Xiaomi has a new smartwatch that looks every bit the premium flagship, right up until you see the price. There is a catch, though, and US buyers know it well.
What the Watch S5 is packing
The Watch S5 is Xiaomi's new premium smartwatch, built around a stainless steel frame and a 1.48-inch AMOLED screen that peaks at a blistering 2,500 nits. Xiaomi unveiled it in Europe alongside three other wearables.
The standout is endurance: an 815 mAh battery rated for up to 21 days on light use. It also offers more than 150 sports modes and a heart rate sensor Xiaomi claims is 98.4% accurate.
Xiaomi Watch S5 46mm in blue. | Image by Xiaomi
A premium feel without the premium price
Most watches with this build and battery life ask for a lot more. The Watch S5 starts at €179.99 in Europe, or about $210 (via direct conversion).
That is mid-tier smartwatch territory, not the going rate for a stainless steel one that runs for three weeks between charges.
What's really keeping you on your current smartwatch?
My watch has to talk to my phone, full stop
27.78%
Three-week battery, I'm so done with nightly charging
44.44%
I want a name on my wrist people recognize
11.11%
The apps and features I rely on keep me put
16.67%
18 Votes
Why this matters
Stack it against the premium crowd and the pitch lands. A Samsung Galaxy Watch in this class costs noticeably more and still wants charging every day or two, Garmin demands a steep premium for multi-week battery, and the Apple Watch is a different bracket entirely.
It builds on last year's Watch S4, so Xiaomi is clearly chasing the big names on style, not just specs.
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The catch, of course, is availability. Xiaomi launched this in Europe with euro pricing and no US release, so importing is the only way in for now.
Xiaomi Watch S5 46mm in green and blue. | Images by Xiaomi
The verdict
I will say it plainly: on paper, this is a lot of watch for the money. A stainless steel body and a multi-week battery at this price makes you side-eye whatever you paid for your current watch.
Xiaomi Watch S5 46mm in green. | Image by Xiaomi
For me, though, the spec sheet is only half the battle. I am locked into Google's ecosystem with my Pixel Watch, so as sharp as the Watch S5 looks, leaving Wear OS behind is a tougher sell than any feature list.
Who is it for? Anyone who wants a premium-feeling watch without the premium outlay, and who is willing to import one to get it.
For more takes like this, find me on X and Threads, where I am always happy to talk wearables and whatever Google is up to next.
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Johanna Romero is a Senior News Writer at PhoneArena, covering mobile technology news across Android, iOS, wearables, and the Google ecosystem she knows best. Drawing on 15 years in IT and tech support from 2007 to 2022, she brings a user-friendly eye for the practical features and lesser-known tricks readers care about. Google named her an official #TeamPixel member in 2022, and she also reviews the latest devices on her YouTube channel, JoJo the Techie.
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