Redmi Watch 5 Active Review: Quite Possibly the Best Smartwatch Under Rs 3,000

Redmi, a sub-brand of Xiaomi, seized the initiative in the budget smartwatch category with the Redmi Watch 3 Active and the all-important Bluetooth calling feature. The company may have skipped the Watch 4 Active (it was only released in China) and have now come to town with the Watch 5 Active. 

Xiaomi has been an early mover in this space and its commitment to democratising smartwatches is showing. Their products have become instant recommendations in the budget space. I liked what the company did with the Watch Active 3 and Bluetooth calling and I was very excited when the Watch 5 Active was announced. 

Unboxing the Watch 5 Active 

Immediately upon unboxing the Watch 5 Active you notice two things. First, the packaging is very light. You get the smartwatch, a charging cable and some paperwork. That’s it. Second, as soon as you look at the watch (and before it’s even turned on), you’ll be able to see the large and uneven bezels. 

Turn it on and the sharp and bright display will pleasantly surprise you. What I liked was how the build quality was solid. It’s taken a few knocks during my ten days of usage, but none of them has dented it. The watch has a metallic body and a flat display. The display comes in at a 2-inch size, has a 320x386 pixel resolution and can go up to 500 nits (plenty bright for outdoor usage). The display is fairly large and can accommodate a large amount of information. 

All-in-all, the Watch 5 Active feels premium, looks good and comes with interchangeable straps. There’s the power/lock button on the right side, while the left side is devoid of any buttons. On the bottom is the speaker/mic combo and all the sensors. 

The only thing I can’t get used to are the uneven and chunky bezels. Turn the flashlight on and it’ll be very easy to notice. Once you’ve seen it you can’t unsee it. 

The other thing, but this is minute, is the lack of any dust rating. The watch comes with an IPX8 rating (a downgrade from the Watch 3 Active) against water submersion up to 1m. If you do happen to get your Watch 3 Active wet then there is a feature to get rid of excess water inside. This can easily be accessed from the quick settings menu. 

How did the Watch Acitve 5 perform over ten days? 

I’ll start by telling you about the accuracy of the metric. Yes, the Redmi Watch 5 Active can measure steps, sleep, heart rate, SP02 and more. Let’s just say that you need to take the readings with a grain of salt. I compared the readings on the Watch 5 Active to my OnePlus Watch 2R and it was a disappointing letdown in the step tracking department. My Watch 2R constantly had me about 20-30 percent more steps than what the Watch 5 Active was showing.  

Of course, a smartwatch that costs under Rs 3,000, will not be packing in better, and more accurate sensors. But the least the smartwatch needs to get right is step tracking. That’s the one thing that most interests buyers. Sleep tracking was far more accurate as I was within 0.1-0.2 hours of the Watch 2R’s reading. Heart rate also, during an elongated workout session, was very similar on both smartwatches. 

Battery life is where the Watch 5 Active shines brightest. The company claims that the Redmi Watch 5 Active can last 12 days under intense usage scenarios. In the ten days I have been using the Redmi Watch Active, I only had to charge it once. While it didn’t last up to the claimed 12 days (or even the 18 days), it still lasted me about a week on a single charge, which is pretty good in my books.  

Of course, I was pushing it to the limit with several workouts, Bluetooth calling, sleep monitoring, stress tracking, and more. Depending on your usage, you should be able to eeke out a little more battery if needed. 

What else do you get on the Watch 5 Active 

The Watch 5 Active runs HyperOS out of the box, and that is something I’ve come to appreciate from the brand. The software has taken a new direction and I’m glad it’s being pushed to all new devices. If you’ve ever used one of their smartphones with HyperOS, you’ll feel right at home.  

The smartphone comes with integrated Alex and that’s something many people will come to like. Having an on-board assistant means controlling your smart home, which just became easier. Sadly though, basic commands of starting a workout or playing music will not work via voice commands. 

You do get many other features that work smoothly. The Bluetooth calling works even better on the Watch 5 Active than on the Watch 3 Active. There are also a lot of customisation options including multiple watch faces. There is tracking for 140+ sports and workout modes with automatic workout detection. 

A few things to note 

Let’s just run down a few things that I didn’t like and deserve a small mention before I conclude. 

- GPS isn’t always the most accurate. 

- No swim mode. 

- No always-on-display since it is an LCD display. 

- No reply option for notifications 

Verdict 

Is the Redmi Watch 5 Active the best smartwatch under Rs 3,000? Most likely, yes. It beats the pants off smartwatches from the likes of Itel, Boult, Noise and similar brands.  

For Rs 3,000, you get a lot from the Redmi Watch 5 Active. It’s a well-built watch with a bright display (which is flat) and performs well daily. It may not be the most accurate watch, but none of the watches in this price bracket are. Redmi has proven, time and time again, that they can make smartwatches that will chug along, perform basic tasks with aplomb, and last for a couple of years. So far, Xiaomi has shown its commitment to the user by providing regular software updates. If that trend continues, expect the Redmi Watch 5 Active to be a best-seller for months to come in this price segment.