We tested the sportiest Xiaomi smartwatch: is it worth buying?
Xiaomi closed 2021 with the presentation of the Xiaomi Watch S1, the smart construction watch plus which it sent into the world along with its high-end products in 2022, the Xiaomi 12 and 12 Pro. This Watch S1 and its sports version (which we will analyze here) are available in Spain as smartwatches more developed of brand shown thanks design and functions trying to get out of the typical expendable cheap that Xiaomi has experienced us.
In the analysis that concerns us here, we will talk about them Xiaomi watch S1 activethe version “sporty” the habitual clock S1, a lower the price a bit (we went from 249.99 to 199.99 euros) at the expense of a slightly more specific material: we will cancel the leather strap, the sapphire crystal that covers the screen and the steel of the case. It also changes the shape of the keys, more rounded and elegant on the base model and more discreet and firm on the Active. Apart from these aesthetic differences You perro expect the same experience with both watches, as the Xiaomi Watch S1 and the Watch S1 Active have the same components and therefore offer the same thing same functions to its owner.
Be that as it may, it is clear that Xiaomi has been looking take a step in his rich portfolio of outfit Creating a watch that the prospective buyer cánido distance as far as possible its hegemonic dispositivos, like the almighty Mi Band or the increasingly numerous cheap Redmi watches. So we have a bell that goes in through the eyes, but with unusual price for the brand for a dispositivo of this style. Value? Here we tell you everything you need to escoge whether this Xiaomi Watch S1 Active is for you or not.
Xiaomi Watch S1 Active, Review and Review
| Should you buy the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active? | |
|---|---|
| In favor of |
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| versus |
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| Conclusions | If you feel that Mi Band is too small for you and you are an active usuario that Xiaomi hopes with this watch, it could be a good buy. You accept independence, comfort, a very good screen … but all this for a price that is perhaps stricter. |
| punctuation | Xiaomi watch S1 active A solid sports device but without WearOS |
Xiaomi Watch S1 Active price and where to buy it
The Xiaomi Watch S1 Active went on sale in mid-March 2022 at a price official price 199.99 euros, 50 euros below the base model. Currently you cánido buy the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active in the Xiaomi web shop or I sites What AmazonWhere It’s easy to get it with a different discount.
It is available in three colors: black, white and dark blue. Remember that the selected color is not only reflected in the bracelet, but also in the watch casean important point if you are one of those people who normally Change the strap of your smartwatch. By the way, in the last sense you cánido get Ribbons of all colors easily on AliExpress or Amazon, which costs approx 2 or 3 euros on AliExpress Y 8 or 9 euros on Amazon.
Data sheet of the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active
Go on all specifications the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active, if you want to dig deeper into the device, s Manufacturer’s website You perro find more details about it.
| Trains | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 46.5 × 47.3 × 11 millimeters (without strap) Adjustable strap length from 160 to 220 millimeters 36.3 grams weight |
| Screen | 1.43 inch AMOLED touch 466×466 pixels |
| sensors | accelerometer gyroscope ambient light sensor Optical heart rate sensor geomagnetic sensor atmospheric sensor |
| battery | 470miliamperio-hora Up to 12 days usage |
| Other people | microphone Water resistance up to 5 ATM speaker GPS nfc Bluetooth 5.2 Coincidente from iOS 10.0 and Android 6.0 |
| departure date | March 2022 |
| starting price | €199.99 |
Where is the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active located?
The Xiaomi Watch S1 and the S1 Active are the further development of the Xiaomi Mi Watch, which will be released at the end of 2021 it was the top of the Xiaomi range when it comes to smartwatches. With this new generation of Xiaomi watches almost the price has doubled For its flagship smartwatch, we could say that the Chinese company intends to move away from the more “routine” segment of wearables and put country (and euros) in the middle.
The Xiaomi Watch S1 tries to differentiate itself from cheap devices like the Mi Band 6 / Photography by Didac Dalmases
Leaving aside the Mi Watch, if we now stick to the Xiaomi catalogue We’re going to go in the 40 or 50 euro range, where the Chinese brand has made a name for itself thanks to devices such as the Mi Band 6, the Redmi Watch 2 Lite or the Mi Watch Lite. So it seems so for 199.99 euros we should be able to expect great things the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active.
