoor cycling, swimming, and walking, as well as some interesting ones like soccer, gymnastics, and rope skipping. For anything else, you can simply use the “freestyle” workout option as a catch-all. 

They can both measure heart rate variability to determine stress levels, have guided breathing exercises to help you relax and focus, and have proactive workout detection called TicMotion. This will intelligently detect if you’re doing an activity and alert you to start tracking if you forgot to set the watch. While exercising, they will also advise when you reach goals, which is helpful motivation. 

They can also both track sleep, including light and deep cycles, as well as duration and quality. Every morning, you’ll receive a helpful sleep quality rating so you can work on improving.

Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro vs. GTH: What makes them different?

The biggest difference between these two smartwatches is that the Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro focuses heavily on heart health. Using the Arty Health platform and Dual PPG sensors (including that side one mentioned earlier), you’ll get more detailed readings of blood flow and more information overall on your arterial health. Accuracy is improved thanks to a partnership with CardieX. 

This also includes features like a TruHR score, which is a more accurate heart measurement, eCAP, your exercise capacity measured through the blood flow to your inner heart muscles, and HSX, which determines how hard your heart has to pump to move blood through stiff arteries. 

Arty Age, meanwhile, will advise of your estimated age based on arterial stiffness. Naturally, if this is higher than your actual chronological age, it’s a good indication to be more active and kick yourself into better shape. 

Finally, you get an Arty Score, which is a general score of your heart health based on proprietary heart health metrics. Overall, it’s said to be far more accurate for measuring heart health than the previous generation GTH model.

However, there’s a big but. In his review, Wedel found that he would have to take multiple readings in order to successfully yield a result, often getting error messages. Assuming these kinks can be worked out, or you can at the very least be patient with it, the Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro is worth it for those who want to focus predominantly on monitoring heart health. 

The Mobvoi TicWatch GTH offers a collaboration with Turing Scholar and Carnegie Mellon scientists to use sensor data to help develop a system that can predict the early warning signs of COVID-19. But this likely carries over to the Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro as well. 

It’s also worth noting that in her review, Android Central’s Courtney Lynch questioned the accuracy of the Mobvoi TicWatch GTH tracking, which would often fail to show her heart rate data through a workout once she was done and wanted to review the stats. When comparing workout stats with this watch and a Garmin model, she found a marked discrepancy in the readings as well.

Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro vs. GTH: Other features

Beyond the health and wellness features, both can be used to control music playback and can display a limited number of notifications, built-in alarm, flashlight, do not disturb mode, power saving mode, find my phone to ring your device if it’s within Bluetooth range, and the ability to sync with apps like Google Fit and Runkeeper. You’ll also get handy reminders to move if you have been sedentary for too long. 

But with both, there’s no option to download additional apps, making them very limited in their abilities beyond health and wellness. There is, however, a built-in weather app, which is nice to have. 

Notifications, as noted, are very limited, only available from a limited number of sources. Lynch also wasn’t fond of the typewriter-like font that was difficult to read, and the fact that the messages aren’t often shown in full. It almost makes the feature not worth using at all. 

Thus, if you’re looking for an all-around smartwatch that can not only be a fitness companion, but also serve as a notification center on your wrist, you might be better off opting for another of the best Android smartwatches, which includes other models from Mobvoi as well.

Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro vs. GTH: Which should you get?

The Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro vs. GTH proves that these two smartwatches are pretty much the same. The most notable difference is the Arty Heart Health platform with the Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro, which makes it a better option if staying on top of heart health is your primary goal. Just keep in mind that the system is finicky, so it might turn out to be more frustrating than useful. 

If you’re fine with basic heart rate tracking, heart rate variability, stress scores, and more, you can save a ton by opting for the simpler Mobvoi TicWatch GTH. Beyond the added hearth health feature, it’s essentially the same watch. 

Given that both these watches are under $100, however, you might be better off splurging on the newer Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro, which released earlier this year. 

With either option, if you’re simply looking for a basic smartwatch, they’re both decent options. If you’re willing to save up and spend more for something more feature rich, however, you might be better off opting for one of the best Fitbits or one of the best Garmin smartwatches instead.