Xiaomi has launched the Watch S1 and Watch S1 Active smartwatches in Europe after they were first launched in China at the back end of 2021.
After launching its Mi Watch and Mi Watch Lite watches outside of China last year, Xiaomi is back with two new watches that will now launch in Europe with no details as yet on a US launch date.
Wareable verdict: Xiaomi Watch S1 Active review
It's clear the S1 and the S1 Active are designed for two different types of watch owners, with the S1 coming in at the priciest of the two options.
We'll start with the Watch S1, which features a 46mm sized case that measures in at 11mm thick and weighs in at 52g. There's both fluroelastomer and leather straps included in the box and as a package, it's been slapped with a 5ATM water resistance rating. So it's one you can take swimming and into the shower.
Front and centre is a 1.43-inch AMOLED always-on display, with a tough sapphire glass lens surrounded by a stainless steel frame.
Sensors-wise, you're getting a PPG heart rate sensor that also supports SpO2 monitoring. There's the standard motion sensors along with geomagnetic and air-pressure sensors for extra environmental data.
Along with 117 fitness modes and support to sync data to Strava and Apple Health, Xiaomi is also offering dual-band multi-system GPS support to make best use of the five supported satellite systems and offer accurate outdoor tracking. It's a feature we've already seen appear on Huawei's latest smartwatches like the Watch GT Runner.
In terms of smartwatch features, there's a fair bit happening on that front here. It's an iOS and Android-friendly watch for starters that offers the ability to view notifications, make calls over Bluetooth and there's Amazon Alexa integration to handle voice queries and commands.
That Alexa support will be available for Android users at launch with iOS support rolled out at a later date via an OTA update. Interestingly, Xiaomi is including NFC payment support via Mastercard though that support will vary by region.
Promised battery life for the Watch S1 sounds pretty solid, with the 470mAh capacity battery stated to deliver up to 12 days in typical usage and 24 days in a battery saver mode. It does also support wireless charging.
Xiaomi Watch S1 Active details
Moving over to the S1 Active and you're getting the same 46mm case size that measures in at 11mm thick and weighs in lighter at 36.3g. It packs the same 1.43-inch AMOLED always-on display and features a lighter metal bezel with the watch coming in a moon white, space black, ocean blue case colors with five different strap color options too.
All of the same software and hardware features included on the Watch S1 are included on the Watch S1 Active. That includes the dual-band multi-system GPS, NFC payments and up to 12 day's of battery life in typical usage.
Price-wise, the Watch S1 comes in at €229 (around $250/£192) and €169 (around $185/£140) for the Watch S1 Active. That's putting the watches firmly in the mid-range smartwatch end of the market, coming in at around the same price as watches like the Fitbit Versa 3, Huawei Watch GT 3 and GT Runner and the Apple Watch Series 3.
We had a largely positive experience testing the Xiaomi Mi Watch and the Mi Watch Lite, but there was certainly room for improvement. We've finished up testing the S1 Active (review link at the top of the page) and strapping on the Watch S1 to see if Xiaomi has come up with a couple of smartwatch greats.
How we test
By Michael Sawh
Michael Sawh has been covering the wearable tech industry since the very first Fitbit landed back in 2011. Previously the resident wearable tech expert at Trusted Reviews, he also marshaled the features section of T3.com.
He also regularly contributed to T3 magazine when they needed someone to talk about fitness trackers, running watches, headphones, tablets, and phones.
Michael writes for GQ, Wired, Coach Mag, Metro, MSN, BBC Focus, Stuff, TechRadar and has made several appearances on the BBC Travel Show to talk all things tech.
Michael is a lover of all things sports and fitness-tech related, clocking up over 15 marathons and has put in serious hours in the pool all in the name of testing every fitness wearable going. Expect to see him with a minimum of two wearables at any given time.