New TicWatch GTX is perhaps the cheapest smartwatch you can buy right now

(Image credit: Mobvoi)

A full fitness-tracking suite and a 10-day battery life from a smartwatch that costs only $59.99 / £54.99 / AU$89.99? Yeah, you read that right!

Chinese company Mobvoi is known for its affordable smartwatches and earphones like the very impressive TicWatch E and the AirPods Pro-like TicPods ANC. Everything in the company's catalogue is very economical, but nothing beats the price of the brand new TicWatch GTX.

But, where Mobvoi's older smartwatches are all powered by Google's WearOS, the TicWatch GTX ditches that path for the first time since the TicWatch 2, which was available for a short while in 2017.

To keep costs down, the TicWatch GTX runs on a custom operating system called Realtime OS. And if you think that means Mobvoi's new smartwatch skimps on features, think again.

Where many WearOS smartwatches have struggled with battery life (it's usually just a single-day use), Mobvoi promises the operating system has been optimized to offer up to 10 days of juice. 

Of course, that's only on power-saving mode. On its default mode you'll likely go about seven to eight days before having to plug it into the mains for a top-up. Still, that's far better than most WearOS watches.

There are a number of watch faces to choose from, or you can even use photos saved to your phone's image library as your watch face of choice.

It will track your fitness regime all day long (including your heart rate) and your sleep at night. There are 14 workout modes available onboard, and the new wearable is swim-proof with IP68 water- and sweat -proofing.

Like any other smartwatch, you'll get notifications of calls and messages right on your wrist, from where you'll also be able to control your music and ping your phone if you can't find it.

Everything is enclosed within a 48mm chassis that houses a 1.28-inch (3.2cm) TFT display.

It's no Apple Watch 6 – or even an Apple Watch SE – but for a such a low price, it's likely worth considering. The TicWatch GTX is available to buy now directly from Mobvoi, and you'll get a 10% discount to boot.

Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.