Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro Review: A Big Step Forward

At a look

Knowledgeable’s Ranking

Professionals

• Spectacular Put on OS software program 
• Wonderful design and show 
• Intensive well being and sleep monitoring 
• 4G choice

Cons

• Disappointing battery life 
• Cluttered companion app 
• Heavy and hulking
• No computerized exercise monitoring

Our Verdict

Transferring to Put on OS means the Watch 2 Professional is the primary premium Xiaomi watch that I can absolutely suggest shopping for. However it’s nonetheless solely price it in case you can reside with only a day of battery life.

Chinese language firm Xiaomi has been releasing wearables since 2014, nevertheless it’s by no means fairly nailed down the premium smartwatch class. 

Makes an attempt up till now have boasted nice {hardware}, but at all times been let down by Xiaomi’s personal model software program. Regardless of providing loads of well being and health options, its main flaw is the shortcoming to obtain third-party apps. 

There seems to be a quite simple answer to this: swap to Google’s Put on OS and that’s precisely what Xiaomi has executed on the Watch 2 Professional with spectacular outcomes. 

Alongside a good higher design than common, it’s Xiaomi’s most interesting smartwatch so far, however that doesn’t essentially imply you should purchase it. 

Design & Construct 

• Enticing round design with bezel
• Premium, sturdy construct
• Helpful bodily buttons

In a world the place many Android-based smartwatches look comparable, the Watch 2 Professional actually stands out.

That’s primarily on account of its giant stainless-steel bezel, which surrounds the 1.43-inch show. It’s greater than the one on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Basic, although in contrast to that gadget, it doesn’t rotate. 

Even so, the bezel immediately provides the watch a premium look, shimmering attractively because it catches the sunshine. The all-black mannequin I examined (full with matching fluororubber strap) is flexible sufficient to go together with just about any outfit. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

However there are additionally loads of methods to make it extra vibrant. The primary is by choosing the silver mannequin as a substitute, which retains the black bezel however modifications the color of the lugs. 

Alternatively, you’ll be able to simply swap out the strap for an additional color or one produced from leather-based. Whereas these are bought individually (£14.99 for fluororubber, £21.99 for leather-based), it’s a reasonably cheap solution to rapidly change the feel and appear of the watch. 

In my view, the Watch 2 Professional is the best-looking smartwatch I’ve ever used. However on account of its sheer dimension, it gained’t be a very good match for everybody. 

A big 46mm case is your solely choice, so it’s not a sensible choice if in case you have smaller wrists. And at 11.6mm thick and 54.5g in weight, it’s additionally one in every of bulkiest smartwatches round. 

I discovered the Watch 2 Professional uncomfortable to put on whereas sleeping, and will always remember about it being on my wrist through the day, in contrast to with some slimmer watches such because the Google Pixel Watch 2 (and unique). Nonetheless, this comes down to non-public choice, and won’t be a problem for you. 

In fact, that further weight is a direct consequence of the premium supplies used. Not solely does the chrome steel construct look good, nevertheless it additionally feels impressively sturdy. And whereas there’s no Gorilla Glass on the display screen right here, the raised bezel ensures it’s shielded from direct impression in a fall. 

Even after a number of weeks of testing, the watch regarded nearly as good as new. If you happen to keep away from pointless dangers, it ought to final for a very long time. That features exposing it to plenty of mud or sand, as there’s no IP ranking. 

However you’re fantastic to make use of it whereas swimming. The Watch 2 Professional has a 5ATM ranking, which means it could possibly stand up to water stress equal to round 50m underwater. Naturally, getting caught within the rain or protecting it on within the bathe gained’t be a problem. 

The Watch 2 Professional is primarily a touchscreen gadget, however there are nonetheless three bodily controls. A rotating bodily crown makes it straightforward to scroll menus or transfer between the app listing and principal watch face. A protracted press triggers the Google Assistant. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

The button above it’s reserved for fast entry to exercises, although the one under is extra versatile. A single press opens the final used app, a double press opens Google Pay and an extended press brings up the facility choices. 

