Business essentials, improved quality—Xiaomi Mi Watch S1 in-depth experience review

Only 3 months later, Xiaomi continued to update the Xiaomi Mi Watch product line at the Xiaomi Mi 12 series launch conference. The product launched this time is Xiaomi Mi Watch S1, and on September 27, 2021 Xiaomi just released Xiaomi Mi Watch Color 2 on the 2nd. This speed is indeed beyond my expectations. I originally thought that Color 2 would be the final product of 2021, but I never thought that S1 would be it. This will also be Xiaomi Mi Watch. This is the fifth product in the series. Although there is no Xiaomi watch equipped with eSIM that everyone is looking forward to this time, Xiaomi has also created a new series, that is, the S series. Compared with Color, it will focus more on business. You can find it in The appearance is very different from the Color series, and some system levels and sensors are almost the same as Color2.

In fact, many people think that Xiaomi watches are "big-screen bracelets", but I don't think so. The advantage of the watch is actually that the screen is very large, and there are many dial combinations. Secondly, the strap can be replaced at will, and watching some sports data will be clearer and more comfortable. In terms of functionality, it is also more complete than the bracelet. Some manufacturers may also be launching large-screen bracelets, but Essentially, the experience is incomparable to that of a watch. When I got the Xiaomi Watch S1, I felt that there was a change from the Xiaomi watches I used in the past. Firstly, it looks better, and secondly, the experience continues to improve. , then follow me to see how the Xiaomi Mi Watch S1 performs specifically.

When I first saw the packaging box of Xiaomi Watch S1, I thought I was dazzled. Why is it so different from the previous Xiaomi Watch packaging box? Later I discovered that what I got was the S1, not the Color series. It can be found that the packaging box of the Color series has always been in a long strip design, while the S1 has a square design, which is a change from the previous packaging. The box design style, and the official also claims that this is a high-end smart watch for business people, so it is not surprising. Indeed, the packaging box design this time is more high-end, similar to the Color series An obvious difference is that the overall color of the packaging box is also mainly black, as if what is inside is a piece of art. If you taste it carefully, the packaging box of Xiaomi Mi Watch S1 is indeed much better-looking.

In the past, the packaging boxes of the Color series were a bit tight when opened for the first time. However, on the S1 packaging box, this problem has been perfectly solved and can be opened very easily. After that, you can see the main body of Xiaomi Mi Watch S1, which is also equipped with a wireless charging base and an instruction manual. Compared with the instruction manual of Color2, the length is also further shortened. It may be due to the change in the shape of the packaging box that the instruction manual also has The length has been shortened to a certain extent. The previous instructions for the Color series were too long, which is actually very unnecessary for me personally. However, an instruction manual of this length is just right, and compared to other instruction manuals. If so, more content can be displayed.

I compared Color2 and S1 and found that the appearance designs of the two are different, so it is wrong for some people to call it Color3, but you may think that S1 has a large Frame, this is because this frame also has scales added to it. All business watches on the market currently have scales at the border, so this is also in line with its positioning as a business watch. However, in comparison, I prefer it. The narrow bezel of Color2 will be more comfortable from a visual point of view. I personally suggest that the next generation products can use narrow bezels, and the scale problem can be solved with the dial.

The buttons are also different from Color2. In terms of the shape of the buttons, S1 has been changed to two round buttons this time. Most business watches currently have similar buttons. , and the SPORT button on Color2 has also been cancelled. The SPORT button means that you can directly access your set sports items with one click, but there is no such button on S1, which means that the Color series is mainly about sports, while S1 It's mainly business.

This time, Xiaomi Mi Watch S1 has a relatively big upgrade, which is the use of sapphire glass. You must know that this kind of glass only appears on high-end smart watches, and sapphire glass is already on high-end smart watches. It has been used for many years, so this is the first time to use this glass on Xiaomi watches, which is a relatively major upgrade. The reason why sapphire glass is used is because it is very strong, transparent and wear-resistant. Traditional smart watches all use sapphire glass. If ordinary glass is used for a long time, there will be many scratches on the screen surface. This situation can only be avoided by applying a film when using it for the first time. However, the Xiaomi Mi Watch S1 does not need to apply a film. It is born with a very Wear-resistant glass, no scratches will appear on the screen surface even after many years of use.

