Xiaomi Mi Watch review. Hours for those who want to be in the resource

Xiaomi is a revolutionary in the smartphone category, but is everything going well with the new smartwatch called Xiaomi Mi Watch?

In this article I will try to talk about all the main features and functions of smartwatches and find out whether they are worth the money or not?

At the moment, there is no global version of Xiaomi Mi Watch yet, and the watch can only be ordered through China at a price of $199.75 with an 18% discount. According to sources, the official sale of the global version will begin soon and the wait won’t be long.

18%

Xiaomi Mi Watch: Smartwatch with NFC, eSIM, Snapdragon Wear 3100, 570 mAh Price: $188.79

Price: $188.79 Show Less

Buy

The main features of the Mi Watch include a large 1.78-inch screen, fairly good performance of the Snapdragon Wear 3100 chip, the presence of a full e-SIM card, 570 mAh battery and much more.

So, let's move on to a detailed and complete review of the new smartwatch from Xiaomi.

Xiaomi Mi Watch: Specifications

Xiaomi Mi Watch: Unboxing

I received a rather large black box that closely resembles the box from the Apple Watch company. On the front side I see a drawing of a watch, and on the back side there are the main features and functions, of course everything is in Chinese.

Inside the box, along its entire length, there is a smart watch with the strap already on.

Below are instructions, also in Chinese, a power adapter and a charging dock. The docking station itself is quite large; it serves not only to charge the device, but also to transfer data.

In general, the package is very reminiscent of the Apple Watch, both in appearance and in components, but I would like to get some additional accessories, for example, protective glass.

Xiaomi Mi Watch: Design

I cannot call the Xiaomi Mi Watch a completely unique device; the watch is a complete copy of the Apple Watch 5.

The first thing that catches your eye is the thick body of the Xiaomi Mi Watch, it really looks unattractive, and its size can be a problem for many users.

The body is made of aluminum alloy and I have no particular complaints or complaints about the build quality. Except for one thing, the bottom power button is very tight and a little wobbly, maybe this is a purely isolated case and my watch is defective? I can't say for sure.

The weight of the smart watch is quite small, only 44 grams; apart from its large dimensions and thickness, I almost didn’t feel the watch on my wrist.

On the front of the watch there is a square screen measuring 1.78 inches. The frames around the screen are quite large, but given the thickness of the case, this is not so noticeable.

The screen quality is good and so is the pixel density as the screen resolution is 368 x 448 pixels. According to the manufacturer, the square screen is much more convenient to use, for example, watching videos or watching stories on social networks. Since this is an AMOLED screen, you can set the Always-on screen function in the settings.

On the back of the smartwatch there are contacts for charging and tracking sensors for determining heart rate, sleep and much more.

On the side right side there is one multifunction button and a wheel for turning pages or adjusting the volume when listening to music. There is also a hole for a microphone here.

On the left side of the Mi Watch there is a main speaker and another additional microphone for noise reduction.

Naturally, microphones are there for a reason; the new smartwatches have the ability to make calls via an e-SIM card. I know that in many countries this SIM card is not used, so I do not yet have the opportunity to check telephone conversations.

The strap is removable and made of pleasant fluorine rubber. The strap dimensions are standard – 22 mm, so replacing it with any other option will not be a problem.

After what I saw, I cannot say that Xiaomi is a revolutionary. They couldn't come up with their own design and make the watch look prettier? I am very ashamed of this model and I hope that the next generation of smartwatches will be unique and not a copy of the Apple Watch.

Criterias of choice

Before you start, it’s worth deciding what parameters you need to look at in such devices. In this case, you will be able to determine the most important points for yourself, as well as generally understand the differences between the models.

Appearance

Despite its technological effectiveness, a smart watch is primarily an accessory that is designed to complement and improve the appearance of the owner.

The strap in this case is not so important, because in almost all models they are replaceable and you can choose according to your taste: plastic, metal, silicone, leather, including artificial leather, etc.