All the pieces works as marketed and feels very intuitive. I simply want you could possibly remap the bodily buttons to do no matter you needed, one thing which is feasible on Samsung’s Galaxy Watches. 

Display & Audio

• 1.43-inch AMOLED display screen
• Wonderful in all conditions
• First rate speaker and microphone

Not like many premium smartwatches, the Watch 2 Professional is simply out there in a single show dimension.  

However this 1.43-inch AMOLED display screen is undoubtedly among the best round in case you’re after a bigger watch. A excessive decision of 466×466 means all content material seems to be impressively clear and crisp.

Colors are wealthy and vibrant, but there’s loads of alternative all through Put on OS to point out off these deep true blacks, that are a key power of OLED panels. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

A 60Hz refresh price is excessive by smartwatch requirements. Scrolling by means of menus and switching between apps feels impressively easy and responsive. 

And regardless of being fairly a reflective show, it additionally will get impressively brilliant. I had no drawback utilizing the watch in all lighting situations, together with exterior on a sunny day. It’s onerous to think about how the Watch 2 Professional’s show might get any higher.

In fact, the audio gained’t rival a smartphone, nevertheless it’s higher than I used to be anticipating. The built-in speaker presents first rate readability and will get pretty loud, making it a very good various to connecting headphones. Nonetheless, it’s price noting that some third-party apps gained’t allow you to play audio direct from the speaker. 

I’m additionally very impressed with the built-in microphone. It really works nice for calls and Google Assistant instructions, recognising what you’re saying with out the necessity to maintain it near your mouth. 

Specs & Efficiency

• Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1
• Stable all-round efficiency
• Non-compulsory 4G through eSIM

The Watch 2 Professional is powered by the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1. Regardless of being launched in 2022, that is nonetheless Qualcomm’s newest and best chipset for smartwatches. 

And it reveals. Alongside 2GB of RAM, the most typical quantity for a flagship smartwatch, efficiency is strong. Swiping between screens, scrolling menus and toggling settings all feels very fluid and responsive. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Opening apps is the one actual scenario the place you’ll discover some slowdown. However that is normally solely 1-2 seconds of hesitation, and doesn’t negatively have an effect on the general expertise. 

For context, the efficiency right here is just like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6, which makes use of the Exynos W930 chipset. It’s about nearly as good as you’ll get on a smartwatch proper now, however there’s undoubtedly room for enchancment sooner or later. 

All Watch 2 Professional fashions have built-in Wi-Fi, which means it may be used fully independently of your cellphone whilst you’re at dwelling. 

The dearer model additionally provides 4G LTE help through eSIM, although it requires a separate contract and solely works on Vodafone or O2 within the UK. I wasn’t in a position to check this for myself, nevertheless it’s definitely a pleasant choice to have. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

There’s Bluetooth 5.2 help whatever the mannequin you select. In my expertise, it was in a position to set up and retain a strong connection to each my cellphone and earbuds on the similar time. 

The Watch 2 Professional has 32GB of on-device storage, which is greater than sufficient for all of your apps and loads of downloaded songs or audiobooks. Until you want offline entry to your whole audio library, I can’t see why anybody would wish extra storage. 

Software program & Options

• Runs Put on OS 3.5
• Intuitive and simple to navigate
• Google Play Retailer app help

Switching up the software program has been transformative for the Watch 2 Professional. Earlier Xiaomi smartwatches have used the corporate’s personal software program, however we now have Google’s Put on OS for the primary time. 

Visually, the 2 aren’t too dissimilar. However Put on OS has one large benefit: the flexibility to obtain third-party apps. Having the ability to entry the Google Play Retailer out of your wrist is a sport changer, and there are many apps which can be price your time. 

My private favourites embody the meditation app Calm, Audible for audiobooks and WhatsApp, which speaks for itself.

