Wecome to Redmi Watch 3 Review: Undoubtedly, the third iteration of the Redmi watch surpasses its predecessors and could very well be crowned the best budget smartwatch of the year in disguise. It’s amazing to think that I never expected Redmi to release a wearable that I would be so enamored with, one that I am happily using on a daily basis.
The Redmi watch 3 goes above and beyond the basics, and in this installment, I aim to cover everything pertinent to the true-to-life experience. Starting from the unboxing and initial setup, all the way down to the minute details of using it in the long term. Check out the latest price of the Redmi Watch 2 here.
Before we delve into the details of the Redmi watch 3, let me remind you that Redmi is a sub-brand of Xiaomi. This year, it feels like a rebirth for the brand as they have delivered some serious upgrades compared to their 2022 portfolio.
Design And Price:
The Redmi watch 3 has been launched in Europe with a price tag of only 119 Euro, which is quite remarkable. It costs less than last year’s GTS generation 3 and is expected to be roughly half the price of popular US designs like the Fitbit Versa series or the Apple Watch SE. It’s off to a great start in terms of value, but what about the experience? Well, let’s find out.
Some of the key specs are listed on the box, and what caught my attention was the ability to make phone calls, something that I believe is a first for the series. The Redmi watch 3 feels like a step up in terms of materials and how it feels on the hand compared to last year’s model. The strap is quite similar, but I must emphasize that button-based straps are not my favorite thing.
Unlike the Mi Band series, accidental unbuttoning is unlikely to happen, but if you need to frequently put it on and off, it can become bothersome. One solution is to look for aftermarket alternatives with a buckle. Other than that, the watch has a typical smartwatch design with a nice and bright screen, and most of the health tracking sensors are positioned at the bottom.
The health tracking sensors are positioned at the bottom of the watch so that they remain in contact with your wrist. There’s only one button on the side, which is used for commanding, along with swiping and tapping actions that you can perform via the touchscreen. The frame is made of plastic with a metal textured finish, which looks quite realistic.
Redmi Watch 3 Specs Review:
If you’re wondering about the specifications, the Redmi watch 3 uses a new generation system-on-a-chip, but the exact model remains undisclosed. The battery inside is only 289 milliampere-hours, but it’s good enough for more than a week of usage per charge. The display is a 1.75-inch AMOLED with 600 nits peak brightness, which is quite impressive.
The Redmi watch 3 supports Bluetooth 5.2 LE, and in terms of health tracking, it has an HR and SPO2 sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, and GPS. Alexa serves as the smart assistant, and the watch is waterproof, weighing only 37 grams.
In summary, the Redmi watch 3 is a very capable fitness tracker with some extra features and inbuilt GPS. However, I wouldn’t call it a smartwatch because it wouldn’t be fair to compare it to the likes of the Apple Watch SE series or the Galaxy Watch series, which can run third-party apps. But some of its features are very similar to much more expensive wearables, such as the bright and vivid display, which is fantastic.
The Redmi watch 3 features an AMOLED display with 600 nits of peak brightness. However, there is a catch because Redmi decided not to integrate an ambient light sensor, so there is no automatic brightness feature. Instead, you have to control the brightness manually using a slide bar.
Another major difference between this watch and the 2023 wearable trends is the absence of a rotating crown. The only way to wake up the watch is by using the side button, which also serves as the app launcher. All other interactions are performed through swiping or tapping gestures on the display.
Swiping up from the watch face will bring up the quick settings menu, where you can control features like DND, brightness, and find your phone. Swiping left and right will take you through the different menus, like the heart rate monitor, workouts, weather, and more. Tapping on the screen will select an item or option, and swiping down from the top of the screen will bring up the control center, where you can turn on/off features like WiFi, GPS, and more. Check out the latest price of the Redmi Watch 2 here.
One thing to note is that there is no physical rotating bezel or crown on this watch, so navigating through the menus and options is entirely gesture-based. Some people might prefer a physical button or dial for navigation, but the touch gestures are generally intuitive and easy to use.
