Xiaomi Watch S3 Review: Quirky Customization Leave a comment

The Xiaomi Watch S3 is an reasonably priced smartwatch with a extremely customizable look that features swappable bezels. It might observe your well being, health, and sleep, carry cellphone notifications to your wrist, and final a number of days between expenses. The draw back? It runs Xiaomi’s software program, which feels a bit primary, and you may neglect about third-party apps.

Closing in on a month with the Xiaomi Watch S3, I’m impressed by its monitoring capabilities, contemplating the comparatively low worth, and the changeable bezels are a neat thought. However I’m additionally effective with saying goodbye to it. The Watch S3 has too many limitations for me, however it’s necessary to do not forget that this gadget is lower than half the value of essentially the most reasonably priced possibility in our best smartwatches information.

Earlier than we dig in, it’s value noting that there’s a world model of the Xiaomi Watch S3, however it’s not bought within the US, there is no official US assist, and sure options (like NFC for funds) fluctuate by area.

Smartwatch Chameleon

For folk who wish to match their watch with their outfit, the Xiaomi Watch S3 has a novel trick up its sleeve within the form of interchangeable bezels. Altering the strap on a watch might be impactful, however with the ability to change each the strap and bezel nearly makes it appear like a very totally different gadget.

The Watch S3 has fairly a chunky 47-mm aluminum case with angled lugs and two buttons on the precise. A chrome steel bezel sits on high of the display, and you may rotate it to take away and substitute it with a unique bezel. It’s straightforward when you get the cling, and there’s a wee marker on the within that will help you align. The bezels slot into place securely, and I by no means nervous about them coming unfastened.

Connect a brand new bezel and the Watch S3 suggests an identical watch face. It is a neat trick. There are greater than 100 watch faces in each conceivable fashion, and you may even create your personal. Altering the strap can be easy, so you possibly can shortly change your look. My favourite of the straps and bezels Xiaomi despatched was the fashionable inexperienced and black combo. You get one black or silver bezel with an identical fluororubber strap with the Watch S3, and alternate options have to be bought individually.

The 1.43-inch AMOLED display has a layer of protecting Corning glass. The show is roomy and crisp, however the comparatively low peak brightness of 600 nits (a luminance measurement) meant it was typically laborious to learn in direct daylight. The Watch S3 can be 5ATM rated for water resistance, which means you possibly can swim with it.

Streamlined for Stamina

The Xiaomi Watch S3 focuses on the fundamentals with name and notification alerts out of your cellphone; well being, health, and sleep monitoring; and a handful of utilities like a voice recorder, digicam shutter management, and compass. It runs HyperOS, so there aren’t any third-party apps like one can find on a Google Put on OS smartwatch.

Navigating across the Watch S3 is slick and lag-free. HyperOS just isn’t essentially the most enticing software program and lacks a cohesive design, with a mixture of uninteresting and garish icons. But it surely principally labored nicely, other than the odd missed notification from my cellphone. It connects through Bluetooth 5.2, and you should utilize it with any cellphone working Android 8 or iOS 12 or later. I examined with the Xiaomi 14 Extremely.