The problem is that, more generally, if we compare the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active to its predecessor, the Mi Watch, we will find that the improvements of the first are quite limited. If we opt for the latest model, we “only” pay for a better design and for certain additional functions, including the possibility of use Counting or to make phone calls, the latter partly thanks that speaker and microphone which includes. Also with everything, either clocks, neither the Mi Watch nor the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active It cánido be considered a 100% smartwatch as these watches are closer to Mi Band than Apple Watch in practice. This happens because while the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active perro take calls, Xiaomi hasn’t released a WearOS smartwatch yet or a afín system that allows us Third party aplicaciones installation.
The positive part is that we have a complete tool to monitor our health and physical activity, including autonomy much more extensive don’t look smart to use. You don’t have to charge it every day like the Apple Watch, but you perro’t use it to reply to messages either. One made of lime and sand.
For this reason, and despite its price, it’s not fair to compare the Xiaomi Watch S1 or its Active version with watches like the Apple Watch SE or the Compare Samsung Galaxy. Watch4 but we have to do it with other RTOS models like the OnePlus Watch or the Realme Watch S Proalthough the Huawei Watch GT Runner and the Amazfit GTR 3 and GTR 3 Pro are undoubtedly his better alternatives.
Our advice is, if you escoge to buy a device like the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active, think about your device real needs. As you will see in the analysis, it is a wearable that in practice offers functions very afín to those that we could find in any smart bracelet. Besides the design, consider paying for a better screen (do you care about notifications?), the ability to take calls with the watch (you need to be near the cellphone), Alexa (do you use voice assistants?), and paying more attention to exercise (do you just go for walks or are you a restless ass?). From there, explore if what this Xiaomi Watch S1 Active offers suits you or if you’d rather choose a afín model from another brand.
Excellent design and screen
Let’s start counting first How is that the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active which, despite being a later version Sports The Xiaomi Watch S1 doesn’t look like a cheap device at all, quite the opposite.
The watch is made with a case glass fiber reinforced polyamide (Stainless steel in the estándar model), which translates into a lightweight body with a matte texture and soft feel. without weight band 36.3 gramsrelatively low weight and attached with a silicone strapwhich is wide and with two hooks, we hardly feel it on the wrist. As usual, this strap is easily removed by moving a small metal fastener.
The Xiaomi Watch S1 Active is no thicker than the Mi Band 6 / Photography by Didac Dalmases
Back to the box, the truth is that’s the face of the watch he is a good size. Even with a big hand and a hand the bell is noticed. The good thing is because of the width that doesn’t happen, which are quite small but owe to the diameter of the screen: they are 1.43 inches and of course bulky. At this point, it’s good to remember that the clock full water tightness (it cánido be submerged up to 50 meters deep).
On the right side of the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active we find two buttons, one at the top and one at the bottom. The above leaves us Access to the main menu (one touch and we go to the menu, another touch and we come home, keep pressing and you will ask Alexa) and the bottom one is used to it Enable default sport. For example, if you normally go for a run every day, pressing the button below will give you direct access to this workout. You cánido choose your favorite workout in the aplicación or, if not, choose another activity directly from this website. It is also possible to configure this button below to be triggered by successive touches Let’s call our emergency contact. What is missing is that Xiaomi allows us to configure this lower button something else, for example to activate a stopwatch or the do not disturb mode, details that could be very interesting to customize the watch.
For the rest, on the sides of the box and near the base we have the microphone and the speaker. The latter sounds good for what it is: while it doesn’t help us play music fully, it will be more than enough to make a call and find out what they’re saying, even outside.
Navigating the menus of the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active is smooth as silk / Photography by Didac Dalmases
On to the screen, we must AMOLED panel 1.43 inches, a slightly larger size than Xiaomi Mi Watch. From our experience we cánido only say that we are standing in front of a screen good quality. It espectáculos vivid colors and detailed images. Even if you only move between the texts of the different menus, The difference is obvious compared to Mi Band or others expendable free We must remember that Xiaomi is going to sell us this Watch S1 Active no screen aseguradorA common thing in smartwatches, but in this case it could be more interesting because unlike the estándar model, the Watch S1 Active There is no sapphire glass screen. However, during the time we tested the watch, we didn’t appreciate it no marks or scratches on your screen, and we’re not particularly careful with that.
The Xiaomi Watch S1 Active also stands out in terms of brightness, achieving a visibility very afín to that of the screen of our móvil. Even when we are at the beach on a sunny day we perro see what is there. There is a 60Hz refresh rate, making our interactions with her more fluid than usual. Comparing it to the Xiaomi Mi Band 6 for example, the difference is huge: experience out of ten.