But the body itself cannot be changed, so it’s worth paying special attention to it. White or black colors are neutral, versatile and will suit any style. But if you plan to use the accessory in a specific situation, then you need to focus on it first.

The material also does not play a role here, unless there is an allergy to one of them.

Screen

Along with the appearance, the display of a smartwatch plays one of the first roles. Here the principle of choice is similar to smartphones, netbooks, and monitors. It is important that an OLED, AMOLED or SuperAMOLED matrix is ​​used. If, for example, an IPS matrix looks great in a smartphone, where the lack of brightness is compensated by its size, then in a small watch such a choice can result in an unpleasant experience of using it in the sun. And in general, the phone is used less often in the sun.

Screen size directly affects convenience. A display that is too small is only suitable for checking the time, and then it is better to take a regular watch. But for a larger size you will have to pay extra.

Battery

The larger the battery, the longer the device will work without recharging and the lower the likelihood of being left without a watch at the wrong time. But a battery that is too large increases the size and weight of the device. We need to look for a compromise.

operating system

There are devices based on iOS and Android. They are independent and can work without connecting to a smartphone. Those that are used as an addition to a mobile phone either do not have an OS or offer their own system. It's just a matter of taste - functionality, appearance.

CPU

Everything here is relatively simple: the newer the processor and the more cores it has, the better. However, it is better to find out in advance how a particular chip behaves or try the watch before purchasing. It is worth making sure that the device does not overheat, and that the interface works smoothly, without slowdowns.

Permanent and random access memory

The first determines how many files will fit in the gadget. Some watches support software installation. The amount of RAM affects the performance of programs and the system as a whole. The more RAM, the less often utilities will be closed in the background. Otherwise, notifications may not arrive, the step counter may be lost, and the music may turn off.

Sensor set

Many aspects depend on them: from ease of use to the availability of additional functions. A light sensor, for example, will allow you to forget about a too bright or dim display. And if you have a heart rate monitor, the device will help you monitor your heartbeat during physical activity. This can be useful both for heart disease and for athletes to assess their capabilities.

Connection

Simple watches have only Bluetooth for communication with a smartphone. More advanced models are equipped with Wi-Fi, a mobile communication module, and NFC for paying for purchases. They can be used as independent devices.

Xiaomi Mi Watch: Performance

Inside the Xiaomi Mi Watch there is a pretty good processor called Snapdragon Wear 3100. It is based on four cores with a maximum clock frequency of 1.2 GHz and is made using 28 nanometer technology.

Mi Watch also received 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory. Therefore, you can upload your music to your smart watch and listen through wireless headphones, since Bluetooth version 5.0 is present.

In addition, you have WiFi and location sensors such as GPS, GLONASS and BEIDOU.

The performance of the wearable smartwatch is quite good and during testing I did not notice any lag or major problems.

FAQ

Is it possible to access the Internet from a smart watch?

Yes, there is such a possibility. A prerequisite is the presence of a Wi-Fi network.

Does NFC work outside of China?

No. Chinese wearable devices use the AliPay payment system for payment, which is not relevant in European countries. The exception is the Mi Smart Band 4 fitness bracelet with the Mastercard payment system.

How are smart watches different from fitness trackers?

Fitness bracelets are aimed specifically at sports. They measure heart rate, distance traveled, calories burned, and number of steps taken. The functionality of a smart watch is more extensive: you can install applications, access the Internet, chat and answer calls directly from the watch.

How long does a smartwatch last on average without recharging?

This indicator varies from 10 to 15 days with an average load. If you use navigation services every day and measure your heart rate around the clock, the battery life is reduced to 2-4 days.

How does a smart alarm clock work in a smart watch?

The entire algorithm is based on determining the sleep phase, since easy awakening occurs precisely in the fast phase. The gadget determines, using an accelerometer and heart rate monitor, in which resting phase the user is.

Xiaomi Mi Watch: Interface and features

The smartwatch has received an all-new MIUI for Watch user interface, which is the basis of Android.