In addition to the addition of sapphire glass, the middle frame of the watch is also made of 316L austenitic stainless steel. This reminds me of the austenitic 304 stainless steel on Xiaomi Mi 4. It can be said that Xiaomi combines a piece of steel plate. Art has been transferred from mobile phones to smart watches. Compared with the plastic middle frame of Xiaomi Watch Color2, the overall look will be more textured. From a distance, people will think you are wearing a watch worth thousands of dollars. Well, according to the official introduction, this exquisite stainless steel middle frame has gone through 30 processes and nearly a hundred work stations. Whether it is brushed, matte or high-gloss, basically every detail has been done very well. No wonder it is said that Xiaomi It will be positioned as a business table.

Xiaomi Mi Watch S1 continues the previous quick-release design, with a small mechanism at the top, which means that this watch supports quick-release. Like Color2, the entire quick-release process is very easy to operate. It is smooth and will not cause any effort. This time, Xiaomi also has three versions of watches for users to choose from, namely obsidian black fluorine rubber strap, flowing silver blue leather strap, and flowing silver brown leather watch. In addition, Xiaomi also provides 3 types of leather straps for S1, namely classic brown, deep sea blue, and Ruiya black.

In the past, the Color series only provided silicone straps. Perhaps because it was mainly focused on sports, there was never a brown leather strap that I liked. But on the S1, I finally saw Xiaomi launch it. There is a brown leather strap, and there are also many colors of leather straps. This leather strap is made of high-quality first-layer calfskin, plus blue, black and brown are very mature and stable colors. It can be worn on It can also show your extraordinary temperament on your hands. If you want to use S1 for sports, you can also choose to replace it with a fluororubber strap. This strap is waterproof and stain-resistant, very durable, and is very suitable for you to wear during exercise.

Many people have complained that the dial of the Xiaomi Mi Watch Color is too cartoony. I personally feel this too. Basically, there is not a single dial that I like. It feels more like it is designed for children. Same, but some time ago, the Xiaomi Mi Watch dial also introduced Astronaut, which has become one of my favorite dials at present. However, after the Xiaomi Mi Watch Color2, the dial has become richer, with many commercial elements added. Dials, but I personally feel that these business-oriented dials are not that good match with Color2. After all, as a sports-style watch, it always feels a bit strange to use a business dial. And this time, S1 is a business-oriented high-end watch. If you put it on a business dial, the overall look will be more coordinated.

The screen of Xiaomi Mi Watch S1 is the same as that of Color2. It is a 1.43-inch, 466 x 466 AMOLED screen. Compared with Color, the entire screen size is larger, and the screen refresh rate is also higher. Increase to 60Hz. Currently, the screen refresh rate of traditional smart watches is around 30Hz. The unsmoothness can be clearly felt by the naked eye. It is the same feeling as when we currently use a 120Hz mobile phone and then set it to 60Hz. However, there are also 50Hz refresh rates. smart watch, but compared with the 60Hz of the S1, it is still a little behind. In fact, many users say that the watch system is very laggy, which is actually caused by the screen refresh rate. Now that 60Hz is adopted, the sliding The screen is also smoother and there will be no frame drops.

Some attentive friends may have noticed that there are two missing charging contacts on the back of the watch. The reason why the charging contacts were removed is because Xiaomi Mi Watch S1 has been upgraded from magnetic charging to wireless charging. This is also This is a function that I have been looking forward to for a long time. I have also mentioned the regret of not adding wireless charging function in the previous two generations, but I am still very excited about the wireless charging function of S1 this time. After all, most smart watches on the market use magnetic suction. Charging is still somewhat limited. The S1 with wireless charging function can use the wireless reverse charging of mobile phones and third-party wireless chargers to charge, which also avoids the need to frequently reach for charging cables. Troubled.

There are two buttons on the right side of the watch. The up button is used to control the watch on and off and enter the application list. Press and hold the up button to wake up Xiao Ai, but Xiao Ai still It faces the same problem as Color2, that is, when you talk to it, it responds with no sound, but this is very strange. You can play music with the watch, but Xiao Ai cannot talk. I It's hard to understand, but it may also involve a huge language library that the system cannot install. However, I still hope to see Xiao Ai speak in the future watch.

The application list interface has been greatly improved compared to Color1. First of all, the application icons are more rounded, and the sliding effect is somewhat similar to a sphere. From my visual perspective, it is relatively It's comfortable, and there will be no lag when sliding. Color1 often suffers from frame drops and lags, but it's still an old problem. You can't move to any position by long pressing the application icon. Personally, I prefer it to be the same as on mobile phones. You can adjust the application position at will. I hope it can be optimized in future versions.

