If you’re looking for a budget-friendly smartwatch that doesn’t compromise on features, the Redmi Watch 5 Lite is worth a serious look.
It boasts a 1.96-inch AMOLED display, 150+ sports modes, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, built-in GPS, swim tracking, and up to 18 days of battery life — all for an affordable price tag.
But does it actually live up to the hype? I spent some time testing it in real-life conditions, and here’s my honest, hands-on review.
Design & Build Quality
From a distance, the Redmi Watch 5 Lite gives off a premium vibe. But once you hold it, you’ll realize it’s made entirely of plastic — something Xiaomi doesn’t hide.
- Glossy sides: They look okay, but I feel a matte finish (like the back of the watch) would have been more elegant.
- Comfortable straps: Thankfully, unlike some brands that ship stiff or itchy bands, Xiaomi has opted for soft, skin-friendly straps here. They’re 22mm standard, so you can swap them with any compatible strap.
- Minor strap quirk: When I tuck the strap end inside the loop and sleep wearing it, it sometimes becomes tricky to unfasten in the morning.
- Button & sensors: On the right side, there’s a functional button (not a rotating crown) and a speaker. On the back, you’ll find the matte-finished sensor area, charging pins (no wireless charging), and microphone holes for dual-mic noise cancellation during calls.
Display Quality
The first thing that impressed me after powering it on was the vibrant AMOLED screen.
- Size & resolution: 1.96-inch AMOLED with rich colors and deep blacks.
- Always-On Display (AOD): Looks great but Xiaomi warns it may cut battery life by 50%.
- Smoothness: It feels smoother than most budget competitors, though it’s not flagship-level. Likely a 60Hz panel, but the chipset limits full fluidity.
User Interface & Navigation
Navigation is intuitive:
- Swipe down – Notifications
- Swipe up – Quick settings
- Swipe left/right – Widgets & health data
- Press button – App menu
You can also change watch faces directly by long-pressing the home screen. Xiaomi offers 200+ watch faces in the companion app.
Smart Features
The Redmi Watch 5 Lite isn’t just about fitness — it packs useful smart functions:
- Bluetooth calling with contact access and call logs
- Weather app, minimal calendar, task manager
- Music controls and camera shutter control (works with your phone’s native camera app)
- Alexa voice assistant integration
- Handy utilities: Stopwatch, flashlight, “Find My Phone”
Health & Fitness Tracking
Xiaomi covers the basics well:
- Heart Rate Monitoring: Continuous tracking with graphs in the app. No ECG or blood pressure monitoring (despite a placeholder in the app).
- SpO₂ monitoring, stress tracking, and breathing/focus exercises.
- Sleep Tracking: Basic by default, but with Advanced Sleep Tracking enabled, you also get REM analysis, breathing score, and even a fun “sleep animal” classification after 7 days of consistent wear.
- 150+ Sports Modes: From outdoor running, hiking, and cycling to swimming (5ATM water resistance) and even mental games like chess.
GPS Performance
Built-in GPS is a nice surprise at this price point. During my tests, it tracked walking routes, distance, and pace without needing my phone.
However, it’s not perfect — in narrow streets or indoors (like malls), the signal drops and the watch throws location error notifications. Outdoors in open areas, accuracy was much better.
Workout Tracking Limitations
One thing to note: When you start a workout, most other apps on the watch become inaccessible. You can still control music, but you can’t, for example, change your watch face mid-workout.
Battery Life
Xiaomi claims up to 18 days of battery life, and while I haven’t drained it fully yet, my usage suggests it’s realistic for light to moderate use.
With Always-On Display on, GPS walks, and notifications, I dropped from 90% to 87% after a short 2.5 km walk — quite efficient.
Smart optimizations like turning off the screen when not worn or during sleep help extend the battery further.
Final Verdict – Should You Buy the Redmi Watch 5 Lite?
The Redmi Watch 5 Lite is a solid choice for anyone looking for:
✅ A bright AMOLED display
✅ Long battery life
✅ Built-in GPS & 150+ sport modes
✅ Swim tracking & 5ATM water resistance
✅ Affordable pricing
It’s not perfect — GPS can be finicky, the plastic build isn’t premium, and workouts lock you out of other watch features — but for its price, it’s hard to beat the value it offers.
If you want a stylish, feature-rich smartwatch without spending a fortune, the Redmi Watch 5 Lite is an easy recommendation.