Unboxing Xiaomi Watch 5: Beautiful steel frame, smooth Wear OS, convenient gestures, 3-day battery
Xiaomi Watch 5 was introduced in the Vietnamese market in March 2026 and this is the latest generation of the high-end smartwatch line Xiaomi Watch Series with alphanumeric suffixes. I am using Xiaomi Watch 2 (2024) and am very interested in Xiaomi Watch 5, especially when Xiaomi also shared that this is the best smartwatch running Wear OS they have ever created.
Machine box and accessories
The box of Xiaomi Watch 5 has a main white color tone with the front side printed with the image, product name and Xiaomi logo. The left edge, right edge and back of the box also have a lot of information and highlights of the device printed on them.
The sides of the Xiaomi Watch 5 box print a lot of information related to the device.
In the box of Xiaomi Watch 5 comes a manual and a magnetic charging cord.
Overview of appearance, design details
Xiaomi Watch 5 has a watch face with a circular design and a size of 47 mm. Above the watch face is a 1.54 inch screen. The border surrounding the screen is only 2.6 mm thin. The design of Xiaomi Watch 5 reminds me of traditional round watches, which are very beautiful and suit my taste.
Xiaomi Watch 5 has a 47 mm circular watch face with a 1.54 inch screen. The device is also covered with sapphire glass on the front and bottom. The frame of Xiaomi Watch 5 has a flat beveled design and uses 316L stainless steel. The frame surface has a glossy finish and a matte finish that looks very beautiful. Of course, the glossy surface easily attracts fingerprints and I accept cleaning the device more often.
The frame of Xiaomi Watch 5 uses stainless steel to create a sturdy product.
The left side of the device has no function keys.
The right side is where the knob is located to help users interact and control the watch (this knob can be pressed). Next to it is a function key.
The top and bottom of Xiaomi Watch 5 both have a latch design to fix the product to the strap.
The bottom of the watch is where the health monitoring sensors are located. Because Xiaomi Watch 5 is a smartwatch model in the high-end segment, of course the product is finished very carefully. Every detail from the bezel, frame to the buttons are meticulously and firmly reinforced.
I can clearly feel the manufacturer's care in the finishing process of Xiaomi Watch 5. The buttons also provide a very comfortable pressing feeling.
Each engraved part on the rotating knob of Xiaomi Watch 5 is also meticulously cared for. The Xiaomi Watch 5 that I use comes with a Cedar Green strap with skin-friendly fluororubber (synthetic rubber) material. If you notice, the green color on Xiaomi Watch 5 is also in sync with Xiaomi 17.
Color synchronization on Xiaomi 17 and Xiaomi Watch 5. The outside of the strap has an embossed pattern, while the inside is smooth. This strap has a needle locking mechanism similar to a traditional watch.
Although the green color on the Xiaomi Watch 5 strap looks very beautiful, it does not suit my Metal element.
The pin buckle on this strap has the words Xiaomi engraved and the surface is glossy finished. Talking more about the mechanism of attaching / removing the strap of Xiaomi Watch 5, the inside of the strap has a small metal lever detail. Users need to use their fingernail to push this lever aside, the spring latch will automatically shorten so we can remove or install the strap to the watch. Actually, I prefer the button press mechanism to attach/remove the cord.
Close-up of the latch on the strap so we can disassemble it. For me, the feeling of wearing the Xiaomi Watch 5 is relatively comfortable thanks in part to the strap having a soft and skin-friendly material.
I like the feeling of wearing the Xiaomi Watch 5, partly from the strap material. However, compared to its predecessor Xiaomi Watch 2, the feeling of wearing Xiaomi Watch 5 is clearly heavier due to the difference in frame material. I will describe that difference more specifically in the section below.
Compare the product design with its predecessor Xiaomi Watch 2
Overview of Xiaomi Watch 5 and Xiaomi Watch 2 are both circular watch models with nearly similar sizes.
→ Xiaomi Watch 5 is 0.5 mm shorter, 1.1 mm wider and 0.5 mm thicker than Xiaomi Watch 2. One point that I can immediately recognize is that the Xiaomi Watch 5 has a larger screen size than the Xiaomi Watch 2 thanks to the thinner bezel. The difference in specific screen size is 1.54 inches VS 1.43 inches (~7.6%).
Xiaomi Watch 5 (left) has a screen design that looks better than the previous generation thanks to the thin bezel. The difference between the two smartphones also comes from the frame material. If Xiaomi Watch 5 is stainless steel, Xiaomi Watch 2 is aluminum alloy. This also makes the weight of Xiaomi Watch 5 heavier than the previous generation, specifically 56 g VS 36.8 g (~15%).
Xiaomi Watch 5 (left) has a frame made of stainless steel, a notable upgrade compared to the aluminum alloy frame of Xiaomi Watch 2.
The bezel of Xiaomi Watch 5 (left) also has glossy finished surfaces instead of completely rough like the previous generation.
The left side of Xiaomi Watch 5 (left) and Xiaomi Watch 2 both have no function buttons. If you pay closer attention, the Xiaomi Watch 5's border has an engraved shadow line to create a highlight.
The right side of the smartwatch duo also has a difference in function keys, specifically the knob. I like this change because controlling the smartwatch with the knob is still better than using the touch screen.
I see that the function keys of the Xiaomi Watch 5 (left) are also designed to be more convex than the previous generation, creating a more comfortable pressing feeling.
The health monitoring sensor on the bottom of Xiaomi Watch 5 (left) also has a difference in position compared to its predecessor.
The straps of Xiaomi Watch 5 (left) and Xiaomi Watch 2 both use a metal lever removal/installation mechanism.
Configuration parameters
I will quickly review the configuration parameters of Xiaomi Watch 5 based on information from the product homepage:
• Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 4 nm. • BES2800 Low-Power Processor 6 nm.
• 6 days smart mode • 4-day smart AOD mode • 18-day battery saving mode
Xiaomi Watch 5 is integrated with Wear OS 5 operating system (updated to Wear OS 6).
A few highlights
Because I haven't used Xiaomi Watch 5 long enough, I can't fully understand the entire product. In this section, I will share some personal experiences combined with information from the manufacturer so you can have more reference data about the product. 1. Large 1.54 inch screen, high brightness: Xiaomi Watch 5 is equipped with a large 1.54 inch screen with thin bezels, high brightness of 1,200 nits and especially comes with a 60 Hz scan frequency. Xiaomi Watch 5 offers a more eye-catching display experience (because of thinner borders) and smoother transition effects (because of 60 Hz) compared to the Xiaomi Watch 2 that I am using.
For me, the screen of Xiaomi Watch 5 has very nice display quality. 2. Strong performance two-chip architecture, battery life up to 18 days: Xiaomi Watch 5 is equipped with two Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 and BES2800BP processor chips that help the intelligent chip conversion system, providing outstanding energy efficiency while balancing high performance with long battery life.
Xiaomi Watch 5 possesses a dual-chip architecture that provides strong performance. Source: Xiaomi. Speaking of battery life, the manufacturer shares that Xiaomi Watch 5 has a battery life of up to 18 days in battery saving mode, 6 days in smart mode and 4 days in smart AOD mode.
Xiaomi is very confident about the battery life of Xiaomi Watch 5. Source: Xiaomi. For my usage needs, where I often wear the device (except when taking a shower), always turn on the AOD screen function and many other health monitoring features, Xiaomi Watch 5 can operate continuously for 3 days. This usage time is much better than the Xiaomi Watch 2's battery life of less than 1 day.
The battery of Xiaomi Watch 5 has significantly improved compared to its predecessor. 3. Diverse health monitoring functions: According to the manufacturer, Xiaomi Watch 5 is equipped with a new generation PPG sensor and 4 LED + 4PD tracking technology. The device supports continuous heart rate measurement, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood oxygen level (SpO2), sleep monitoring and stress levels. All data is synchronized via the Mi Fitness app and supports Health Connect to share with third-party applications.
This is a highlight of the health monitoring functions of Xiaomi Watch 5. Source: Xiaomi. 4. Integrated Wear OS operating system for smooth operation, many smart gestures: Xiaomi Watch 5 is equipped with Wear OS operating system with a variety of services/applications from Google (Play Store, Google Wallet, Gemini,...). According to my experience, Xiaomi Watch 5 offers smooth transition effects and especially the device also receives new software updates.
Xiaomi Watch 5 with Wear OS operating system provides smooth transition effects.
While using the device, the system notified a new software update from Wear OS 5 to Wear OS 6. But the update content did not mention this, only when I finished updating did I realize it. One thing I like about Xiaomi Watch 5 is that the device has many smart gestures to make the user's usage experience more convenient. This is also thanks to the EMG sensor that records nerve signals from each finger, allowing the device to accurately recognize specific gestures and support easy control with just one lift of the hand.
Convenient gestures on Xiaomi Watch 5. Source: Xiaomi. In particular, I like to snap my fingers to quickly activate the exercise tracking function because I have a habit of cycling / jogging.
I like the convenience of snapping my fingers and activating the sports training tracking mode on Xiaomi Watch 5.
Xiaomi Watch 5 + snap operation = Cycling practice function Xiaomi Watch 5 + snap operation = Cycling practice function :speech_balloon:More specifically, Xiaomi Watch 5 has a built-in Quick Gesture function, allowing you to just snap your fingers to quickly activate the fitness tracking function:bicyclist_tone1:... Tinhte.vn If you are using the Xiaomi Watch 2 but are annoyed about the poor battery life, you also like Wear OS and looking for a smartwatch that can solve the above problems, the Xiaomi Watch 5 may very well be a worthwhile option. See more:
