Xiaomi’s latest budget-friendly smartwatch debuts a wacky 'Passion Mode' and a slimmer design
Xiaomi has officially announced the global edition of the Watch S5, with the all-new smartwatch boasting a 21-day battery life and a slimmer design.
The availability follows the brand’s March announcement for the watch in China, with the S5 very much the same proposition—save for a couple of exclusive software features.
The standout hardware leap for this generation is the 815mAh battery capacity—marking a massive 68% increase over the Watch S4.
Xiaomi claims this increased cell allows the budget-friendly watch (which begins at £179/€179) to run for up to 21 days on a single charge under light usage—performance which would see it among the longest-lasting AMOLED smartwatches on the market.
Slimming down
The Watch S5 is also constructed around a premium stainless steel middle frame, measuring in at a slimmer 10.99mm profile and weighing 46g.
Despite the changes to the case, though, the latest generation retains the modular element, with interchangeable bezel options once again available in ceramic, stainless steel, and carbon.
The front remains dominated by a 1.48-inch AMOLED display, complete with 2,500-nit peak, which also shows off a handful of new software features.
Xiaomi is adding a relatively novel—and quite quirky-sounding—’Passion Mode’. This is essentially a new algorithm that recognizes physical cheering gestures—such as clapping, fist clenching, and arm swinging—and translates those fan movements into trackable, shareable workout metrics, including real-time heart rate, calorie burn, and exact cheer counts.
For tracking more traditional things, the watch also features an upgraded 4 LED + 4 PD biometric sensor array, a continuation of Xiaomi’s dual-frequency five-system GNSS, and support for external Bluetooth cycling power meters.
Sleep tracking precision has also been boosted by 14%, according to Xiaomi, with the sleeping HRV tracking and professional sleep architecture reports arriving for this generation.
The Wareable take
Xiaomi continues to pack plenty of value into its flagship, non-Wear OS smartwatch line.
Similar to what we’ve just seen with Honor’s Watch 6 Plus, the battery boost compared to the previous generation is seismic. While the Watch S4 was no slouch—clocking in at an estimated 15 days of similar ‘light use’—this generation represents a huge leap forward. Xiaomi has also remarkably slimmed down the case’s footprint.
It doesn’t necessarily transform the existing charging routine—after all, the Watch S4 still provides more than enough life for those tired of shorter battery cycles on traditional, more feature-packed smartwatches. However, as we know from experience, these extra bumps can make a noticeable difference in certain conditions, like for those who hammer the dual-frequency GNSS.
We’ll be looking to test the extent of that difference over the coming weeks, as well as give Passion Mode a run-out.
At first glance, this obviously feels very gimmicky—but, especially with the World Cup coming up, it could prove to be a fun lifestyle feature that helps fill out the otherwise quite barren HyperOS.
