'TCL Movetime' review: Good smartwatches needn't be expensive

TCL Movetime


Price: Rs 9,999


Good smartwatches needn't be expensive — take this TCL, for example. For less than Rs 10,000 you’re getting a circular touchscreen smartwatch that will work with both Android & iOS, shows you notifications (including voice calls), has a built in heart rate sensor, metal casing, activity tracker, sleep tracker, metal casing and leather strap. You may also be able to tell that Movetime has a simple and elegant design.

It could easily be mistaken for an analogue watch, if that's your thing. Apart from the touchscreen, there’s only a single button that looks like a crown. To start, you download the Movetime Smartwatch app on your phone and it takes you through the initial setup process. The screen is the primary way of interacting with the device.

It’s a 1.39-inch amoled display with a resolution of 400 x 400 pixels — this is at par with some of the most expensive smartwatches out there. It also includes a 350mAh battery that is good for two days of battery life.

You only need to place the watch on the small circular charger to charge it. Seeing that it's priced so low, there must be a few compromises right? For starters, this is a proprietary platform by TCL so you won't be able to add any apps on it.

Second, the watch has a total of only 6 watch faces. More could be added with a software update but we couldn't count on it. And finally, the interface is not as smooth or intuitive as an Apple Watch or Samsung Gear S3. If you need a budget smartwatch that fulfils all the basic needs, the Movetime is a good option.