Video summary

Xiaomi Watch S5 Review: Almost Great, Still Frustrating?!

Main summary

Key takeaways

Product Review

Summary of Review: Xiaomi Watch S5

The video tests the Xiaomi Watch S5 against real-world expectations, focusing on health tracking accuracy, battery life, GPS/workouts, design, and software usability.

Key Product Features Mentioned

  • Improved design (major upgrade)

    • Thinner bezels vs. S4
    • Stainless steel body
    • Redesigned sensor array
    • Rotating crown intended to reduce accidental presses

  • Sensors / health tracking

    • Heart rate tracking: strong (new sensor described as consistently accurate)
    • Step tracking: fine/acceptable
    • Sleep tracking: weak/unfinished with issues detecting awakenings

  • Fitness & workouts

    • Built-in GPS
    • 150+ activity types
    • Customization: easy access to favorite activities
    • Some profiles lack depth for serious training (examples below)
    • Map feature promised but not available at the time of review

  • Display

    • AMOLED, described as “gorgeous”
    • Bright and readable outdoors
    • Watch faces and multiple always-on display styles included for free

  • Performance / experience

    • Smooth animations and transitions
    • Responsiveness compared to an “Apple Watch-like” feel (for Xiaomi)

  • Connectivity / extra utilities

    • Speaker + microphone for Bluetooth phone calls
    • Local music playback from the watch (no Spotify app)
    • Barometer + altimeter: works reasonably, but not “professional-grade”

  • Battery hardware / claims

    • 815 mAh battery
    • Xiaomi claims up to 21 days (ideal conditions)

Real-World Battery Life Results (Numerical)

With AOD enabled, daily health tracking active, and ~1 GPS workout of ~20 minutes/day, plus moderate brightness/notifications:

  • ~8–10% battery drain per day
  • Equivalent to ~10 days of real-world use

If you disable always-on display and use more conservative health settings:

  • Close to ~20 days becomes realistic

Verdict on power: Battery life is the watch’s clearest standout feature.

Pros (Unique Points Mentioned)

  • Battery life is excellent
    • About 10 days with AOD
    • Up to near 20 days with AOD off
  • Design feels more premium than previous S-series
    • Stainless steel body
    • Thinner bezels
    • Improved durability/build quality (survived a metal impact during a football session)
  • Display is excellent
    • AMOLED, bright, readable outdoors
  • Heart rate tracking is very good
    • Accurate readings
  • Steps tracking is perfectly fine
  • Workout GPS is good
    • Accuracy described as good
  • Workout variety is broad
    • 150+ activities
    • Customization is convenient
  • Overall responsiveness/performance feels polished and smooth
  • Local music playback is included
  • App styling/menu visuals are attractive
    • Three menu styles
    • Well-presented widgets

Cons / Frustrations (Unique Points Mentioned)

  • Sleep tracking is unreliable
    • Repeatedly missed awake periods (reported uninterrupted sleep despite the user waking)
    • Therefore sleep stages are harder to trust
  • Workout depth limitations
    • Many sport profiles lack depth expected by serious athletes
    • Example: Soccer only works as indoor (GPS can’t be enabled)
    • Cycling metrics are basic
    • No dedicated eMTB profile
    • Sports database/profile lineup feels unchanged
  • Promised map feature missing during the review period
  • Software ecosystem and notification handling are underwhelming
    • No meaningful app ecosystem
    • Notifications are “largely non-actionable”
    • Only rumors of predefined replies in the future
    • Compared unfavorably to cheaper competitors offering voice replies/keyboard input
  • Mi Fitness app feels stagnant
    • Stable, but slow to evolve
  • No eSIM version
    • Requested for years
  • US-centric terminology issue in software
    • Example: football labeled “soccer” despite Xiaomi’s focus elsewhere
  • Crown mispresses
    • Happened twice in ~2 weeks (even with intended wrist protection)
  • Barometer/altimeter not professional-grade

Comparisons Made (Other Devices Mentioned)

  • Whoop
    • Real-time continuous HR tracking noted as an exception
    • The S5 does not provide continuous HR like Whoop
  • Mi Band (typical)
    • S5 sleep tracking is still better than Mi Band
    • But not strong enough versus price-category expectations
  • Garmin Fenix 8
    • S5 sleep tracking isn’t dramatically worse
    • Used to emphasize that even premium devices struggle with sleep accuracy
  • Amazfit (equally expensive)
    • GPS accuracy is credited as good
    • One comparison suggests GPS isn’t clearly superior (framed as “second thoughts” vs Amazfit in the screen areas mentioned)
  • Apple Watch-like feel
    • Used to describe Xiaomi Watch S5 responsiveness/animations
  • Wear OS Xiaomi Watch 5
    • Referenced as based on Wear OS and described as “quite solid”
    • The main review is for S5 (S-series)
  • Cheaper watches
    • Notification replies/keyboard capability is said to already exist on some lower-cost models
    • Making Xiaomi’s limitations more noticeable

Overall User Experience Themes

  • Great hardware polish
    • Materials, display, smooth UI, responsiveness
  • Battery life is genuinely class-leading
  • Health tracking is uneven
    • Excellent heart rate/steps
    • Sleep tracking accuracy and trustworthiness are the weak point
  • Software is “premium-looking” but not premium-functionality
    • Especially around notifications and app ecosystem

Verdict / Recommendation (As Concluded by the Video)

  • Best for: people who want a stylish smartwatch, premium materials, excellent battery life, reliable GPS, and a polished day-to-day experience.
  • Skip/consider alternatives if: you prioritize advanced health tracking (especially sleep), deeper sports training analytics, and richer smartwatch features, particularly better notification replies/actions.

Concise verdict: The Xiaomi Watch S5 is “almost great”—excellent design, display, GPS, and especially battery life—but it holds back with weak sleep tracking and limited software/notification functionality.

Speaker Views (If Multiple)

  • Single primary reviewer (Michael) provides the full assessment.
  • No other speakers are meaningfully present beyond background audio/music cues.

Original video