Verdict
The Xiaomi learn 2 Pro flatters to deceive , with consistent bug and average truth plaguing the experience across the board . This could be an pick for those who require an affordable and well - work up smartwatch with Google ’s services attached , but it ’s sure not one we thoroughly advocate .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The income tax return of Wear OS as a competitive political program has been swift , and no smartwatch better personify this rebirth quite like the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro .
Like Samsung ’s return to the platform in 2021 , Xiaomi ’s reaching take in plenty of sensation . While the company continues to overlook the budget seaworthiness tracker market , it ’s see less grip with its smartwatches – and recent releases likeWatch S1 Proshowed the glaring limitation of animation without legitimate third - company app backup .
cheer by the might of Google ’s service , Xiaomi is n’t book back with this Wear OS debut . With the hope of multi - day battery life sentence , dual - frequency GPS , and some novel wellness features , it ’s a smartwatch with an enviable specification sheet that directly shoots into contention for the title of ‘ best Wear OS smartwatch ’ .
But these variety of title are n’t gain on paper , and , after extensive real - world examination , the Xiaomi take in 2 Pro proves why . Here are my thoughts .
Design and screen
How you feel about the design of the Watch 2 Pro will for the most part depend on how you see the rest of the competition .
For those who encounter thePixel Watch 2 ’s 41 millimetre case to be too little to even take seriously , or theTicWatch 5not quite stylish enough , the 47.6 mm case of Xiaomi ’s oblation is potential the gross remedy . It ’s anything but unisex , but I think those who prefer bigger lookout that can blend into more schematic affair will be take up in by the Watch 2 Pro ’s look .
It ’s cleaner - looking than most of its Wear OS teammate , and the ponderosity of its 11.8 millimeter heaviness and 54.5 thousand weightiness mean that it does finger like a substantive , well - made watch .
The emergence with this added lump is that it ’s a pretty unpleasant picket to wear out during practice or sleep trailing . It may be around the same thickness as the TicWatch Pro 5 , and only around 10 g heavier , but it feels very dissimilar in term of comfort .
I frequently adjust the strap during runs for avoid the sheath slipping , and the distribution of that stainless brand against a plastic shoulder strap just does n’t really work that well .
For those who do n’t really contrive on using the Watch 2 Pro for much vigorous exercise , I ’m sure this will be no job , but it ’s sure enough been my least favourite of the Wear OS 2023 year to strap on for a 24/7 testing catamenia .
On the other script , I do n’t really have any complaints about the 1.43 - in AMOLED display . The 60Hzrefresh ratedoes seem slightly more jittery than other Wear OS vigil , but the clarity and brightness are superb in all conditions I essay in .
Features and performance
The introduction of Wear OS is doubtlessly the most interesting aspect of the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro , prognosticate to extend to above the barebones experience offer up by older Xiaomi watch .
While this does finally intend there ’s a Xiaomi watch that can redeem integration with the ilk of Google Maps , Wallet , Home , and even Assistant , this has n’t transform the experience in quite the way I hop it would .
Xiaomi has essentially baked in the nub elements of Google ’s software here , and that is good in the shell of apps , the funny watch face , and streamlining logins , but there are still serious issues with a lack of gloss here with the caller ’s MIUI skin .
I ’ve meet a couple of representative of the sentinel becoming lock in on a loading screen after being taken off cathexis , while Spotify has also crash during play list downloading on a span of occasions , too .
This kind of hooey may be venial , even if it ’s not something you ’ll receive on other Wear OS cutis , but there ’s a egregious deficiency of nonrational features here , too . In some way , it finger like a skin that has n’t been genus Beta - tested .
For example , there ’s no setting that allow you to quickly kill the screenland for sleep hours ( unless you set up a agenda ) , and physical exertion cut through screens do n’t come out on the show throughout the path of tracking , which means you have to awkwardly impart up the workout app mid - flow rate .
And then there ’s the Mi Fitness app , which will oft introduce you with beleaguer entropy that you ca n’t view – or , as I ’ll detail below , data that just does n’t really add up .
While the addition of Google ’s services is undoubtedly neat , and the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 + political platform control the experience broadly remains zippy , this feels like a second of a missed opportunity from Xiaomi to deliver an good software experience .
Fitness and health tracking
Xiaomi has a hard inclination to overdeliver features and underachieve the performance of them in its wearables , and this root word very much carry on with the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro ’s trailing .
Whether it ’s substance rate monitoring truth , GPS trailing , or the worldwide swathe of datum , there are some major caution to compass here .
I observe the Watch 2 Pro ’s idea of VO2 Max , recovery time from workouts , training warhead and the like to be nothing skillful than very rough ballpark figures when equate to the grasp provided by either Garmin , Whoop , or Oura , and even something basic like dance step trailing was fair inconsistent .
In the meatier orbit of exercise trailing , it suffer from both glitches and , generally , pretty median accuracy .
