Xiaomi Watch 2 Review: Why Pay More?

How a lot do you have to spend on a smartwatch? 

There are tons of low cost choices on the market, however if you need Android compatibility and entry to third-party apps, the reply is normally quite a bit. 

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 is likely one of the least expensive Put on OS watches on the market with a £289/$299.99 beginning value, whereas the Pixel Watch 2 (£349/$349), Galaxy Watch 6 Basic (£369/$399.99), OnePlus Watch 2 (£299/$299) and Mobvoi TicWatch Professional 5 (£329.99/$349.99) are all dearer. 

Presently, the most effective inexpensive choice is Xiaomi’s Watch 2 Professional, which begins at simply £239.99. However the non-Professional model takes issues to the following degree. For simply £169.99, the one issues you actually need to surrender are a stainless-steel body and mobile connectivity.

Does that make the Xiaomi Watch 2 a no brainer when you’re searching for an inexpensive smartwatch? Sadly, as intensive testing reveals, not fairly, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a strong choice in some ways. 

Nonetheless, as traditional, neither Xiaomi watches can be found within the US.

Design & Construct

• Premium aluminium and sophistication design
• Comparatively light-weight
• 5ATM water resistance

Xiaomi is on to a winner with the design of the Watch 2. It’s slightly plain, with small clock indicators on the bezel across the display screen the one splash of persona, however I don’t thoughts that. 

This minimalist look (within the black you see right here or silver) makes it appropriate for any event, and you’ll simply change issues up on the subject of the straps. The versatile TPU one included within the field is nice for understanding, however not significantly snug for on a regular basis utilization.  

Nonetheless, it’s simple to swap out for Xiaomi’s official leather-based or braided straps, which have been far more to my liking. In actual fact, any 22mm band ought to be suitable, so there are virtually countless potentialities for customisation. 

The construct high quality is a slight step down from the Watch 2 Professional, with Xiaomi choosing an aluminium body somewhat than chrome steel. However it nonetheless appears and feels premium, and I favor the lighter 36.8g chassis.  

All the opposite dimensions are virtually the identical (47.6 x 45.9 x 11.8mm), so the Watch 2 continues to be a chunky smartwatch. Even with a cushty band, I couldn’t ever overlook it was there and didn’t get pleasure from carrying it whereas sleeping. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

The bezel across the 1.43-inch display screen appears good, however doesn’t rotate like on some smartwatches. Your solely options to the touch are two bodily buttons on the precise aspect, although they’re very simple to make use of and customise, so it doesn’t really feel such as you’re lacking out. 

Regardless of the shift to an aluminium construct, the Watch 2 nonetheless feels very sturdy. I wasn’t anxious in regards to the display screen getting broken both, even with none safety from the flat bezel or a particular Gorilla Glass for toughness.  

The watch additionally advantages from 5ATM water resistance, that means it might probably face up to stress equal to round 50m underwater. Most individuals received’t take it to these extremes, however you don’t have to fret about it within the swimming pool or bathe. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Display screen & Audio

• 1.43-inch AMOLED display screen
• Identical as on Watch 2 Professional
• Respectable speaker and microphone

The Xiaomi Watch 2 has the very same show because the Watch 2 Professional, which is nice information. That is undoubtedly one of many best screens you’ll discover on any smartwatch, although you’ll have to be a fan of a bigger show. 

At 1.43-inches, it’s not at all compact, which can put some individuals off. Nonetheless, the 466 x 466 decision is excessive for a display screen of this dimension and means readability is great in all circumstances. That features direct daylight, with the show capable of get lots shiny sufficient. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

It’s additionally an OLED panel, so that you get the standard mixture of shiny, vivid colors and wealthy, deep blacks. I actually can’t fault the show on the Watch 2. 

I’m additionally happy to see audio {hardware} constructed into the watch. The built-in speaker is nothing particular, however sacrifices virtually all bass in favour of readability, which I feel is the precise transfer on such a small machine. Nonetheless, I do want the utmost quantity was increased. 

After all, the Google Assistant help depends on the built-in microphone. It may be slightly present to recognise what you’re saying at occasions, however accuracy was wonderful. If you wish to take calls immediately on the watch, the opposite particular person will be capable of hear you with none points.

Specs & Efficiency

• Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 chipset
• 2GB RAM
• Strong all-round efficiency
• No mobile choice

Underneath the hood, the Xiaomi Watch 2 is powered by the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1 processor, which stays Qualcomm’s newest and best for smartwatches.  

The resultant efficiency is excellent, and consistent with virtually all flagship Put on OS watches, nevertheless it received’t blow you away. Simply 2GB of RAM means it might probably really feel slightly sluggish at occasions, and it’s gradual to turn into absolutely responsive after being switched on which might be a ache when you’re hurriedly leaving the home. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Nonetheless, that is nothing we haven’t seen earlier than, together with from many dearer watches.