The latter is surprisingly intuitive on such a small show, permitting you to compose messages by both typing or utilizing your voice. Movies are the one factor you gained’t be capable to see. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Quite a lot of music streaming providers are additionally natively supported, together with Spotify, Amazon Music and YouTube Music. All Xiaomi’s personal apps are additionally nonetheless right here, however they’re built-in into the Put on OS expertise slightly than being the one ones out there. 

In reality, there are a frustratingly excessive variety of cellphone apps and not using a watch equal, however that’s a problem that impacts all Put on OS watches. Apple’s watchOS is the one wearable software program that does it higher. 

And the excellent news is all of your cellphone notifications might be delivered to your wrist (in case you’d like), together with calls. They’re straightforward to view and handle through a easy swipe down from the principle watch face. 

A swipe up (the other to the Pixel Watch) reveals a spread of fast settings toggles which can be straightforward to activate or off. Swiping left or proper lets you transfer between a spread of various widgets, with the default choice together with exercises, climate and key well being metrics. All of it feels very seamless and intuitive. 

A number of totally different faces can be found from the watch itself, or you’ll be able to obtain extra through the Mi Health companion app. With so many to select from, there’s one thing to swimsuit everybody. 

The introduction of Put on OS, mixed with NFC help, means the Watch 2 Professional could make contactless funds through Google Pay. It really works as marketed, although you’ll have to set an annoying display screen lock as safety to allow it. 

One other app you’ll in all probability need to use is Google Maps, particularly with built-in GPS right here. Once more, it’s surprisingly straightforward to make use of, and beats getting your cellphone out for turn-by-turn instructions. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Nonetheless, it’s price noting that the Watch 2 Professional runs Put on OS 3.5 on the time of writing, regardless of Put on OS 4 arriving with the Pixel Watch 2. It’s not clear how for much longer you’ll have to attend, or what number of years Xiaomi will help the look ahead to with software program updates. 

Health & Monitoring

• Over 150 supported exercises
• In-depth knowledge on some actions
• Spectacular sleep monitoring

By way of well being monitoring, the Watch 2 Professional doesn’t do something out of the atypical. However all of the core options are right here, and practically all of them work nicely. 

That features help for greater than 150 totally different sports activities modes. Most of those present solely fundamental knowledge on coronary heart price (together with VO2 max), length and estimated energy burned, reminiscent of my HIIT (high-intensity interval coaching) exercise.

It’s attention-grabbing to see the knowledge, however not notably helpful for future exercises. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Nonetheless, there are just a few actions the place the knowledge is rather more in-depth. It consists of common strolling, the place you’ll get data in your common tempo, elevation change, cadence, stride size and even altitude. 

Comparable knowledge is obtainable after a run, although the longer session I did additionally included an estimate of restoration instances. This may be genuinely helpful in serving to you enhance or monitor progress over time. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

For any exercise the place you’re overlaying distance, the built-in GPS lets you monitor precisely the place you’ve been on a map, which I actually like. Although I’d suggest turning off the in-workout voice prompts, which rapidly turns into annoying.

And in contrast to some wearables, the Watch 2 Professional can’t monitor any exercises mechanically. Be sure you manually begin one if you would like it to be recorded.

Total, coronary heart price knowledge gave the impression to be fairly correct more often than not. You may also use the watch to measure blood oxygen ranges, pores and skin temperature and physique composition, every of which takes just some seconds. 

One other device claims to have the ability to monitor stress ranges. However I didn’t belief the outcomes – my ranges had been apparently at all times ‘gentle’, regardless of intentionally testing at a aggravating time. The Pixel Watch 2 is best at this, regardless that it nonetheless has its flaws on this space.

In fact, the opposite huge characteristic is sleep monitoring. I discussed above how the Watch 2 Professional isn’t probably the most snug to put on at night time, however in case you can put up with it, there’s a formidable quantity of sleep knowledge. 

You get an summary of how lengthy you had been asleep for, plus how a lot time you spent in every stage (mild, deep or REM) and the way that compares to what you need to be getting. Mixed with coronary heart price knowledge and respiratory rating (if enabled), you’re given an total ‘sleep rating’ out of 100. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

The latter appeared to roughly match how I felt within the morning, although recommendations on methods to enhance it are very generic. A enjoyable contact is that after seven consecutive nights, you’ll be matched with a ‘sleep animal’ in line with your tendencies.

