A slightly more rugged design adds to the TicWatch S2’s $180 price [hands-on]

We’ve already raved about the incredible value of Mobvoi’s TicWatch E2 already, which at $160 undercuts many of its rivals in the Wear OS space. However, Mobvoi is also offering its sibling in the TicWatch S2, for a slightly higher, but still relatively affordable cost of $180. Knowing that, it’d make anyone skeptical about forking over the additional money to pick up the TicWatch S2. Then again, there are some things to consider about it.

In particular, we’re talking about the S2’s ruggedized design to meet MIL-STD-810G. Even though the E2 has the same 5 ATM waterproof rating, allowing it to be submerged in up to 50 meters of water, the S2 gains resistance against humidity, dust, and salt fog. We also see it in the aesthetics, as the TicWatch S2’s polycarbonate chassis, despite still being on the chunkier side, features a slightly more appealing sporty design with the carbon fiber-like pattern outlining the bezel. Beyond that, its design doesn’t deviate too far from what we’ve seen previously with the E2.

Over on the features side, there’s nothing extraordinarily different with the S2, seeing that the specs are identical for the most part to the E2. They include the same 1.39-inch 400 x 400 AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 2100 chipset, Bluetooth 4.1, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, 415 mAh battery, accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS + GLONASS, and heart rate sensor. You’d think they would’ve added some changes here for the S2, but they didn’t – so what we end up getting here is no different from the E2.

That even extends into the Wear OS experience with the smartwatch. Yes, it’s fast and responsive for the most part, but it’s providing just the basics. From keeping track of your workouts, to your heart rate, and receiving incoming notifications from your smartphone, the TicWatch S2 doesn’t add anything different into the mix that we’ve experienced on other Wear OS powered smartwatches. Frankly, the additional $20 premium of the TicWatch S2 may not spark enough interest when the E2 functions nearly at the same capacity, but for those looking for a sportier and rugged design may still find reason to pick it up. Hey, the $180 cost of the TicWatch S2 is still unbelievably affordable!