The Watch 2 is highly effective sufficient for simple day-to-day utilization, which is crucial factor. Finally, to search out one thing that feels completely easy, you in all probability must ditch Put on OS. 

The one factor you do miss out on right here in comparison with the Watch 2 Professional is the choice for mobile connectivity. With solely Wi-Fi, you’ll must be related to your telephone to obtain calls and notifications, nevertheless it nonetheless works as a standalone machine for monitoring exercises with the built-in GPS. 

That connection to your telephone is by way of Bluetooth 5.2, which maintained a dependable connection all through my testing time. 

And 32GB of on-device storage is lots for most individuals. You may obtain just a few playlists, podcasts and audiobooks and nonetheless have greater than sufficient room left. 

Software program & Options

• Put on OS 3.5
• Slick and straightforward to make use of, however Google Maps is irritating
• Unclear replace schedule

Out of the field, the Xiaomi Watch 2 runs Put on OS 3.5. Frustratingly, there’s nonetheless no phrase on when it’d get the replace to Put on OS 4, regardless of it being launched by Google in 2023.

It’s additionally unclear how lengthy Xiaomi plans to help the look ahead to with software program updates. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Nonetheless, there’s nonetheless quite a bit to love right here. Xiaomi’s tweaks to the standard Put on OS expertise are restricted to a number of of its personal apps, and in contrast to on its smartphones, none of them are annoying.

In actual fact, I most well-liked Xiaomi’s apps for health, well being monitoring and sleep to the Google equivalents, all of which can be found by way of the Play Retailer. 

One app you received’t discover a Xiaomi model of is Google Maps, although I’m not satisfied by its implementation right here. Even on Wi-Fi, it’s completely reliant in your telephone to start out navigation, which doesn’t at all times set off correctly. And the turn-by-turn instructions are generally unclear, that means I needed to squint on the tiny on-screen map as an alternative. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Equally, Google Pay (by way of NFC) could be very handy however requires an annoying display screen lock to work. 

The choice of third-party apps accessible is smaller than on the Apple Watch, nevertheless it’s nonetheless the most effective different when you don’t need an iPhone. The likes of WhatsApp, Audible, Amazon Music (Spotify and YouTube Music additionally accessible) and the meditation app Calm all run very properly, and extra are being added on a regular basis.  

As for the overall navigation expertise, it’s about as slick as you’ll get on a watch. From the principle watch face (which might simply be customised by way of a press and maintain), a swipe up reveals fast settings and swipe down reveals notifications – the other of the Pixel Watch.

Swipe left or proper to maneuver between widgets, or entry a spread of key capabilities by way of the bodily buttons on the precise aspect. 

The highest one means that you can shortly entry the app drawer (one press), see current apps (double press) or set off the Google Assistant (press and maintain). The underside one opens your most up-to-date app (one press), Google Pay (double press) or energy choices (press and maintain). These may be customised, however the defaults are simple to study and really feel intuitive. 

Health & Monitoring

• Assist for over 160 exercises
• Unreliable coronary heart fee knowledge
• Respectable sleep monitoring

Like virtually all trendy smartwatches, the Xiaomi Watch 2 is primarily a well being and health machine. 

It has no fewer than six devoted sensors: coronary heart fee, blood oxygen, compass, accelerometer (to trace motion and distance coated), gyroscope (for display screen rotation and extra correct motion) and barometer (for atmospheric stress).

It’s a complete suite and allows a variety of health-related knowledge to be collected. However how good is it? 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Let’s begin with exercises. The Watch 2 can observe greater than 160 various kinds of train, together with varied pre-defined programs. Nonetheless, the precise knowledge you get varies significantly by way of accuracy and usefulness. 

With no computerized exercise monitoring, you’ll have to start out every one manually. I did this for 3 various kinds of exercises, and swimming was undoubtedly my favorite. 

Not solely was the watch extra snug to put on within the pool than on dry land, however the degree of knowledge it offered was spectacular. It recognised my important stroke and size of the pool, then gave me an in depth overview of tempo, stroke fee and SWOLF (an total measure of effectivity). 

As with all sorts of exercise, it was simple to set a objective (time or distance) and be notified after I reached it.  

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Nonetheless, the swim monitoring isn’t significantly reliant on coronary heart fee knowledge, which I discovered to be the weakest side of the Watch 2. A 20-minute run produced a great deal of helpful knowledge (albeit with no clear explanations why it was vital), however I couldn’t belief the BPM scores it was displaying me. 

Even throughout a run, I seen the studying on the watch soar round quite a bit, regardless of an identical degree of exertion. Whereas I don’t have absolutely correct knowledge to check it to, this didn’t appear proper.  The discrepancies have been much more dramatic whereas strolling, which noticed my coronary heart fee soar from 85 to 150 after which slowly again down once more. I wasn’t even strolling that shortly. 

