Xiaomi Mi Watch: All the official details you need to know about
Xiaomi’s first-ever Mi-branded smartwatch has been announced — here’s everything we know so far about the design, specifications, price, and more.
Given Xiaomi’s well-earned reputation for good value matched with high specifications, there’s no wonder that people have been so excited for the launch of its first-ever Mi-branded smartwatch. Here’s the full lowdown on the new device, answering all the questions you have about price, release date, and specifications.
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Xiaomi Mi Watch Release Date and Price
The Xiaomi Mi Watch was announced on November 5, joined by the Xiaomi Note 10 (aka the Mi CC9 in some international markets) and the Xiaomi Mi TV 5.
The device will be released in China on November 11, but there’s no word yet on when it will be made available in the UK and Europe. The price was announced as ¥1,299 (~£144/$186).
There’s also a premium version of the device, named the Premium Edition Mi Watch, that will cost ¥1,999 (~£222/$286) and boasts a more premium design.
Xiaomi Mi Watch Design
The design looks very similar to a certain other wearable; none other than the Apple Watch Series 5. It’s got almost exactly the same square shape with rounded corners, and a single crown for control.
Image Credit: GSM Arena
But rather than the brushed aluminium finish of the Apple Watch, the Mi Watch casing is made of ceramic (and measures 44mm). The AMOLED screen spans 1.78-inches, and is always-on. A white version and a black version of the watch will be available, each with matching straps.
The Premium Edition has a stainless steel frame, and a sapphire crystal screen.
Xiaomi Mi Watch Specifications and Software
The Xiaomi Mi Watch will run Google’s WearOS, which will give it access to all the wearable-compatible apps on the Play Store. This will be augmented by Xiaomi’s custom MIUI software, which dumps over 40 pre-installed apps on the watch. We’re interested to see how this will work in practice on the wearable, but we aren’t all that optimistic: we tend to find MIUI on mobile to be clunky and unattractive.
Image Credit: GSM Arena
The battery on the Mi Watch has a capacity of 570mAh, making it the biggest ever found on a wearable. Taking the always-on display into account, that should provide you with 36 hours of continuous usage. It runs on a Snapdragon 3100 4G chipset, and has 1GB RAM and 8GB storage. It has Bluetooth, NFC, and eSIM options activated.
In a video posted on Chinese social network Weibo, Xiaomi proudly shows off video playback on the wearable device. It’s hardly an optimal screen for viewing anything but a short clip or two, but it’s a feature that might attract people who don’t like to take their phone out of their pocket when they’re on the go – and that’s exactly what Xiaomi want, branding the new device as “a small phone on your wrist” at the launch event.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.