Would you buy this Android Wear smartwatch for under R2000?

It could be argued that smartwatches are overpriced and overhyped, given that they’re basically fitness trackers that mirror your smartphone’s notifications. But the upstart Mobvoi company is bucking the price trend thanks to the US$120 (R1614) Ticwatch E on Kickstarter.

Sure, this might be an early bird price (otherwise retailing for US$199), but it still makes for a competitive price tag anyway. In fact, the company initially sold a Super Early Bird special that saw you getting the Ticwatch E for US$99. Got a little extra to spare? Then the Ticwatch S is available at an early bird price of US$139 (R1870) as well.

Either way, you’ve got a full Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch experience. So that means an on-device Google Play Store, music playback, more watchface features, a built-in keyboard, handwriting recognition and compatibility with Android or iOS.

In terms of the hardware, both the Ticwatch E and Ticwatch S pack heart rate monitoring, built-in GPS and IP67 water/dust resistance. Other hardware specs include a MediaTek chip (MT2601), 512MB of RAM, 4GB of storage and a 400×400 display.

As for endurance, the company is claiming six hours of music or phone calls, 48 hours of standard battery life or 120 hours on standby.

Will it be enough to fill the void left by Pebble? Who knows, but hopefully this cheap Android Wear smartwatch makes compromises in all the right areas.