The era when smart watches cost 10,000 yen is over."Mi Watch Lite" of 6,800 yen excluding tax is the future standard

It's more than the price.

On February 2, 2021, a tremor struck the gadget world. Xiaomi is fully prepared to announce two smartwatch models. The first point is the price. The high-end model "Mi Watch" is tax-excluded 11,800 yen, and the low-priced version "Mi Watch Lite" is tax-excluded 6,800 yen.

When HUAWEI's smart watch "HUAWEI Watch Fit" appeared for 13,800 yen excluding tax, I thought "a smart watch that can be used at a reasonable price has come out", so I bought it quickly and used it habitually, but the price of Xiaomi was destroyed. It was awesome.

Therefore, I would like to review what a smartwatch with tax of 6,800 yen looks like.

7,480 yen

Texture & design that does not make you feel cheap

First of all, the texture. I don't say it's luxurious, but that doesn't mean it's cheap at all. I think that many smart watches that cost tens of thousands of yen have a metallic texture such as stainless steel or aluminum to create a sense of luxury, but Mi Watch Lite has the same matte texture as the belt in the case. This gives a calm impression and makes it look more than the price of 6,800 yen.

The belt material is TPU. Thermoplastic polyurethane in Japanese. It is a material that is sometimes called urethane resin or elastomer. At first glance, it looks like silicone, but it doesn't stretch like silicone, and it feels a little matte to the touch, so it fits nicely even if you touch it or wear it on your wrist.

The display is a 1.4-inch TFT touch display. Although it is not an organic EL, it has good visibility. There is no problem in this area either.

At first glance, it feels like it's picked up, it feels like it's worn on the arm. I don't think any of them cost 6,800 yen. If anything, it feels more luxurious than my favorite HUAWEI Watch Fit. It's kind of disappointing.

Full-featured functions that are not a problem for everyday use

No matter how good it looks, if it has poor functionality, it's no good as a smartwatch. Mi Watch Lite is water resistant to 5 bar up to 50m and has 11 workout modes. Well, I rarely use the sports tracking feature, but it supports everyday workouts such as running, cycling, swimming, and walking. It's just right for a light user who says "Is it okay to have it?"

In my case, I place more importance on tracking in my daily life. Mi Watch Lite has basic functions such as calories burned, step count, sleep tracking, and heart rate monitor.

What I thought was amazing was that it was compatible with GPS + GLONASS positioning. GLONASS is a Russian satellite positioning system. By supporting not only GPS but also GLONASS, you can get more accurate location information. I don't see many smart watches that support both in this price range.

There is also a barometer. Isn't it nice for people who climb mountains?

You can also operate the music player on your smartphone. It's a feature I don't use much personally, but it's surprisingly convenient when I actually use it. Once you get used to this, it may be troublesome to put out your smartphone to play / pause music.

Considering a smartwatch for 6,800 yen, I think it has a lot of functions. If you use it everyday, you will not be in trouble.

The battery lasts officially 100% chargeable in 2 hours and can be used for 9 days in general use (10 hours in GPS sports mode). This is no problem.

What I liked about charging was that it came with a charging holder. There is a sense of security as it holds firmly when charging. It comes with this for 6,800 yen, so it's a great deal.

Where I was interested

It's just a compliment, but it's not without its concerns.

The first thing I was interested in was the menu screen. When you press the button on the side, square icons are lined up in a row. It's not particularly difficult to operate, but I felt that it would be better if the icon was a little larger. It feels tight and cramped.

The rest is a smartphone app. There is no problem because the necessary information is displayed properly, but a mysterious character whose name is unknown appears on every screen. This person is using a lot of space. Isn't this space wasted? I don't think this person will do anything for me ...

If you select a female in the profile settings, female characters will be displayed.

The rest is the face of the watch. There are so many types, but I wonder if there are few people who say "this is it!". Regarding the face, I think it depends largely on my personal hobby. I think this will increase in the future, so I would like to expect it.

A smartwatch that is betrayed in a good way

After using Mi Watch Lite, I felt that it was more than enough for a smartwatch to be used on a daily basis. On the contrary, if you look at the entire smartwatch based on this, other models will feel quite expensive.

I also like watches, but lately I've been using multiple low-priced watches like the Cheap Casio. It's easy to buy, it has a lot of designs, and I choose which one to use depending on my mood.

I thought that Mi Watch Lite has a minimalistic fun that is similar to such a cheap Casio system. Of course, it's a smartwatch that is supposed to be worn 24 hours a day, so I won't change it depending on my mood. It has sprung up.

It's 6,800 yen, so I guess it's pretty good. A smartwatch that will betray you in a good way if you pick it up with such prejudice. I think that is Mi Watch Lite.

If you want more workout functionality, prefer a round bezel, or want to use it heavily, the higher-end Mi Watch is for you. Even if it is a high-end model, it costs 11,800 yen. It's cheap.

To be honest, considering the price, I don't think I will regret it so much no matter which one I buy. Because it's 6,800 yen and 11,800 yen. It's an impossible price for a smartwatch (although there is the latest version of Reiwa).

In fact, Mi Watch and Mi Watch Lite can be registered on one smartphone at the same time. You can switch and use it on the smartphone app side. You can also have two and use them properly according to the situation.

Perhaps it will be an epoch-making model that will influence the future of smart watches.

7,480 yen

Photo & Image: Kazuki Miura

Source: Xiaomi

* Prices and other information are as of the time of writing. Please check the sales page as it is subject to change.