Another advantage of the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active screen is that it automatic brightness and from always displayedTwo features that many smartwatch users need precisely because of this how practical they are in everyday life. Regarding the first of them, the automatic brightness of the Xiaomi watch works like a charm, easily adapting the brightness of the panel to the light outside: if you’re at the beach, brightness on full; When you are in the office, glow softly. And second, the screen is always active so we perro see time and date always on the panel, which is very useful for users who are not clear with the classic “elevator to activate”.
If you don’t clear with the “lift to activate” you cánido use the Always On Display, although you’ll lose a day or two of battery/photography by Didac Dalmases
About that always display modeIt should be noted that it is active it will disminuye the independence of the clockPerhaps for this reason Xiaomi does not allow you to customize it by displaying the time and date in white text on a black background. Now the home screen, what we might call home, it is “tunable” with many skins.. It is enough to access the Xiaomi application (from the mobile) and then download the one that we want to put on the watch. There are minimal areas (needles and much more) for some with their devices even their own.
Autonomy: despiadado but with some dependencies
The Xiaomi Watch S1 Active is one Battery capacity 470miliamperio-hora According to the brand, it cánido last up to 12 days, 24 of which are in battery saver mode. Is it really like that? Well, as with all devices, it depends a bit on usage.
We did some tests. In the first week with absolutely all sensors work we got through it 5 days without charging the watch. We charged it on Monday and didn’t need another plug by Saturday morning, but be careful, we’re talking about a week particularly hard where we monitor everything that cánido be monitored: heart rate, stress, sleep, blood oxygen… The whole time.
The Xiaomi Watch S1 Active in the middle of charging / Photography by Didac Dalmases
If we loosen up a bit and just measure sleep and physical activity, we cánido do that easily get over the week’s usageeven more if we do that Disconnect WiFi from device. In case we want to choose 12 days of independence, we will have to stop sleep monitoring and possibly limit the notifications that the watch receives.
Be that as it may, we face more than reasonable hours, especially if we consider that a device like the Mi Band 6, simpler and above all with less screenAsk for a plug every 8 or 9 days.
For charging it is enough to have the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active two hours in the charging station that works with a magnetic stick system very afín to the Xiaomi Mi Band 6. At the other end of the cable we find USB-A that we perro connect to USB on the computer or to a regular charger. But consider that the cable does not reach 40 centimetersSo you have to find a plug in a suitable place or charge the watch on the computer or put it on the floor.
Sensors and magnetic pins of the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active
As the only negative point, Xiaomi prefers do not include wireless charging on the Watch S1 Active. despite the that costs almost 200 eurosThe brand only included this feature in the base model, which, as we recall, aims to offer a little more experience plus this is your brother.
Experiences with the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active
Now let’s deal with the clock day by day. As we have already said, the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active It is not a smart watch to use, but it works as a kind of “supervitamin” Mi Band. Yes, we cánido call things like Alexa right on the watch or make calls (we need to be connected to the cell phone’s bluetooth), but We cannot install third party applications. If you want a watch to answer an dirección de correo electrónico, espectáculo your calendar, or send a WhatsApp sound, we’re afraid we have to tell you you won’t make it.
Swipe down from the top and you will entrar a menu with Quick Settings / Photography by Didac Dalmases
From the home screen we cánido slide from top to bottom to see them “Flow” of adswhich is configurable in the settings My fitness aplicación (by the way available for free on Google plus Play). Keep in mind that ad interaction is minimal limited, which perro be a little frustrating in some cases: for example, correo electrónico notifications only espectáculo the content, if you want to see more you have to take your phone out of your pocket. Therefore we could say that the the “mirror” of the clock displays is worthwhile especially for calls and messages displayed chronologically on the panel.
If we slip instead cheerswe give access context menu from which we perro access, among other things, the flashlight or the one-touch alarms, as well as the night mode and do not disturb or the general settings of the watch.
Sliding from the home screen to the pages allows us to navigate between the different widgets that we have configured. Here we have a custom point very positive for xiaomi watch since we have direct access and very visual with relevant information such as sleep, time, music control or our daily activity statistics.
A few aplicaciones but a good selection of utilities / photography by Didac Dalmases
For the rest, if we press the top button, we access the Utility menu the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active that offers us one thirty choices between them to make a mess. Under the we list them all so that you are clear about what the watch offers (we will detalla some of them below):
- Sports: Select the sport you want to practice and train. The watch monitors your activity.
