Redmi Watch 5 Review: A Budget-Friendly Smartwatch with Exceptional Battery Life

Xiaomi launched the Redmi Watch 5 in November 2024, initially limited to the Chinese market. However, the global release in January 2025 brought us a chance to review this affordable smartwatch. At €110, the Redmi Watch 5 offers an impressive blend of aesthetics, performance, and battery life. Here’s our detailed review.

Table of Contents:

Our review delves into the watch’s design, display, software, health tracking capabilities, battery life, and charging technology. Whether you’re looking for a basic smartwatch or something more, we provide a thorough breakdown to help you decide if this is the device for you.

Design

Opening the packaging, we were greeted by a sleek aluminum alloy watch paired with a Lavender Purple TPU strap. Despite its price, the Redmi Watch 5 exudes a premium vibe.

Xiaomi also provided two additional Quick Release straps: a Cream White strap made from cowhide leather and a Rose Purple strap with a velcro design. Both compliment the watch beautifully, but we found the Purple version to be more versatile and durable.

The design bears a notable resemblance to Apple Watch, both in terms of form and function. While Xiaomi’s imitation is a commendable achievement, the lack of originality leaves room for improvement.

Display

The Redmi Watch 5 features a 2.07″ AMOLED screen, the largest display Xiaomi has yet offered in a wearable device. It boasts a 82% screen-to-body ratio with 2 mm thin bezels, making the watch more compact and manageable.

The 2.5D curved screen enhances readability and usability, making it easy to navigate and interact with the interface.

The display reaches a peak brightness of 1,500 nits and refreshes at 60 Hz, which is typical of premium smartphones. This feature not only enhances visual quality but also gives the watch an edge over its competitors.

The LTPS panel allows some watch faces to operate at a 5 Hz refresh rate, offering a significant boost to battery life.

Colors on the screen are vibrant and display beautifully. The watch face mirrors the Mi Fitness app on your smartphone, ensuring consistency and professionalism. The Always-On Display (AOD) feature includes two modes: AOD and Main Display.

The Raise to Wake gesture functions flawlessly, seamlessly activating and deactivating the display as you lift and lower your wrist.

Software & Hardware

The user interface is intuitive and user-friendly. Each app icon has a distinct design, which may appear chaotic initially but proves simple to navigate.

Navigating the app grid by pressing the rotating crown button is efficient, with options to display the grid with or without app names.

Notifications appear instantly, but only letters and numbers are supported; emojis don’t display on the watch.

Xiaomi introduced a new AFE chip, which reportedly boosts heart rate measurement accuracy by 5.2% and sleep accuracy by 10%. However, sleep tracking is inconsistent, particularly for those who move frequently during sleep.

Activity & Health Tracking

The watch offers a wide range of features, including blood oxygen saturation and stress monitoring, with over 150 sports modes supported by built-in GNSS.

While specific satellite usage is不清, it’s evident that the watch isn’t using American GPS or European Galileo. The slight inaccuracies during running suggest the use of Chinese Beidou.

Various running courses and breathing exercises make it useful for both training and recovery.

The Mi Fitness app offers a visually appealing and comprehensible way to monitor heart rate and sleep tracking.

Battery Life & Charging

The Redmi Watch 5 uses a proprietary pogo pin charging solution, which, while outdated, is not a major inconvenience due to the watch’s long battery life.

The watch typically requires charging only every two to three weeks, making daily use seamless.

Xiaomi claims a battery life of up to 24 days, which is optimistic under ideal conditions. Our tests revealed an impressive 15-day battery life, even with continuous monitoring and notifications.

The 550 mAh battery charges fully in about an hour, ensuring minimal downtime for optimal use. Even when using AOD, battery life still extends to an impressive nine days.

Verdict

Priced at €110 in some European markets, the Redmi Watch 5 is an excellent value for money. It offers attractive design, a bright display, and exceptional battery life, making it a solid choice for basic smartwatch functionality.

While it shares similarities with the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro and lacks advanced features, the Redmi Watch 5 excels in notifications and basic health metrics tracking.

Pros

• Impressive design for its price point.
• Bright and sharp display.
• Exceptional battery life.
• Very affordable.

Cons

• Reliability issues with GNSS.
• Subpar sleep and health tracking.
• Limited UI capabilities compared to premium options.

For those seeking a budget-friendly smartwatch with strong battery performance and basic features, the Redmi Watch 5 is an ideal choice.

Have you had a chance to try the Redmi Watch 5? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Don’t forget to subscribe for more reviews and tech news updates. Stay tuned!

Like and share this article if you found it helpful. We value your support! 🚀