The Xiaomi Watch S5 improves on its predecessor with a more refined design, a larger display, broader fitness tracking and a much bigger battery. The 46mm smartwatch starts at €180 in Black and Silver, while the Jungle Green and Ceramic Blue versions cost €200. It is a large watch, but its combination of features and endurance makes it one of Xiaomi’s most compelling wearables.

The model reviewed here is the Jungle Green edition. Xiaomi has replaced the previous generation’s interchangeable bezel with a fixed design, but offers four finishes across the range. The change removes one distinctive feature, although it also means there is no loose bezel to misplace.

A slimmer design with a brighter display

The Watch S5 uses a 316L stainless steel case and a scratch-resistant crystal display cover. The bezel material varies by version: stainless steel appears on the Black and Silver models, ceramic is used for Ceramic Blue, and Jungle Green gets a forged carbon bezel.

At 46mm wide and 11mm thick, the watch is slightly smaller and thinner than the previous model. Xiaomi also reduced the bezel width by 40%, allowing the display to grow from 1.43 inches to 1.48 inches. The result is a slimmer-looking watch with more usable screen space.

Its 480-by-480-pixel AMOLED panel reaches 1,500 nits in high-brightness mode and up to 2,500 nits at peak brightness. It remained easy to read outdoors, including in strong sunlight. An always-on display is available, and the Mi Fitness app offers hundreds of mostly free watch faces with customizable complications.

The design includes a rotating, clickable crown and a second button, along with a speaker and microphone for smartwatch functions. Both buttons have fixed functions, however, and cannot be reassigned. Standard 22mm straps are supported, avoiding a proprietary replacement system.

Extensive fitness and health tracking

Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3 software covers core smartwatch functions such as notifications, music controls and remote camera triggering. The interface uses familiar swipe gestures, widgets and an app grid. NFC payments are also supported through the Mi Fitness app, although compatible Visa and Mastercard cards depend on the user’s bank and region.

More than 150 sports modes are available, including running, swimming, combat sports, dance and winter activities. Dual-band positioning supports GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou and QZSS. In testing, the watch locked onto GPS in roughly six to seven seconds and produced highly accurate map data.

The watch uses a four-LED, four-photodiode sensor for heart-rate and blood-oxygen measurements. Xiaomi claims 98.40% heart-rate accuracy, while the watch also tracks stress, breathing exercises and women’s health metrics. Sleep tracking is improved over earlier Xiaomi wearables and produced results closer to comparable Samsung and Huawei devices.

Battery life is the standout upgrade

The Watch S5’s largest hardware change is its 815mAh battery, up from 486mAh in the Watch S4. Xiaomi says the silicon-enhanced battery can deliver up to 21 days of endurance, or 14 days with normal use and nine days with the always-on display enabled.

In testing with daily sleep monitoring, five weekly workouts, raise-to-wake enabled and more than 20 hours of daily wear, the watch lasted 15 days on one charge. That makes charging an occasional task rather than a regular part of using the watch.

The included charger remains less convenient. It uses a two-pin magnetic puck ending in USB-A, and aligning the watch correctly can take more than one attempt.

Verdict

The Xiaomi Watch S5 delivers a polished build, bright screen, standard straps and unusually strong battery life at a reasonable price. Its fitness and health features are extensive, and tracking appears improved over the previous generation.

The fixed bezel, non-customizable buttons and USB-A charger are drawbacks, while the 46mm case will not suit every wrist. A smaller version would broaden its appeal. For users who prefer a larger watch, however, the Watch S5 is a well-rounded smartwatch with few significant weaknesses.