Until the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE arrived, the Xiaomi Watch 2 was the only realistic option for Android users who wanted a budget smartwatch. Now that both are on the table to consider, there’s a decision to make.
That’s where this guide comes in. Below, we’ll compare the key elements of each smartwatch – price, design, software, features, and much more – to help you decipher which is best for your needs.
As part of our Xiaomi Watch 2 review, we’ve spent an extended time testing the Chinese brand’s second-ever Wear OS smartwatch. Until we put the newer Galaxy Watch FE through its paces, though, we’ll work from what we know from Samsung’s June announcement.
Stay tuned, as we’ll update this comparison with our full hands-on experience in the coming weeks.
Price, availability, and versions
- Single case size on offer for each watch
- Samsung offers LTE upgrade for FE
- Xiaomi Watch 2 available for less
If you’re considering either of these two watches, it’s almost certainly because of the price tags.
While you can spend plenty more on an Android-compatible smartwatch, these watches are both available for under the $200/£200 mark.
Yet, the Watch 2 is still comfortably the cheaper option. Xiaomi’s RRP is set at £170/€199, and, despite only releasing back in February, it’s already seeing huge discounts that take it to around £130/€150.
The Galaxy Watch FE, on the other hand, begins at $200/£200 – and jumps to $250/£250 for the LTE edition (available from October).
However, availability is also a consideration here. Xiaomi devices like the Watch 2 are still only offered sporadically through third-party retailers like Amazon in the US (often at a higher cost than we typically see in the UK/Europe), while Samsung’s FE is readily available in all markets.
Whatever the case, though, you don’t really have much choice with the versions.
Both are only offered in one case size, with the previously mentioned LTE version of the FE being the only variation. You have the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro to consider if you want that feature, mind.
Design, display, and battery
- Xiaomi is much larger – but not that much heavier
- Galaxy Watch FE is a great fit for smaller wrists
- Both smartwatches offer limited battery life
With both of these smartwatches running Google’s Wear OS software, the major difference is in the design. In essence, the 47mm Xiaomi Watch 2 is a much better fit for those who prefer bigger watches, while the 40mm Galaxy Watch FE is an ideal size for smaller users.
Interestingly, this big disparity doesn’t affect the weight too much on the wrist. The 36.5g Watch 2 (without strap) is still light enough to enjoy comfortably during workouts and sleep tracking, while the 26.6g FE is about as light as you’ll find any smartwatch on the market.
Where this size difference does make a difference, however, is the display. The Watch 2’s 1.43-inch AMOLED screen is big and easy to interact with during wear, the FE’s 1.2-inch Super AMOLED panel will feel much smaller. The specs suggest clarity won’t be an issue, but the thick bezel just doesn’t look as modern as the Watch 2’s display.
On paper, battery size is another area in which Xiaomi comes out on top – though it’s worth pointing out that neither of these watches excels in the same way Wear OS alternatives like the OnePlus Watch 2 or TicWatch Pro 5 Enduro do.
The Watch 2 houses a 495mAh battery inside that hefty case, and, though a unit of that size would suggest multi-day lasting power, we found during testing that it struggled to make it to a second day of use without requiring a top-up.
As we’ve mentioned, we’re yet to test the smaller Galaxy Watch FE’s 247mAh battery, but we suspect that it, like the Watch 2, won’t be capable of lasting much more than a day.
Features, tracking, and software
- Each watch features a different skin and version of Wear OS
- Samsung Health > Mi Fitness platform
- Galaxy Watch FE is a more capable tracker
These smartwatches both run off Google’s Wear OS platform (which means they’re limited to Android phone users), but there are still some caveats to be aware of when picking between them.
While similar, the unique skins of each mean the on-watch experience actually looks quite different. The basics are all still present on either – meaning you get access to all of Google’s services (Calendar, Maps, Gmail, and more) and Play Store apps like Spotify and WhatsApp – but the style of Xiaomi’s MIUI and Samsung’s One UI 5/6 Watch is a bit different.
We don’t necessarily prefer either, since they’re both very functional and slick, though we will say that the companion apps are a crucial part of this choice. The revamped Samsung Health app promises superb insights into fitness, sleep, health, and more – all with the help of the new Galaxy AI – while Xiaomi’s Mi Fitness app continues to lag behind the major manufacturers.
If you just want basic insights, it’s still a relatively in-depth experience; it just lacks the polish and proactiveness of something like Samsung Health. There’s also continued support to consider.
While the Watch 2’s software is still stuck on the Wear OS 3.5 update, the FE will seemingly be based on Wear OS 5. The missing features (like cloud backups) are one problem with this, but it’s not entirely clear how long Wear OS 3.5 devices will actually be supported, either.
So although the watches don’t differ greatly in things like sleep analysis, workout recording, or basic daily activity metrics, you’re likely to be able to enjoy the FE for longer without having to worry about scarce security patches and the like.
It’s also important to remember that the FE is just a slightly more capable watch, too.
There’s room for ECG measurements and body composition analysis, and we tend to trust the accuracy of Samsung’s blood oxygen readings more than Xiaomi’s. Plus, that option to add on LTE we mentioned earlier.
We’ll return to this section once we’ve fully tested the FE, though – it’s possible that the reality isn’t as impressive as it appears on paper.
Verdict: Which is best?
We’ll reserve our full recommendations until we’ve finished testing the Galaxy Watch FE, but we have some initial thoughts based on the specs sheet and our experience with the Xiaomi Watch 2.
With factors like price, battery life, and phone support all identical or comparable, we think the bulk of this decision comes down to the huge size difference.
The Watch 2, we think, will be too big for many people’s taste – and while the FE is more palatable, it may also be slightly on the small side for those in the market for a budget watch. Then there are other big considerations, like the companion platforms and future software support.
Our instinct is to favor the more polished Galaxy Watch FE, though we would also caveat this by saying the better budget Wear OS watch is actually the discounted Galaxy Watch 6 (while stock lasts, at least).
Stay tuned, though, as we’ll be updating this verdict will our full impressions in the coming weeks.
