Unboxing Xiaomi Watch S5 in hand: 46 mm watch face, stainless steel, HyperOS 3 is very smooth, 7-day battery
Remember the time when I first encountered the Xiaomi Watch S5 at the product launch event. At that time, I had to exclaim "Why does the clock transition effect look so smooth?" - because at that time I was still using its predecessor Xiaomi Watch S4. Now I have the opportunity to get my hands on the Xiaomi Watch S5 and experience the product more closely.
Machine box and accessories
The box of the Xiaomi Watch S5 still has the familiar main white color tone and the front side has the product image printed with the name. The left, right and back sides of the box also have a lot of information printed on the smartwatch.
Box sides of Xiaomi Watch S5. Inside the box of the Xiaomi Watch S5 is a user manual and a 2-pin magnetic charging dock.
These are the accessories in the box of Xiaomi Watch S5.
Overview of appearance, design details
Xiaomi Watch S5 has a watch face with a circular design and a size of 46 mm, similar to traditional watch models. Above the watch face is a 1.48 inch screen and the border surrounding the screen is also evenly thin, specifically 2.6 mm.
Xiaomi Watch S5 has a 46 mm circular watch face with a 1.4 inch screen.
The bezel around the screen of Xiaomi Watch S5 has 12 lines with 12 digits (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 60) corresponding to one minute / hour. The frame of the Xiaomi Watch S5 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 the Xiaomi Watch S5 uses stainless steel to create a sturdy product.
The left side of the smartwatch has no function keys.
The right side of the device 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 bottom of the watch is where the health monitoring sensors are located. Xiaomi Watch S5 has a very meticulous level of finishing, from the bezel, frame to the function buttons.
The Xiaomi Watch S5's rotating knob has a flat beveled edge and a glossy finish.
The function keys of Xiaomi Watch S5 create a good pressing feeling, without any filtering phenomenon. In my hand, the black version of the Xiaomi Watch S5 looks masculine, but not like the Ceramic Blue color option - this version has a bezel using ceramic material with a very luxurious, sophisticated glossy finish.
I really like the blue color option of Xiaomi Watch S5, especially the glossy finished ceramic bezel details. Source: Xiaomi. The Xiaomi Watch S5 I use comes with the familiar fluororubber strap on many Xiaomi smartwatch models. The surface of the strap is finished in a smooth rough finish, providing a comfortable wearing feeling and being skin-friendly.
The inside of the Xiaomi Watch S5 strap also has the words Designed by Xiaomi.
The pin buckle on this strap has a glossy finished surface. Talking more about the mechanism of attaching / removing the strap of Xiaomi Watch S5, the inside of the strap has a small metal lever detail. I need to use my fingernail to push this lever aside, the spring latch will automatically shorten so I 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 of Xiaomi Watch S5 for us to disassemble. According to my feelings, the feeling of wearing the Xiaomi Watch S5 is comfortable and not much different from the Xiaomi Watch S4 that I am using. Perhaps because the design language and volume of the smartwatch duo are almost similar. I will have an article comparing the appearance of the two devices in the near future.
For me, Xiaomi Watch S5 brings a very familiar wearing feeling. I commented that the Xiaomi Watch S5 has a masculine design with a large 46 mm watch face, meticulously crafted details and a comfortable wearing feeling. Unfortunately, the device's bezel is no longer removable and customizable like its predecessor, the Xiaomi Watch S4.
Specifications
I will quickly review Xiaomi Watch S5 specifications based on information from the manufacturer:
• 21 days in light use mode. • 14 days in normal use mode. • 9 days in normal use with AOD enabled.
Xiaomi Watch S5 has built-in Xiaomi HyperOS 3 operating system.
To connect the smartwatch to a smartphone, we need to download the Mi Fitness application available on Google Play Store and App Store.
A few highlights
Since this is an article in hand, I will quickly share product highlights combined with some personal experiences with Xiaomi Watch S5. Of course, I still spend more time using the device and will have a more detailed article to share with you in the future. 1. Diverse exercise modes, upgraded cycling mode: According to the manufacturer, Xiaomi Watch S5 is equipped with more than 150 exercise modes combined with a series of health monitoring features such as measuring heart rate, SpO2, stress,...
Highlights related to the health monitoring function of Xiaomi Watch S5. Source: Xiaomi. Besides, the cycling mode on Xiaomi Watch S5 has also been upgraded and I like this because I am a regular cyclist. More specifically, after each cycling trip, I receive a report on performance analysis, detailed information and suggestions for improvement for the next training session. This is something that Xiaomi Watch S4 does not have.
I like that the system gives a report after each cycling session, which partly helps me improve the quality of the training session.
Besides providing in-depth reports, the cycling mode on the Xiaomi Watch S5 can also turn the phone into a bike computer and connect to third-party Bluetooth Power Meters. Source: Xiaomi. 2. Battery life up to 21 days, actual continuous use for 7 days on a full charge: The manufacturer shares that Xiaomi Watch S5 with 815 mAh battery (15% silicon content) can operate: • 21 days in light use mode. • 14 days in normal use mode. • 9 days in normal use with AOD enabled.
This is the highlight of the battery life of Xiaomi Watch S5. Source: Xiaomi. According to your actual usage needs, Xiaomi Watch S5 can last 7 days with a 100% battery charge. I wear the device regularly (except when showering) and turn on all health monitoring functions (heart rate, stress, SpO2) with the AOD screen. This is a valuable upgrade compared to the more than 1-day timeline of the Xiaomi Watch S4.
I am satisfied with the battery life of Xiaomi Watch S5. 3. Equipped with Xiaomi HyperOS 3 for smooth operation, many convenient gestures and has the function of taking screenshots with hard keys: Xiaomi Watch S5 is pre-installed with Xiaomi HyperOS 3 operating system with the ability to operate smoothly as I shared at the beginning of the article.
This is a video I recorded transition effects when opening / closing applications, control center, notifications on Xiaomi Watch S5. Regarding the ability to receive notifications, Xiaomi Watch S5 can receive notifications from smartphones very quickly and I have not seen emoji errors. However, for incoming calls in the Messenger app, the system will display a range of numbers instead of the caller's name.
Xiaomi Watch S5 has a fast notification speed. As soon as the smartphone receives a notification, the smartwatch also receives it.
For incoming calls in the Messenger app, the caller's name is not displayed. Along with that, Xiaomi Watch S5 has a convenient Quick Gesture function built in and I mainly use the following two gestures: • Shake your wrist twice to turn on the flashlight • Snap your finger to quickly open the cycling exercise mode.
Xiaomi Watch S5 has a variety of gestures to quickly activate features depending on the user's needs. Another plus point of the Xiaomi Watch S5 is that the device supports the screen capture function using the knob + physical key combo on the right edge of the device. This operation is much more convenient than having to take many steps to access the Mi Fitness application to take screenshots like I usually do with Xiaomi Watch S4.
Finally, Xiaomi Watch S5 has the function of taking screenshots with physical buttons. This helps me to quickly capture a moment of data during exercise. After using the Xiaomi Watch S5 for a while, I think this is a smartwatch with a masculine design, meticulous finishing and sturdy workmanship. Besides, the device is also upgraded in software with the Xiaomi HyperOS 3 operating system operating smoothly and upgrading the cycling mode to be very practical. In particular, we must mention the upgraded battery capacity and operating time much longer than its predecessor Xiaomi Watch S4. Of course, those are just my initial impressions with Xiaomi Watch S5. I will need more time to use the smartwatch and have more detailed reviews in the future. See more: