This new cheap Fitbit Versa rival tells you how healthy your heart is

There are two ways a fitness smartwatch can stand out: it can either take a common feature and do it flawlessly, or it can do something different. The new Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro falls firmly into that second category.

Announced alongside, but not technically part of, annual gadget show MWC 2022, this is a new affordable smartwatch that’s on sale now from Amazon, and costs just $99 (around £75, AU$140).

The key selling point of this watch is the Arty Heart Health technology. Using various sensors both on your wrist and fingertip, the watch tells you about your arterial health, so you can tell what state your ticker and arteries are in.

This information is then used to provide you health advice, which also factors in your exercise habits and other metrics like your skin temperature – this could be telling you to get more Vitamin D, or to work out a bit more.

It’s worth pointing out, that the TicWatch has a disclaimer saying that some of these features “are not intended for medical use but are designed for fitness and wellness” – i.e. they’ve not been cleared by the FDA or similar agencies.

Beyond that, this watch has the key features you expect like 14 sports modes, step tracking, connected GPS, heart rate monitoring, 5ATM water resistance, sleep tracking and a 7-10 day battery life.

In terms of appearance, this is a squarish smartwatch, so it’s a lookalike for the Fitbit Versa 3 or Apple Watch 7, or at least may sway people who like a watch that looks like that. It has a 1.55-inch screen with a curved glass edge.

We haven’t tested the TicWatch GTH Pro, so we don’t know if it’s worth your money. But we’ll certainly aim to do so soon, to see if the arterial health and heart monitoring features are as useful as they sound. Stay tuned for a full review.

MWC (Mobile World Congress) is the world’s largest showcase for the mobile industry, stuffed full of the newest phones, tablets, wearables and more. TechRadar is reporting on the show all week. Follow our MWC 2022 live blog for the very latest news as it happens and visit our dedicated MWC 2022 hub for a round-up of the biggest announcements.