- activity: Access your training history.
- statistics: You cánido check your steps or calories burned throughout the day.
- Heartbeat: Equipo how often you want to measure your heart rate or take measurements immediately. Here you cánido check your pulse throughout the day.
- oxygen content in the blood: the same mechanics as the previous option, but with the level of oxygen in the blood.
- Sleep: Check your sleep times, the analysis depends on the configuration previously selected.
- Emphasize: The watch provides a rough reading of your stress level from 0 to 100.
- breathing: Do breathing exercises, it works the same way on the Mi Band.
- Menstrual cycle tracking: Once you have configured the aplicación, you cánido see how your cycle is going.
- alexa: Alexa activation (you cánido also do this by pressing and holding the top button).
- time: Check the weather forecast for the day (only supports one location).
- music: controls playback.
- cards: Add a coincidente card from the aplicación to pay for the watch.
- Calls: Access the call log and make calls (it is necessary to start from the call log data, it is not possible to access the contact list).
- advertisement: It’s like consulting the “flow” of ads.
- alarm.
- timer.
- chronometer.
- air pressure and altitude: Works with location data.
- calibration: Calibrate the watch by forming a figure eight with your wrist.
- Change remote control: Control the mobile camera with the clock (take photos or equipo a timer).
- find a device.
- Lantern.
- arrangements: Access the settings of the device (change the faces, activate the automatic brightness or automatically detect the exercise, change the intensity of the vibration, put a pin, the ringtone …).
Apart from all that, there is Xiaomi own aplicación store which currently only the large number of… four applications. There’s a calculator, we’ve got science, radio, something like a note-taking aplicación, and a number puzzle. Of the four aplicaciones the calculator and the answer work without problemsalthough we need to download the radio aplicación on the phone the aplicación of the same name, so the clock aplicación ends up acting as a kind of radio playback control and a bit more. Finally we have noticedA very promising Aprecies application that unfortunately we could not test because it displayed an fallo message.
As you perro see, the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active has nothing particularly impressive compared to other watches or even smart bracelets in general. Yes we perro talk directly to Alexa (as long as the watch is connected to WiFi) and yes we perro use it to make calls and even pay (as long as you have a MasterCard), but it seems for it costs almost 200 euros we would have something else. On the one hand, it is very possible that payments and the ecosystem of applications will improve over time (Alexa itself did not come out of the box, but came on the watch a few weeks after sending vía OTA). but forward. On the other hand, it is ineludible to think that we are before a unfinished deviceAt least as far as the functions are concerned Smart in relation to.
Sport functions: the authentic health
Undoubtedly the highlight of the hour as we are capable of it complete sensors to monitor our health and physical activity. In this last sense, the distinguishing feature of the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active are the 117 sports methods included, even sports such as basketball, tennis or high-intensity training sessions perro be recorded. In our case we used the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active with a treadmill and swimming and the results were more than right. It accurately measures the length of the pool and the kilometer of tape is more or less the length of the tape itself. Nothing wrong with that.
The Mi Fitness aplicación is the perfect companion for this Xiaomi Watch S1 Active
On top of that, the watch is a bit easy to use during sports thanks to the large and flat screen and the two side buttons additional comfort that we perro get over a fancy bracelet or other cheaper watches. Also remember that we perro configure one of the two physical buttons to serve as direct access with the sporting activity of our choice.
When we finish the sports unit, we cánido Consult the details all of it in the My Fitness aplicación. To give you an iniciativa, when you’re swimming, it even detects if you’re breaststroke or freestyle. We have great accuracy in outdoor training (walking, running or cycling) it will continue to increase thanks for that Dual band GPS this includes the clock, which a faster and more accurate positioning than what many low-end or mid-range watches perro give us. Not enough to get lost in the countryside, but enough to pick up a city route.
The Mi Fitness aplicación is very afín to the old Mi Fit
Finally, as is usual with this type of device, we cánido go to the My Fitness aplicación to see all of them training data, which is nothing short of amazing in its accuracy and detail. If you are one of those people who like to record everything, you will be enchanted by the sporty “data” of the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active. Maybe it’s because of this aspect one of the strongest selling points for this device: Unless you are a very active person, you will find it difficult to make the most of it.
This device has been thoroughly tested Independently thanks to a move of the brand. The article contains purchase backlinks for which Andro4all may receive a commission. take part to the market channel Andro4all to find out about the best deals before anyone else.