It’s that time of the year again – in fact, it’s one of several throughout 2024 – Xiaomi has announced a new expansion to its smart wearable lineup, this time in the form of the Redmi Watch 5. Taking over for the Redmi Watch 4 series from last year, the Redmi Watch 5 keeps things fresh with new hardware and software features, and folks after a relatively-affordable smartwatch from a familiar brand will no doubt want to check out this one.
In fact, it costs just around £65, at least when converted. One catch is that the Redmi Watch 5 is currently exclusive for Chinese markets, although there’s little doubt that Xiaomi will eventually bring it over to more regions worldwide (as is usually the case). So what does it come with? Let’s take a look!
CHECK OUT: Xiaomi’s New Redmi K80 Phones Pack Insane Specs
Let’s talk about that design – it’s reminiscent of the Apple Watch series, albeit with some minor differences in the overall hardware styling. Yes there’s the squared-off display and rotating crown, although Xiaomi uses a different mechanism for the watch strap, and it only comes in a single 47mm size variant. As for the watch’s display, it’s pretty impressive especially when you compare it to rival wearables on the market, a lot of which come with higher prices.
For one, the display on the Redmi Watch 5 is pretty large at 2 inches, and its AMOLED panel gets pretty bright – very bright, in fact. We’re talking up to 1,500 nits of peak brightness, which even outshines some budget smartphones out there. Given its low price it does make it a more attractive buy than similarly-priced fitness bands, most of which feature much smaller displays in general.
Inside, the Redmi Watch 5 packs a 550 mAh battery. According to Xiaomi, the watch can last for up to 12 days with the always-on display enabled all the time, which is pretty impressive as most smartwatches struggle to last for more than a couple of days. Put it in battery-saving mode however and it can last for much longer, with up to 24 days of battery life. For folks who aren’t too keen on regularly charging their smart wearables, this is certainly a compelling reason to pick one up.
CHECK OUT: Meet the Huawei Watch Ultimate Green Edition!
Like a lot of newer Xiaomi devices, the Redmi Watch 5 also comes with the HyperOS 2 software platform, albeit much more downsized compared to what you’d find on smartphones and tablets. In addition to exclusive software apps and features from Xiaomi, there’s a multitude of built-in workout and sports-tracking modes, as well as improvements for heart rate monitoring (Xiaomi says it’s accurate up to 97%), sleep tracking, and more.
Finally, the Redmi Watch is available in two main variants – there’s the standard model that comes with WiFi connectivity, and Xiaomi also sells a model with eSIM functionality that’s a bit more expensive at around £86 when converted.