These issues might probably be averted by tightening the watch strap, however I feel anybody would discover that clamping of their wrist to be very uncomfortable. Nonetheless, until you do this, you’ll be able to’t fully belief the guts fee knowledge. 

Given its reliance in your coronary heart fee, I used to be involved that sleep monitoring would endure badly. And whereas I can’t make sure of the accuracy, the general ‘sleep rating’ appeared to largely match how I felt the night time went. 

This metric makes use of a mixture of the whole time you have been asleep and the way lengthy you spent in every of the three important phases (mild, deep, REM) to offer you a rating out of 100. The recommendation on enhancing it’s somewhat generic, although. 

When you allow superior monitoring, the Watch 2 may also monitor your blood oxygen ranges to offer a ‘respiration rating’. Respiratory points may be linked to circumstances corresponding to sleep apnea, so it’s helpful to know. 

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

After carrying the Watch 2 to mattress for 7 nights, you’ll even be assigned a ‘sleep animal’ which your sleep type is supposedly carefully matched to. 

Battery Life & Charging

• 495mAh battery
• Disappointing, one-day battery life
• Quick charging

Poor battery life is one thing that impacts many Put on OS watches. However there are outliers when you look laborious sufficient, such because the OnePlus Watch 2 and Xiaomi’s personal Watch S3, although that runs on HyperOS as an alternative. So, can the Xiaomi Watch 2 contemplate battery life a energy? 

Sadly not. In actual fact, poor battery life is likely one of the important causes to not purchase the Watch 2.

It has the identical 495mAh battery because the Watch 2 Professional, which is an honest capability on paper, however I nonetheless solely nearly made it by way of someday on a full cost.  

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

Anyron Copeman / Foundry

When you plan to trace a exercise and your sleep, there’s an actual probability it’ll run out of cost earlier than you get up the following morning, resulting in incomplete knowledge. 

Xiaomi claims as much as 65 hours of battery life, however that’s presumably with brightness stored low and key settings corresponding to GPS turned off. Mainly, to get good battery life from the Watch 2, you’ll must both barely use it in the course of the day or make do with out some options. Each are removed from preferrred. 

Nonetheless, one redeeming high quality is that charging is so quick. Xiaomi makes use of a proprietary magnetic charger with USB-A, and it went from 0-100% in just below 35 minutes. When you want a fast top-up, it reached 54% in simply quarter-hour. 

Value & Availability

Given all the things you’re getting right here, the Xiaomi Watch 2 is impressively inexpensive.  

It prices simply £169.99 from the Xiaomi UK web site. As with all Xiaomi merchandise, it’s unavailable within the US, however you may be capable of import one. 

Nonetheless, it’s very competitively priced. The Xiaomi Watch 2 is considerably cheaper than the Watch 2 Professional (£239.99), which itself prices lower than the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (£289/$299.99), OnePlus Watch 2 (£299/$299), Mobvoi TicWatch Professional 5 (£329.99/$349.99), Google Pixel Watch 2 (£349/$349) and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Basic (£369/$399.99).  

Basically, if you need a reliable Put on OS smartwatch, it doesn’t actually get cheaper than this. See extra options in our information to the most effective smartwatches. 

Do you have to purchase the Xiaomi Watch 2?

Presumably, however provided that you’ll be able to put up with its two main flaws: poor coronary heart fee monitoring and underwhelming battery life. 

The Xiaomi Watch 2 has received quite a bit going for it, from close to flagship-level efficiency to a wonderful 1.43-inch show. Google’s Put on OS software program runs very easily total, providing entry to Google and different third-party apps that you just don’t normally get on an inexpensive smartwatch. 

Tons of exercises and sleep may be tracked (although not routinely), and there’s a formidable quantity of knowledge accessible by way of the intuitive companion app. I simply want I might belief all the outcomes I used to be offered with – a lot of it depends on coronary heart fee knowledge. 

When you like a watch to suit snugly to your wrist and don’t thoughts charging it repeatedly, the Watch 2 is an efficient selection – particularly at this value. But when that’s not the case, you’re higher off spending only a bit extra for a greater all-round expertise. 

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   
• Microphone   
• Speaker   
• Coronary heart fee sensor  
• Blood oxygen sensor  
• Barometer  
• Accelerometer  
• Gyroscope  
• Compass  
• Google Assistant  
• Google Pay  
• Assist for 150+ exercises  
• Sleep monitoring  
• 5ATM water resistance  
• Wi-fi charging   
• 495mAh battery  
• 47.6 x 45.9 x 11.8 mm (46mm case)  
• Colors: Black, Silver  
• Appropriate with Android 8.0 or increased