At the moment, as I already wrote, I have the Chinese version of the device, so almost all the menus and widgets are in Chinese. Although the menu can be set to English and some elements will be translated, such as menu settings and a couple more.

The main screen has an informative watch face with a lot of useful information, such as time, date, day of the week, steps taken, heart rate and many other information.

Also, if you hold your finger on the main screen for a couple of seconds, you will be taken to the menu for changing the dial design to another.

You can also use the mobile app to set more watch face themes.

If you swipe down, you will see the notification menu and here you can clear everything, if necessary.

If you swipe up, you will be taken to the quick settings menu, at the top of the menu I see icons for NFC, SIM, Bluetooth and battery level. Below there is a music player section and even lower, already familiar icons, such as do not disturb mode, airplane mode, volume level, brightness and energy saving mode.

On the left side of the home screen, I see some widgets such as weather, mentions, and calendar. And to the right of the main screen there are more additional widgets, such as an analysis of the steps taken per day and much more. Also, if you hold it for a couple of seconds, you can add or remove widgets.

Of course, at the moment almost all widgets are in Chinese, but if you had devices from Amazfit companies, then the control structure is very similar.

If you click on the wheel, you get to the main menu, here I see the following icons, like calls, contacts, messages, fitness training, heart rate, sleep, alarm clock, stopwatch and much more. Naturally, I see a lot of Chinese applications, but they can be removed without any problems.

To be honest, for me the user interface looks very old-fashioned, if you compare it with the Apple Watch with chaotic icons, then the Xiaomi Mi Watch has a bad interface.

In addition, I found a music player and FM radio. The radio receiver is already built into the smartwatch, I don’t know who will need it, but it is there. The sound quality through the main speaker is pretty good, but to be honest it is a little quiet, I would like the level to be louder.

In the application menu, I found maps, they are also in Chinese, but they work and show your location. Thanks to the large screen, I can easily read directions and street names.

What about sports training? Everything is standard here, I counted 10 workouts in total, ranging from running to swimming. Yes, yes, the manufacturer indicates that the watch is completely protected from water and you can dive to a depth of 50 meters.

The main feature of this model of Xiaomi Mi Watch is that you can install third-party applications. But in this version there is no play market, and applications can only be installed through the Chinese store. I hope the global version will be available in Google Market.

How to setup

Setting up your Xiaomi phone and watch is not difficult, because these devices are initially optimally tuned to each other. The bracelet must be synchronized with a tablet or phone for operation; the Mi Fit application is pre-installed on the main device.

Procedure:

1. Open Mi Fit, click on the right “Profile” tab and select the connected device.

2. Determine the time format - time or time plus date. It’s impossible to say which option is better, it’s a matter of taste.
3. Next, configure the remaining parameters. Days of the week and date are displayed in English. The date will be written in small print so that everything fits.
4. Raise your wrist and look at the changed readings. When the hand is raised up, the bracelet screen is automatically activated, showing the first screen. The same time is indicated on the sensor.
5. Set up alarms if you plan to use them.

Other readings on the watch are not touched, since they are synchronized with the connected phone themselves.

Xiaomi Mi Watch: Battery

The smart watch has a pretty good battery capacity of 570 mAh. But as practice has shown, you shouldn’t expect long battery life.

The manufacturer indicates 36 hours of operation of the device on a single charge; in my case, I had to charge the watch at the end of the first day.

It took approximately 2 hours to fully charge the battery using the docking station and power adapter.

Impression

A good watch for its price in terms of functionality and operating time. There would be no price for them if there were also NFC. Then it’s not like a card - you wouldn’t have to take out your phone. But alas. But all other functions are there and work properly. The connection is fast to any smartphone, and in addition, the gadget can become a very good accessory that complements the image. Choose one of three body colors, stock up on straps and you're done, you can wear them with any clothes.

Like is the best thank you!

Would you take a watch like this for yourself?