It’s nice to have such in-depth sleep knowledge, even when it’s not 100% correct. After carrying the Watch 2 Professional to mattress, I felt motivated to make optimistic modifications the subsequent night time. 

Sadly, all this nice well being and health knowledge is displayed within the cluttered Mi Health companion app. The watch and app are suitable with all gadgets working Android 8.0 or later, nevertheless it feels clunky to make use of and a few settings are onerous to seek out. 

Battery Life & Charging

• 495mAh battery
• Underwhelming battery life
• Comparatively quick charging

Battery life is undoubtedly probably the most disappointing factor concerning the Watch 2 Professional.

Whereas the 495mAh capability is respectable for a smartwatch, it barely lasts a full day on a single cost. I absolutely charged it simply earlier than mattress one night time, and it was empty by round 9.30pm the next night. 

That included sleep monitoring with the superior coronary heart price and respiratory rating monitoring enabled, however the always-on show disabled. Even with mild utilization, I can’t see you getting two full days of utilization out of it, one thing that the earlier Watch S1 Professional might comfortably obtain. 

Standby time can also be poor. On a few events, I ended utilizing the Watch 2 Professional for a day or so. Once I got here again, it had gone from round 40% battery to fully empty.  

One optimistic is that charging is quick. Utilizing Xiaomi’s magnetic USB-C charger (included within the field), the watch went from 0-60% in simply quarter-hour. A full cost took solely 32 minutes. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Worth & Availability

Within the UK, the Xiaomi Watch 2 Professional begins at £239.99. That’ll get you the Wi-Fi-only mannequin, however stepping as much as the 4G LTE model prices £289.99.  

Each are solely out there from the Xiaomi UK web site. If you happen to get the 4G model, you’ll have to pair it with an eSIM plan from Vodafone or O2 to get cell knowledge. 

The watch isn’t bought within the US, nevertheless it’s price checking to see in case you can import it. 

At that beginning worth, the Watch 2 Professional undercuts most of the finest smartwatches you should purchase, together with the Google Pixel Watch 2 (from £349) and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Basic (from £369).  

Its most blatant rivals are the common Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (from £289), or 2022 Apple Watch SE (from £259) in case you’re prepared to make use of an iPhone. 

Must you purchase the Xiaomi Watch 2 Professional?

The Watch 2 Professional is the very best smartwatch Xiaomi has ever made. Put on OS has a transformative impact on the software program, making it a lot simpler to suggest to Android cellphone homeowners. 

Xiaomi’s common glorious {hardware} remains to be right here, together with a surprising stainless-steel design and glorious show. The construct high quality is superb, and it has all of the well being and health monitoring you’d count on from a premium smartwatch. 

It’s good to have the choice for 4G connectivity, although battery life is a key weak point. You’ll be able to in all probability reside with the cumbersome design and cluttered companion app, however simply at some point per full cost could be a dealbreaker. 

Specs

• 1.43-inch, 466×466 (46mm) round AMOLED always-on show  
• Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 processor  
• 2GB RAM  
• 32GB storage  
• Put on OS 3.5 
• Bluetooth 5.2 
• NFC  
• GPS  
• Wi-Fi  
• 4G LTE (elective)  
• Microphone  
• Speaker  
• Coronary heart price sensor 
• Blood oxygen sensor 
• Barometer 
• Accelerometer 
• Gyroscope 
• Compass 
• Google Assistant 
• Google Pay 
• Assist for 150+ exercises 
• Sleep monitoring 
• 5ATM water resistance 
• 4G LTE (elective, requires eSIM contract) 
• Wi-fi charging  
• 495mAh battery 
• 47.6 x 45.9 x 11.8 mm (46mm case) 
• Colors: Black, Silver 
• Suitable with Android 8.0 or larger