Heart pace monitoring , for example , can often stay pretty close to aGarmin Epix Pro ( Gen 2)orWahoo Tickr Xchest strap when the rate is steadfast , but it start to deviate quite drastically as soon as the gears of intensity change .
This mean average HR readings become skew by around 5 - 7 BPM less than what they should be , while I also find the curious session was totally bugged and did not pick up my heart charge per unit .
GPS truth fare slenderly easily , and is enough to gain at least a solid sixth sense into the variety of distance you ’ve covered , but this is still by no mean value the same sort of optical maser - sharp three-fold - frequency GNSS accuracy that I ’ve come to expect from Apple and Garmin ’s comparable options .
It also suffers from relatively frequent bugged sitting syncs over to the Mi Fitness companion app , which renders post - workout information fairly useless .
Xiaomi has managed to redeem something relatively novel within the Watch 2 Pro ’s health tracking – eubstance composition analytic thinking – which is commendable in an more and more free-enterprise area of smartwatches .
I have witness Samsung offer this characteristic ( with assorted truth ) over the last couple of lookout generations , though it ’s always need a Samsung speech sound to use it .
That ’s not the case here , of row , which stand for you may cursorily receive a breakdown of your body ’s muscle mass , fat percentage and more from just hold your middle and closed chain finger on the gadget ’s two side buttons .
You will also have to recognise your exercising weight and enter this manually , so this is very much just a calculation of proportions and not sweeping mimicking of a smart scale of measurement .
It all vocalize great on paper , but , as with most things do by the Watch 2 Pro , I find the accuracy to be passably rough here .
Something like trunk fat percentage , for example , was registered around 5 % higher than the 14.7 - 15.1 % reach delivered by the Fitbit Aria 2 and Garmin Index S2 , while back - to - back recitation will also see this figure fluctuate by as much as 2 - 3 % . Not swell , even for illustrative purposes .
Things are , at least , a little well in other domain of Xiaomi ’s health trailing . It ’s still a small irksome that many features – like SpO2 monitoring – are turned off by nonremittal , but the data ranges for this , cutis temperature , resting heart charge per unit and more are all in a good place .
Though Xiaomi does n’t have the same pedigree in sleep tracking as you ’ll chance from the likes of Fitbit , the experience on whirl here is good enough for very casual glimpse at your sleep .
strike numb , meter in bed and come alive - up times can match up well with the approximation from Garmin , Whoop , and Oura , and , once you turn on ‘ advanced monitoring ’ , you ’ll also gain insight into sopor stages .
It ’s by no means a comprehensive prospect , and there ’s also no recuperation insights or belt - on upshot chase your sleep has on the rest of the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro experience , but it does at least manage to do the basic principle to a sure standard .
The only genuine emergence here is , once again , the level of presentation within Mi Fitness . I ’m ineffective to see any of my eternal rest in the daily view due to a bug , which intend my breakdown are confine to hebdomadary or monthly summaries . It ’s another object lesson of the lack of polish across the board .
Battery life
With the power efficiency of the Snapdragon W5 + Gen 1 processor , the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro is able-bodied to achieve true multi - 24-hour interval battery life .
Undoubtedly one of the few bright spots of the watch , I typically find that it was able to clear two days comfortably – even with the always - on exhibit enable , intermediate luminance , notifications streaming in , an hour of tracked workout time and some antecedently disabled options turn on .
importantly heavier days may see you charging after around 45 - 48 minute , but Xiaomi ’s estimation of 65 hours is plausibly about right for most use cases .
And when it ’s time to restore some juice , it ’s also fabulously incisive . I was typically capable to go from categorical ( or very downcast battery ) in around 40 minutes , and this also means top up enough battery to get through the repose of the day is as elementary as placing it on the charging puck for 10 - 15 minutes .
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
well cheaper than rival options from Samsung , Google , and Mobvoi , this is the best way to reach the latest version of Wear OS .
Whether it ’s in the physical fitness trailing or health feature , the Watch 2 Pro is plagued by inaccuracies and associate app issues .
Final Thoughts
A spec rag genius that flatters to deceive , the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro is a difficult smartwatch to recommend . Tracking truth is pretty unreliable across the board , while a certain unpolished feel taints what should be a solid addition to the Wear OS collection .
I still think it could be an choice to consider for those who thirst a big , solid - feeling Wear OS smartwatch – especially give the comparatively small price – but there are still plenty of caveat attach to this special skin of Google ’s software . hold out ourBest Smartwatchguide for more option .
Trusted Score
How we test
We soundly try every smartwatch we critique . We apply industry - standard testing to compare features decently and we apply the ticker as our principal gadget over the reassessment time period . We ’ll always recount you what we find and we never , ever , accept money to reexamine a product .
FAQs
The Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro is available from £ 239.99 .
Yes , the Xiaomi observe 2 Pro is available with eSim from £ 289.99 , but only defend Vodafone and O2 networks in the UK .
