[Wear OS Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting] Desmanto:
Hi everyone,

I have been using Ticwatch E since April 2019. So far, no much complaint after disabling all unnecessary system app; except the battery life. I need to charge twice a day, to ensure the watch last when I can't go home early. I have only the original cable, and hate to bring it everywhere.

After about a year, suddenly the watch sometimes doesn't charge at all. I clean the pin at the watch, because it seems dirty and broken. Wriggling the cable and reposition, it can charge properly again. But not long after that, sometimes it charged normally, sometimes very slowly. Until approx 2 months ago, it started to become slow charge all the time. I measured the incoming current, maximum is 70 mA only (when I buy it, it can reach 300 mA). It charges very slow, about 20% per hour. It took 5 hours to charge from almost empty to full. Cleaning the pin doesn't help anymore. I have to live with it then. I don't wear the watch to sleep then, although it is my second alarm. I leave it charged overnight to ensure it is always full at the morning. (I can't wait it to charge 5 hours during day, render it useless).

I googled and found some thread at reddit suggesting to clean the pin. But I already did it. Some say buying new cable can help, but I am a bit skeptic, since I can't see any visible damage on the cable and connector, although the pin at the watch is messy already. I reconsider to go back to the proprietary non WearOS watch, since my previous mi band 2 can last for 2-3 weeks before charging. But somehow I just deal with it and use it like that.

This early September, the cable totally broken. Charging never increase the battery level anymore. Incoming current only 20-30 mA. No matter how long I leave it there, the battery level can't increase anymore. I finally try to pry open the charging connector, but don't have any success. New original cable in the online store here cost about 200.000 IDR (approx USD 13). I think that's too expensive for charging cable.

I managed to find a cheaper, but from China. It cost only 65.000 IDR (approx USD 4,3). Looking at the good review, I decided to take the risk and buy 2 directly, still cheaper than online store here. And today it arrived, 1 week faster than my expectation.

View attachment 5093913

The cable is not noodle type just like the original one, it is normal round cable. I try both, and now it can charge properly already, 300 mA, despite the same messy pin at the watch. So the broken part is the cable connector, not the watch pin.

I estimate rough charging speed, it is about 16% / 10 minutes, about 1,6%/minute. It takes about 1 hour 10 minutes to charge almost zero to full. (my watch battery must be degrading by now, so it should charge a bit faster). I am happy again with my Ticwatch E. Hopefully it will last until the next generation of WearOS watch with better battery life.

I will try not to charge as frequently as before, to prolong the connector lifespan. I bring one to office, so I don't have to charge so frequently at home.

TLDR : If your Ticwatch E is charging slowly, takes hours to charge full, then most likely it is your cable connector. Buying new cable will most likely make it charge normally again.