When Xiaomi began operations over a decade ago, it was known for making low-cost products with performance that punched far above its price range. In the last half decade, the company pursued making products for the premium segment, starting with smartphones, the best of which are every bit as premium and high-spec’ed as the best iPhones.
Xiaomi is now going to do the same with its wearables. Its latest smartwatch, named S3, is the company’s most premium feeling and looking wearable yet. And it comes with a clever interchangeable bezel design that adds a dash of fun to the hardware.
Interchangeable bezel
The Watch S3, which retails for around $150, features a 1.43-inch OLED screen that’s wrapped by a protruding circular bezel. My original review unit comes with a silver aluminum bezel, but with a hard twist the bezel comes off, allowing me to swap in other colored rings.
Each bezel comes with a unique watch face, that when the piece is snapped into place, triggers the new watch face.
Powering the watch is an unspecified silicon, running Xiaomi’s new HyperOS software that’s leaner and faster than previous Xiaomi software. HyperOS is the company’s universal software that will also run in the company’s upcoming electric car, as well as phones and tablets. Xiaomi says this allows more seamless connectivity between Xiaomi products, though I haven’t had the chance to test that yet.
The watch packs an impressive 15-day battery life, and also features 5ATM water resistance, meaning it can go under water for up to 5 meters. To that end, there are a myriad of sports modes (over 150) that can track everything from swims to cycling to basketball.
The watch has a decidedly cleaner and more mature look and feel than previous Xiaomi watches. The frame is all-aluminum alloy, and while the rubber straps that come with the watch aren’t anything to write home about, the 20mm straps are easily interchangeable, and its 20mm size is universal enough that you can find other straps at watch stores.
To use the watch, you must first install Xiaomi’s companion app, which provides more in-depth health and fitness data, along with a series of watch faces. The Watch S3 also works with iOS and Android, but unfortunately, it still does not have access to a dedicated digital voice assistant, Google apps, nor can it respond to notifications. These are limitations to running a proprietary OS instead of Google’s WearOS. This means while I can receive notifications fine, I can’t respond to, say, a text message directly on the wrist.
But the fitness tracking is accurate. I wore the watch and went on a walk and counted the steps in my head as I moved, and after 700 steps, the count was within a 10 step range. Heart rate tracking is similar to results from the Apple Watch. However, the Watch S3 cannot automatically detect workouts, the way Apple Watch can.
Ultimately, the Xiaomi Watch S3 is a $150 watch with speedy performance and extremely good battery life. To be able to go on a two week trip and not worry about bringing a charger is impressive. But its inability to access a dedicated voice assistant or respond to notifications is a big issue for me. But others who aren’t as demanding of their watches could perhaps accept this shortcoming for a premium look, fun design, and long battery.
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