I’ve always liked wearing watches. Since making any excuse to strap my Spider-Man digital add-on (included with a Happy Meal) firmly to my wrist, wearing a portable clock has always been one of my favourite accessories to leave the house with.
When I heard the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm smartwatch had “8-day battery life,” I absolutely had to get one on my wrist to check out if this sorcery (and all other functionality) was true, and I left impressed. Not only does the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm feel like it never dies, but it also looks great, feels great, and doesn’t infringe on wrist flexion when working out or performing daily tasks. The Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm smartwatch is the smartwatch to wear when you’re cautious about them, especially where looks and battery are concerned.
The Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm makes an excellent first impression. It’s all business straight from the box; it comes with the strap fastened to the watch case and a charging cable/base that has followed the trend of not including a wall adapter inside the box. The 41mm stainless steel case of the Xiaomi is stunning, and it features a scratch-resistant, AMOLED display with an impressive brightness that goes up to 1500 nits.
“Not only does the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm feel like it never dies, but it also looks great, feels great, and doesn’t infringe on wrist flexion when working out or performing daily tasks.”
While that sounds a little technical, what that means is that with maximum brightness, I can travel around my basement with just the screen lit up when trying to reset the fuse breaker. It can operate as a torch in pitch black lighting. The 60Hz refresh rate is also standard for most smartwatches, but the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm doesn’t break the bank while delivering it.
Considering I used the Xiaomi smartwatch with an iPhone, I also had to download the Mi Fitness app from the App Store for functionality, and it works seamlessly once started. The Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm also works in tandem with the Google Pixel catalogue of smartphones, as long as the Mi Fitness app is onboard.
After merely scanning the Xiaomi QR code presented on the display, both my iPhone and the smartwatch were pushed into an automatic update screen that hooked it completely to my iPhone. While I used the Apple Watch line of wearables before, Xiaomi’s functionality operates pretty similarly to how an Apple Watch would when connected to an iPhone, except that during my month with the Xiaomi Watch S4, it needed no updates to remain functional, which just feels good.
Aside from smart tech functionality, the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm is a dream to wear. It feels comfortable in hot and sweaty temperatures, and it feels like it isn’t there during a particularly intense workout session. Doing push-ups off the gym floor would often crick my wrist against the case of an Apple Watch, but Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm leaves no indent and no discomfort while doing the most strenuous lifts. Whether hitting chest, doing curls, or even deadlifts, the Xiaomi doesn’t infringe on a workout and helps spot my heart rate when on a treadmill.
Instead, the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm operates as a pseudo gym notebook, but on your wrist. After hitting a particularly dense midday back/shoulders routine, the Mi Fitness app tracked everything I was doing and gave me statistics on where my highest strain was. While most smartwatches also have this functionality, the intensive timeline presented by Xiaomi on Mi Fitness is detailed, and it gives the range of heart rate during a full session.
“…the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm is a dream to wear.”
As a plus, for those with COPD, oxygen saturation, or circulation issues, the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm allows the user to check an almost accurate Blood Oxygen level straight from their wrist. When comparing this to a medical device that uses the finger-tip, Xiaomi was nearly as accurate with its measurements, reading 1-2% lower than an ADC Diagnostix 2100. So, while not a medical device (and it shouldn’t replace one), it can tell the user if their Blood Oxygen levels are critical when the ADC is left at home.
My partner suffers from POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), and the Sleep Tracker built into the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm is a solid indicator of how much quality sleep the user gets overnight. This information can serve as a worksheet on what the user can change to make better health decisions when getting ready for bed. It also helps that the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm is incredibly comfortable, even when wearing it to bed.
Aside from a striking design and notable medical features, the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm has a battery life that just doesn’t quit. I’ve worn this smartwatch for nearly nine days now, using a suite of its functionality at the highest backlight setting, and it still reads 30% battery. I’m unsure how much longer the battery will continue powering through without a charge, but the claim for an 8-day battery might be an understatement. The Xiaomi Watch S4 lasts far longer than its user.
With everything considered, the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm is an excellent-looking and functioning wearable. It does everything a user can expect out of their smartwatch without breaking the bank like other wearables in the technology space. This smartwatch can have your back while working out, riding your bike (there’s even a built-in flicker function to alert cars while riding at night), and if you have a hard-to-deal-with medical issue like COPD, it will cover you while you reload.
The Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm is a fantastic wearable, and even when the user’s smartphone loses all its battery, the Xiaomi will stay alive, alert, and give you the info you need when looking back at daily adventures.
