Xiaomi Watch S1 Review: Looking Smart

Xiaomi Watch S1: Design and display

46mm diameter stainless steel case.
1.43 inch AMOLED display
Leather belt or FKM
Water resistant 5ATM

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The S1 watch has a 46mm thick 11mm stainless steel case in black or silver. The good news is that Xiaomi offers both leather strap and FKM color versions to choose from, so you can switch them on and off when you need to work out or get a makeover.

Xiaomi has a 1.43-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 466 x 466, a sapphire crystal on top for increased durability, and two physical buttons on the sides of the case. The screen is of excellent quality, responsive to touch and maintains good visibility in bright street lights, and you can set it to always be on.

A simple black ring surrounds this display to give the watch a more classic look and contrasts with the display for a more cohesive look. If you want something a little more sporty, the Watch S1 Active replaces the black metal case with a lighter, fiberglass-backed polyamide case.

On the back you'll find sensors that keep track, so there's an optical heart rate sensor that can also transmit blood oxygen data. You can also attach a patented charging stand that supports wireless charging.

The S1 comes with a 5ATM water resistance rating, meaning you can submerge it up to 50 meters and it will still keep you informed of the time and track your health and fitness stats.

In terms of price, Xiaomi offers high-quality materials, a durable screen, and here are also two bands. Is this the most beautiful smartwatch ever? No, but this look will suit many people.

Xiaomi Watch S1: fitness tracking and smartwatch features

117 training methods
Dual multi-band GPS
24/7 heart rate monitoring
Amazon Alexa

The S1 has all the key features you'd expect to find in a smartwatch that promises to be your perfect fitness companion. It has the sensors you'd expect to find, plenty of workout profiles, and it's nice and easy to use these features on this watch. Just tap the bottom physical "Sports" button and you'll be taken to the workout tracking screen.

In terms of exercise tracking, Xiaomi includes 117 exercise modes, 19 of which give you richer statistics during and after your activity. So things like running, cycling, swimming, open water swimming, and jumping rope.

For outdoor fitness, you get a dual-band multi-system GPS that can connect to five major satellite systems for increased accuracy while running and cycling. In fact, it is not the most accurate at tracking distances, although it works better than working for long hours near tall buildings, which can affect getting a strong tracking signal. Heart rate accuracy is consistent except for high-intensity tests, when most optical sensors fail.

By switching to activity tracking, you get a device that tracks your steps, heart rate, stress level, blood oxygen level and sleep. Step count and sleep data are more or less in line with the Fitbit, Garmin, and Oura Ring 3 watches we've tested. A little disappointing is the continuous heart rate monitoring, with the VRM readings being quite high compared to other heart rate monitors. This calls into question the reliability of stress tracking based on heart rate variability, while blood oxygen monitoring seems reliable but not very useful.

As a smartwatch, Watch S1 offers notifications, music controls, a nice set of clock faces, and supports Bluetooth connectivity. There are some great extras here, like NFC payments, access to a small selection of applets, and Amazon Alexa integration.

Xiaomi Watch S1: Battery life

12 days of normal use
24 days in power saving mode
Use the wireless charging base

Xiaomi talks about batteries in large quantities. On paper, it's a smartwatch that can last for about two weeks without being placed in a wireless charging base. This is only if you use it in a situation that Xiaomi considers typical.

What is the usual usage? Well, that's based on Xiaomi's own lab tests and the means to use the watch to track your heart rate throughout the day, make 30 minutes of Bluetooth phone calls, and track two 30-minute workouts on GPS during the week, among other things. track.

It was a mix of normal and heavy use during our tests, and we found it lasted a week, even with the long GPS uptime and frequent notifications. If you enable features like continuous blood oxygen monitoring and always use the screen, these features will drain your battery faster.

In addition, you can activate the power saving mode, which will increase the battery life by less than a month. This means you have to live without tracking your heart rate and stress, and not use GPS to track your workouts – the smartwatch's life is limited enough to enjoy extra battery life.

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sum up

Xiaomi Watch S1 is another good option for Android users as it offers a good combination of fitness and smartwatch features in an attractive design. It may not be better than the competition around it, but there's definitely more to love than hate.

Written by Michael Sue.