Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 5: problems, parts and running costs

Checked: 2026-10-16

Summary

Owners most often report battery degradation over time, optical heart-rate lag during intervals, and uncertainty about Wear OS updates. Yearly cost is $0 unless you pay the optional $2.99 per month Mobvoi VIP membership for advanced sleep metrics. It is a good buy at roughly $260 or less; at the $349.99 MSRP it is weak value against newer watches. [3][5][10]

Common problems and fixes

Battery degradation over time — owners report charge dropping from 100% to empty within 10 h overnight, or max 30 h within 9 months, with lag, crashes and failing SpO2. [11][12]
Optical heart rate lags during intervals — PCMag measured 100 bpm during a sprint while an Apple Watch Series 8 and chest strap showed 160 bpm; The Verge saw occasional lag within 5 bpm of a Polar H10 overall. [3][5]
Hardware failure signals — individual owners report a second (ULP) display failing and slowdown after ~9 months, a post-update pairing brick, and touch/crown misregistration (24 people marked “I have the same question”). [14][15][16]
ULP display hard to read indoors — the segmented display has no manual backlight and is hard to see in dim light. [5]
Missing features — Google Assistant, ECG, cellular and iOS support are absent at launch and through January 2024. [3][4]

Parts and consumables

Yearly running cost

$0 per year if you skip the optional membership. The only recurring charge is the optional Mobvoi VIP membership at $2.99 per month for advanced sleep metrics and sleep aids, which is twelve monthly charges per year. 24 mm replacement straps are a one-time cost with no price documented. [5][10]

When it is a good buy

Store prices observed: launch MSRP $349.99; a reported sale level around $260 in June 2024; under $200 strong value. [1][9][18]

At $349.99 MSRP, weak-to-fair value in 2026 against the identically-priced newer Enduro and against Google/Samsung picks. At roughly $260, fair-to-good value for buyers who prioritize battery life and accept the software-support risk. Under $200, strong value given 75-83 h measured battery life, MIL-STD-810H/5ATM build and Wear OS app access. [3][6][7][9][18]

Named alternatives: TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro (same $349.99, sapphire glass) [18]; Google/Samsung Android watches per Wirecutter [19].