I often see many people saying that the Xiaomi watch is a "big-screen bracelet", but I don't think so myself. Can the bracelet be installed with third-party APPs? Obviously this is not possible. Xiaomi Mi Watch S1 can install third-party APPs, but because it does not use Android Wear, the degree of freedom in installing APPs is not so great. However, the RTOS embedded system also has advantages, that is, it can be used for a long time. Battery life, and can also support the installation of some APPs, but generally speaking, they are very lightweight applications, and the number is relatively small. I still remember that when Color2 was first launched, the number of installable APPs was still very limited. By S1 On the Internet, you can find that there are many more APPs, including the addition of Amap, but the number of applications still depends on whether more third parties join in. We also hope that more application developers can improve this platform ecosystem. .

Xiaomi Watch S1 also adds widgets this time, which are similar to the widgets on MIUI. You can intuitively see various data, including exercise and sleep data, as well as calories or steps. Data can be clearly displayed, and widgets for each page can also be set on the APP, so you can freely choose the data displayed on each page.

As a high-end smart watch, Xiaomi Mi Watch S1 naturally supports notification messages. You only need to swipe down the screen to see the notification message interface, and the APP can also set what you want. For message notifications, if you are like me, you will set up push notifications for phone calls, text messages, and WeChat. However, if you have dual-open WeChat on your phone, I personally do not recommend that you check WeChat, otherwise the two WeChat messages will be sent simultaneously. Come on, you can’t stop it even if you want, so I still suggest that the Xiaomi team can set the option of WeChat and dual-open WeChat on the APP, so that users can choose freely. Like me, sometimes I don’t want another WeChat to be pushed to the watch. , but once set up, only two WeChat messages can be pushed to the watch at the same time, causing the watch to vibrate all day long, which is not so friendly to my experience.

Swipe the screen from bottom to top to see the shortcut button interface. This interface can set Do Not Disturb mode, raise your wrist to turn on the screen, mute mode, etc., and because this time S1 has added speakers, so in An automatic drainage function has also been added to this interface. This is because after the watch touches water, there will definitely be residual moisture in the speaker. If you play music at this time, it will greatly affect the listening experience, so this function can drain the speaker. Drain the moisture inside.

In addition to the up button, the watch also has a down button, but it is different from the down button of Color2. First of all, Color2 has an exclusive SPORT button, but it is canceled on S1. This is because the positioning of S1 has changed from sports to business, that is, it is not completely a sports watch, so there is no need to build in a SPORT button. In fact, this button is dispensable in my opinion, after all Its function is to directly access the sports items you have set with one click. For me, I prefer to open the sports items myself according to the sport I am currently doing.

When you click the down button of S1, you can find that there are 117 sports in it. Compared with the 10 sports of Color1, the range of new sports this time is quite impressive, basically satisfying It meets the needs of sports enthusiasts. Not only that, it can also automatically recognize the sport you are currently doing, but it can only recognize running and walking. It is hoped that it can recognize more sports in the future.

The APP I am currently using is called Xiaomi Wear. Compared with version 1.0, the overall UI has changed a lot. The bottom navigation bar is divided into four items, namely: Status , sports, health and mine, the entire classification is relatively clear and accurate. You can also see exercise data, sleep data, and calories and other data on the homepage. There are also exercise video tutorials in the APP for users to learn, but currently There are too few exercise videos on the APP, so it may not be suitable for most people. For a novice like me, it may not be so applicable. I personally prefer to watch exercise tutorials on Keep. I also hope that in the future Xiaomi Wear can cooperate with Keep, but in the near future, Xiaomi Wear APP will be replaced by Xiaomi Sports Health APP. This is also an APP integrated with Xiaomi Wear and Xiaomi Health. I hope this new APP can join more Many video tutorials.

This time Xiaomi Watch has launched the S series, which means that Xiaomi Watch currently has two clear series of watches, namely the Color series and S series. The Color series focuses on sports, while the S series It focuses on business high-end, and the price is a bit higher than Color2. However, from my experience of using it, there is almost no difference between the two. It is basically the difference in appearance and material. If you buy it personally If you want to wear it during exercise, then I recommend Color2, but if you are concerned about quality or going to some important occasions, then I personally recommend Xiaomi Mi Watch S1.

It can be found that Xiaomi is expanding its watch series. Judging from the only two series currently available, the crowd coverage is getting wider and wider, but currently I personally look forward to Xiaomi launching a A high-end watch using an eSIM card, and I am also waiting for this watch to appear. I hope Xiaomi can launch it as soon as possible.