Xiaomi has always been good with its wearables, starting from the fitness bands. With its smartwatches also, Xiaomi’s products are well-built and offer great features. With its sub-brand, Redmi, the company also aims to deliver a satisfactory user experience at competitive pricing.
The Redmi Watch 5 Active aims to follow the same pattern. The smartwatch has several health measures, including a SpO2 monitor, a heart rate sensor, a stress level monitor, sleep tracking, and a menstrual cycle tracker. It also has a big 2-inch display, supports Bluetooth calling, and is priced under Rs 3,000. But how does it perform in real life? Read on below to know more.
Redmi Watch 5 Active review: Design and Display
The Redmi Watch 5 Active comes with a zinc alloy body and a big 2-inch display. The watch case feels sturdy, thanks to the metal build, and comes with a single button on the side. At the back, the watch has the heart rate sensor, the SpO2 sensor, the speaker for taking calls, and the dual-pogo pins for charging the watch.
The back of the watch has a matte finish, and in our testing, we didn’t experience any wear and tear. The Watch 5 Active weighs just 42.2 grams, and it doesn't add a lot of heft to the wrist. There is no specific mention of certification for the protection on the screen. Nevertheless, in our time of use, the watch did not pick up any major scratches or scuffs.
The included strap was also comfortable for all-day usage. Since it is a universal 22m strap, you can swap the existing one with multiple third-party straps. Talking about the display, the watch has a standard LCD with a 320 x 385 pixels resolution. It is responsive and rarely misses any touches. It even works great when the watch is slightly wet, and it does get fairly bright, too.
The 2-inch display also sports both raise-to-wake and tap-to-wake features. However, we would have certainly appreciated an auto-brightness sensor here. Nonetheless, we didn’t have any issues with the screen, even under direct sunlight. It also has thick and uneven bezels all around. However, if you apply a dark screen watch face, it barely ever gets in the way of the user experience.
Redmi Watch 5 Active review: Features and Performance
The biggest highlight of the Redmi Watch 5 Active is the inclusion of HyperOS. It provides a streamlined user interface with fluid animations. Xiaomi has also included Alexa support, and it works well to perform custom actions such as asking about the current weather or setting a specific timer.
With the Mi Wear app, you download over 200 cloud watch faces. Moreover, the watch also has Hindi language support and emojis support. However, the watch has no built-in keyboard to reply to messages. In our testing, the watch has been fairly accurate in terms of step count. The SpO2 and heart rate sensor worked surprisingly well, and in our testing showed similar results to certified medical devices.
However, the sleep tracking was a bit erratic, as it showed inconsistencies most of the time. We loved the overall look of the UI. It was a perfect blend of elegance and quirkiness for our taste and has multiple customisation options in the app or watch’s inbuilt settings. Moreover, all the menu options can be accessed by the press of a button.
The watch also supports Bluetooth calling, which is quite handy when you can’t pick up the phone from your pocket or pouch. With the single speaker at the back, the call quality was loud and clear, and with its dedicated mics, the receiver had no problem as well. The smartwatch comes with 140+ sports modes. We also had no problem using it while swimming, and the brand has included a water-expulsion feature that’s quite effective.
Redmi Watch 5 Active review: Battery and charging
In terms of battery life, the Redmi Watch 5 Active performs admirably well. Its 470mAh battery easily lasted for more than a week with heavy usage, which included multiple calls, all-day heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, and more. We also mostly used the device at full brightness and a multitude of workout options to track.
The Watch 5 Active uses a proprietary Pogo pin connector for charging. The pins connect magnetically at the back, and the cable is supplied in the box. However, it is a bit short, so we mostly used a power bank to charge the smartwatch. The Redmi Watch 5 Active takes one hour and 26 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%. For quick top-up of its battery, it also supports fast charging and half of its battery can be charged in 30 minutes.
Redmi Watch 5 Active review: Verdict
The Redmi Watch 5 Active makes a serious case to be the best smartwatch under Rs 3,000. It has an impressive battery life, a big and bright display, multiple health features, loud and clear calls, and a premium design. Its HyperOS user interface is smooth to operate and has tons of customization features. An AMOLED display with an auto-brightness sensor could have made this display a lot more enticing, but at its current asking price, it’s hard to complain.
Hence, if you're looking for a reliable daily companion to track your activity levels and for occasional calling without breaking the bank, the Redmi Watch 5 Active punches well above its weight. While users with small wrists might find this watch to be a bit bulky, the Watch 5 Active makes up for it with its big screen and reliable health tracking.
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