The Redmi Watch 5 Active is a new budget-friendly wearable that aims to appeal to users who prioritize value. For how much it’s priced, it proves to be more than capable of being your next fitness tracking daily driver.
It doesn’t skimp on style either, offering users a metallic-like finish, customizable straps, and 200+ watch faces. Even its software is geared towards a comprehensive yet user-friendly experience.
If you’re looking for a great entry-level smartwatch to start with, you’ve gone to the right place. Without further ado, let’s get right into what makes the Redmi Watch 5 Active tick.
Design and Display
Out of the box, we got our review unit in Matte Silver. We also got another TPU strap to come with it, but decided to keep the in-box silver strap as is. The watch itself has what looks like a metallic body but is actually polymer plastic material.
Either way, build quality still seems quite durable. It does look a bit bigger in comparison to most smartwatches though. However, it feels fairly light opposed to what the size suggests.
On the right side of the watch, users will find the power button. The device’s sensors can be found behind the watch face. For those curious, this watch has a 5ATM water resistance rating.
The watch also has a neat feature that shakes water out from inside the watch. This can be found via the quick settings menu if users ever find themselves in a situation that needs it.
While it does feel comfortable once you have it on, it can feel a bit tedious to put it on. I’d say there’s like a 70/30 ratio on days where it’s easy to wear the watch.
To be fair, this is a subjective take based on my personal experiences since I have thin wrists.
As for the display, it’s flat and sizable with notably large bezels. It’s vivid and bright enough at 500 nits that users can use it under direct sunlight.
Since it’s not an AMOLED panel, I also have to mention it doesn’t have an always-on display mode available. At night, some users might even take issue with its brightness levels since it doesn’t have it on auto.
At the very least, users can set the screen timeout duration or have it on for up to five minutes. For personalization, users can choose between 200+ watch faces to boot.
To sum this segment up, we’re happy with the build quality and yet a bit torn with the display features.
Audio and Calling
The watch has a built-in speaker and microphone. Admittedly, I have some gripes with this off the bat. The watch was intended to be used with Amazon’s Alexa assistant. Sadly, this isn’t available in the Philippines.
Plus, users won’t be able to listen to music from their smartphones with the watch. Since the watch doesn’t provide storage space for audio, it’s basically a remote control for your music player. From experience, it works fine with Spotify and YouTube Music.
I’d say the call audio is acceptable. It’s loud and clear. The microphone also helps eliminate background noises to make sure your output is good.
I just think it’s odd because it seems the speaker is only used for calling and alerts. I’m sure Bluetooth audio playback from Spotify or something could’ve been achieved here, but I digress.
OS, Apps, and UI
The watch runs on Xiaomi HyperOS version 2.2.98 out of the box. Native Xiaomi users should find it easy to manage because of its similar interface. It’s also fairly intuitive and not that hard to pick up otherwise.
The watch offers customizable widgets, smooth animations, and a user-friendly menus. Shortcuts for handy features like adjusting brightness, toggling the flashlight, and water clearing are readily available too.
Because of its software skin, it’s designed to be flat. It won’t let you install extra apps like Google Maps or anything to keep it simple. To make the most out of the watch, users are directed to download the Mii Fitness app.
Users are asked to link the watch to the app upon booting up. From here, you can link the watch to other apps like Google Fit and Strava. I’ve mostly used the app to see my sleep metrics and steps per day since I walk home from work.
Aside from these, the watch and app offer 140+ workout modes and 200+ watch faces for users to tinker with. It also provides a 24-hour heart rate monitoring feature along with blood oxygen and stress monitoring.
Overall, I think the watch achieves its goals on the software front. It’s simple, straightforward, but still intuitive enough to offer thoughtful features.
Battery and Connectivity
The watch packs a 480mAh battery that should easily last users an entire week. It could even last two weeks if users don’t get too fidgety with turning on the display consistently.
I’m on day nine with the watch and I feel like I’ve barely made a dent in the battery. Again, I’ve used it mostly for tracking sleep, steps, and music controls. Redmi says that the watch is rated for up to 18 days of use.
While there isn’t any word from Redmi on what charging technology supports the watch, it’s still pretty good. I managed to get around 25% of power within roughly 13 minutes.
Pricing and Conclusion
The Redmi Watch 5 Active is a great find if users are looking for their very first smartwatch. It provides a handful of essentials with user-friendly features. This includes health tracking, a ton of workout modes, and even clearing water from the device.
If users want a budget wearable that gets the job done, then this is it. While I do have my gripes on the display department, I guess it is just an afterthought.
Features like always-on and auto-brightness aren’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. Additionally, I wish that music could be played straight from the watch at times too.
If users are interested, the Redmi Watch 5 Active has a suggested retail price of PHP 1,899. Like we said, it’s an insanely budget-friendly find that won’t break the bank.
What we liked:
* Design and build
* Features (sleep/stress tracking, water clearing, etc.)
* Software, apps, and UI simplicity
* Battery Life and Charging
What we didn’t like:
* Display (no AOD/auto brightness)
* Limited speaker functions (mostly used for calling)
Redmi Watch 5 Active specs:
2-inch LCD, 320 x 385 resolution @ 250 ppi
Up to 500 nits (peak brightness)
Tempered glass protection
5ATM water resistance
TPU strap
Speaker
Microphone
Bluetooth 5.3
Xiaomi HyperOS
Mi Fitness app support
24-hour heart rate, blood oxygen, and stress monitoring
140+ workout modes
200+ watch faces
470mAh battery
Up to 18 days of battery life
49.1 x 40.4 x 11.4mm (dimensions)
30.6 grams (weight, without strap)
Midnight Black or Matte Silver (colors)