Many fitness trackers and smartwatches today offer the ability to send predefined responses, and I hope to see this feature added to the Redmi Watch soon. Swiping up on the screen reveals the quick toggles, while swiping left or right provides access to various cards, which are grouped and allow for up to four different functions per card, serving as shortcuts to certain apps.
The watch is both colorful and stylish, with a highly responsive interface that makes it one of the most user-friendly watches available, with menu navigation and scrolling performance comparable to that of the twice-as-expensive Apple Watch SE Generation 2.
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Redmi Watch 3 Tracking Features Review:
The Redmi Watch 3 offers a wide range of tracked workouts, with close to 120 different ones available. Outdoor workouts can be tracked with GPS, and there are 10 inbuilt running courses, which puts it on par with the Huawei Watch GT3 SE Edition or the Huawei Fit 2. It is also suitable for swimming, with the ability to track your workout.
Heart rate can be tracked 24/7, but all-day tracking for blood oxygen saturation is not yet available, which may have been done to prolong the battery life. In addition, there are apps for sleep tracking, stress tracking, and breathing exercises. Redmi has integrated an option to show your smartphone’s calendar events, but it seems that the global version of the app is not quite ready for this feature yet, at least not at the time of writing this review.
Based on the tracked data, the heart rate tracking and oxygen saturation measurements seem to be accurate. The sleep tracking feature is very precise and can detect when you’re awake, in deep sleep, or in the rapid eye movement phase.
However, stress tracking can be difficult to evaluate. The step counter is excellent and provides reliable data. One notable absence is a parameter app, which is not available on the Redmi Watch 3 due to the lack of hardware. In terms of productivity, the watch offers essential features such as setting alarms and providing vibration and audible ringtone options. Check out the latest price of the Redmi Watch 2 here.
To discuss the accuracy of workout tracking and GPS data, let’s turn our attention to the Me Fitness smartphone app, which is available for both Android and iOS. This app is used for the Me Band series as well as the Xiaomi Watch S1 series.
Unfortunately, I cannot provide any high praises about the accuracy of the positioning, as it may be off by 5 to 10 meters, and acquiring a signal usually takes longer than anticipated, even on sunny days. When the watch operates standalone, it may take up to a minute for the signal to lock, and you may still notice some irregularities.
The performance of the Redmi Watch 3 is comparable to that of the Xiaomi SmartBand 7 Pro, although it has improved after receiving some firmware updates. It’s worth noting that wearables like the Redmi Watch 3 are optimized for battery life, so it’s understandable that GPS accuracy might be sacrificed to achieve greater endurance. In addition to workout details, the watch collects and provides many health tracking components over time, allowing for insightful conclusions to be drawn.
The Redmi Watch 3 has a big advantage over competitors like Fitbits in that there are many watch faces available for free, and there are no in-app purchases or monthly fees required. Additionally, the watch’s integration with Strava works well for sports enthusiasts.
However, there are some drawbacks, such as the lack of an auto brightness feature, additional apps to install, internal storage access for hosting files, a barometer, NFC for contactless payments, and an option to send predefined answers for notifications. Additionally, there are not many customization features in the settings menu. Nonetheless, at a price point of $120, this feature-packed watch is a good value.
It’s difficult to make a direct comparison between the Redmi Watch 3 and other smartwatches, as it depends on individual needs and preferences. However, in terms of value for money, the Redmi Watch 3 does offer a lot of features for its price point, and could potentially compete with some mid-range smartwatches like the Amazfit GTS 4 or Huawei Fit 2.
In terms of competing with the Apple Watch SE generation 2, it may not match up in terms of overall performance and features, as the Apple Watch is a more high-end device. However, the Redmi Watch 3 does offer some unique features like Alexa integration and a larger range of free watch faces, which could make it a compelling option for those who prioritize those features.
Ultimately, it’s important to consider what features and functionalities are most important to you and make a decision based on that. Check out the latest price of the Redmi Watch 3 and Redmi Watch 2 here.
