Xiaomi’s introduces Watch S1 & the sporty Active, along with Buds 3T Pro

Xiaomi has introduced today three new wearable offerings. This includes Watch S1 and a more sporty version of the same called Watch S1 Active, along with Buds 3T Pro.

In anticipation of Mi Band 7 which should see a soonish release, the Chinese tech giant has introduced a few other devices. We will be looking to post detailed reviews on each in the coming weeks. For now here are the specs and main characteristics.

Xiaomi Watch S1

A premium design

Starting with Xiaomi Watch S1 which retails for $269. It comes with a beautiful 1.43 inch AMOLED always-on display (the same that can be found on Watch Color 2), with 326 PPI, and auto-brightness adjustment (up to 450 nits). This latter should help quite a bit when switching from indoors to under the sun. The screen is protected with Sapphire Glass and held in place by a 316L grade stainless steel frame. You can pick from around 200 watch faces via the Xiaomi Wear app and the company adds that the user-interface is customisable.

Essential reading: Best fitness trackers and health gadgets

The case is attached to a fancy leather strap (that comes in Blue, Black or Brown options) or a fluororubber strap (silver, black). In the box you get one one of each enabling you to swap between them depending if you are sweating away or enjoying an evening out.

The dimensions of the watch come in at 46.5 x 46.5 x 11 mm so this is a fairly large device. Probably more suited for men. Having said that, the weight of the 5 ATM water-resistance rated watch is 52 grams so it’s fairly lightweight.

All the usual sensors

As far as sensors, you get all the usual suspects including a PPG heart rate sensor (plus all-day SpO2), 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, air-pressure sensor and ambient light sensor. They will keep tabs on 117 different sports (19 of which are professional modes with detailed performance statistics). Auto-recognition will work for a number of activities, such as treadmill running and walking. There’s also female health monitoring and the ability to sync with Strava and Apple Health.

For more precise tracking of outdoor activity, the S1 comes with a dual-band multi-system GPS. This allows for faster positioning and more accurate satellite data. Depending on the quality of the signal, the chip can tap into and automatically switch between GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BDS and QZSS.

Apart from that, the watch has 5.2 Bluetooth compatibility and the ability to conduct Mastercard contactless payment with NFC. To make your life easier, you can also access the Amazon Alexa voice assistant , make Bluetooth calls and receive notifications.

Battery life does not disappoint. The watch has a massive 470 mAh LiPo battery that can be topped up via magnetic wireless charging. This allows or 12 days with typical use and double that in battery saver mode.

Xiaomi Watch S1 Active

The Active variant is a more sporty take on Watch S1. In fact this one seems to pretty much be a rebranding of Watch Color 2 which was launched in China last year. There really isn’t very much to separate them.

The main difference between the S1 and S1 Active is to do with design. S1 Active will weight down your wrist less (measures 36.3 grams). The lightweight design comes courtesy of an aluminium frame coupled with a durable metal bezel. The actual size of the thing is 46.5 x 47.3 x 11mm, so it is a fraction larger than the non-Active version.

The display is exactly the same, as is the water resistance. The frame colours include Moon White, Space Black, Ocean Blue and you get the exact same strap colour options in addition to Yellow, Green and Orange.

While the packaging is different, the internals (including sensors, battery life, etc) are identical to Watch S1. Apart from being more lightweight and sporty looking, the benefit of purchasing this timepiece is that it is cheaper. Watch S1 retails for $200 on the company’s website which is pretty reasonable considering the specs.

Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro

Rounding off today’s Xiaomi-related news are Buds 3T Pro. The highlights of this device include up to 40dB hybrid ANC with Transparency mode, premium sound, DLC diaphragm, and LHDC 4.0. There’s also dimensional audio for immersive listening, convenient dual-device connection and support for wireless charging.

Xiaomi says the new buds offer studio-level sound performance with rich detail and minimum sound distortion. Reviews will show whether the wearable really offers best-in-class sound quality. Dimension Audio comes as part of the package – helping to recreate a 360 degree sound experience. The effect should be similar to what you’d get in theaters or live concerts.

Users can choose what they hear with adjustable noise cancellation. There are three primary settings (Light, Balanced and Deep) and you can swith between them as per your preference. They offer up to 40dB hybrid active noise cancellation.

There’s also an Adoptive mode that will automatically choose the best setting. While on the move, switch to Transparency mode to increase awareness of surrounding sounds. Finally, the Enhance Voice mode is there to highlight human speech in the background.

The Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro feature a lightweight design. Each bud weighs just 4.9 grams. They contain a large vent that helps to increase air flow and allows for a more comfortable wearing experience.

A single charge is good for up to 6 hours of music playback, which extends to a full day with rechargeable case top-ups. The IP55 certfication ensures the buds are protected against sweat and the occasional rain shower.

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