Redmi Watch 5 Active Review
With a price tag of Rs 2,799 in India, the Redmi Watch 5 Active emerges as a formidable contender in the budget smartwatch market. Let us explore the reasons behind its competitiveness.
Recently, Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi introduced its latest budget smartwatch, the Redmi Watch 5 Active, in India, targeting the under Rs 5000 market segment. This segment is already populated by strong domestic competitors such as Boat, Boult, Pebble, and Noise. As Indian brands provide commendable smartwatches at competitive prices, Chinese tech companies like Redmi are striving to establish their presence with this new release, particularly in anticipation of the forthcoming festival sale in India.
With a price tag of Rs 2,799, the Redmi Watch 5 Active boasts features such as Bluetooth calling, a 2-inch rectangular display, an IPX8 water resistance rating, an integrated voice-activated assistant Alexa, and a robust 470mAh battery, among other functionalities. Additionally, it supports 140 sports modes and various health-monitoring capabilities, including a heart rate sensor, stress level assessment, and sleep tracking. The smartwatch is available in Matte Silver and Midnight Black. I had the opportunity to test the Midnight Black variant for nearly two weeks, and I would like to share my impressions of this new smartwatch.
Design and Display
The first aspect that caught my attention regarding the Redmi Watch 5 Active is its appealing and athletic design. Although it does not present major design innovations compared to its predecessor, the Redmi Watch 3 Active, it retains a similar visual style with subtle modifications to refresh its appearance. The smartwatch features a power button located on the right side. Weighing in at 42.2g, it strikes a balance between sturdiness and lightness, ensuring comfort for extended wear. The quality of the strap is commendable, as I experienced no discomfort throughout the review period. Furthermore, the new Redmi smartwatch is equipped with an IPX8 rating, providing protection against splashes and sweat, which is an essential feature for any smartwatch.
The smartwatch features a 2-inch rectangular LCD display with a resolution of 320 x 385 pixels. It offers a brightness level of up to 500 nits, ensuring adequate visibility in various lighting environments. Nevertheless, during bright daylight, the text on the screen is only marginally legible, possibly attributed to the somewhat thick bezels, which can occasionally be distracting. Additionally, the touch response of this smartwatch is notably smooth.
A notable drawback of the Redmi Watch 5 Active is its absence of an AMOLED display, a feature that is available in competing models within the same price bracket, such as those from Noise and Lava. Additionally, it does not include adaptive brightness, which further highlights its limitations.
The Redmi Watch 5 Active is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 technology, enabling users to make and receive calls through a paired smartphone. This smartwatch is compatible with both Android and iOS devices via the Mi Fitness App. My experience pairing it with my iPhone was exceptionally seamless. Additionally, the Mi Fitness App enriched the user experience by providing comprehensive insights and facilitating connections with well-known health platforms such as Strava and Apple Health. Throughout my usage, I encountered no delays, resulting in a smooth and trouble-free performance.
The Redmi Watch 5 Active excels in its array of features. Operating on HyperOS, it provides access to more than 200 cloud-based watch faces, along with 50 customizable options, facilitating a high degree of personalization. The inclusion of Hindi language support, emoji functionality, and customizable ringtones enhances its overall usability. A notable highlight is the Bluetooth calling feature, which delivered clear audio quality, aided by its 3-MIC Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) technology, allowing users to answer calls directly from the watch with ease.
Additionally, the watch is equipped with Emergency SOS calling capabilities. It also offers automatic tracking of vital signs, such as heart rate, SpO2 levels, and sleep patterns. With support for over 140 sports modes, including walking, cycling, and running, I found the performance during my review period to be quite satisfactory.
One feature that particularly impressed me was the Raise to Wake Display, which activated promptly whenever I lifted my wrist, enabling me to check the time or notifications effortlessly without the need to press any buttons
Battery Performance
Redmi asserts that the Watch 5 Active can provide up to 18 days of battery life with standard usage. During my two-week evaluation, the battery sustained approximately 13 days on a single charge, which is impressive, particularly given that I utilized numerous features such as Bluetooth calling and continuous health monitoring.
Charging the device from 0 to 100 percent required 1 hour and 26 minutes, a duration that is quite acceptable for a smartwatch. Overall, my experience with the Redmi Watch 5 Active met my expectations.
For those seeking a smartwatch priced below Rs 3,000, the Redmi Watch 5 Active stands out as one of the premier choices currently available in the market. Its athletic design, array of features, and impressive battery longevity position it as a formidable contender within the budget smartwatch category. The device boasts excellent connectivity options, including Bluetooth calling, a customizable interface, emergency SOS functionality, and various health-tracking capabilities. Nevertheless, the absence of an AMOLED display and adaptive brightness presents an opportunity for enhancement, particularly when compared to competitors such as Noise and Lava. In summary, the Redmi Watch 5 Active delivers exceptional value for its cost.
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