Redmi Watch 3 Active Review: Average Joe Smartwatch
Although the Apple Watch series is aspirational and may be a bit pricey for many of us due to its price and positioning, it has increased interest in smartwatches. As a result, the market for budget smartwatches is growing, driven by several firms that use their knowledge of smartphones and Bluetooth connectivity to provide capable wearable technology at affordable rates. This includes Xiaomi, which unveiled the Redmi Watch 3 Active, a smartwatch focusing on health, which costs Rs. 2,999.
Regarding fitness tracking, my previous experiences with low-cost smartwatches could have been better; generally, low-cost devices are best suited for fundamental features like notification mirroring and watch face customization. In addition to checking the boxes for a low-cost smartwatch, it will be interesting to see if the Redmi Watch 3 Active can live up to its moniker and perform effectively as a fitness and health tracker. In this review, you’ll learn if the Redmi Watch 3 Active is worth the money.
Along with step tracking and other features, the Redmi Watch 3 Active can measure your heart rate and blood oxygen levels.
Design and technical details of the Redmi Watch 3 Active
The budget smartwatch market aims to provide as many functions as possible at an affordable price. Design and form are somewhat simplistic in this market, and the Redmi Watch 3 Active maintains this straightforward appearance. The absence of distinguishing features and emblems makes identifying this as a Redmi product at first glance challenging. You decide whether that’s good or negative, but the appearance is too plain and unremarkable.
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Nevertheless, it is valid, and some people might even prefer the shiny exterior complementing the 1.83-inch color screen. If you use a watch face with a black background, you won’t see the screen’s thick borders, and unless you pay great attention, the front will appear relatively uniform. A button that controls power unlocks the app drawer and awakens the screen from standby is located on the watch’s right side.
Fortunately, the screen can also be turned on by double-tapping it or by using the lift-to-wake motion, which involves turning your wrist to face you as you would ordinarily look at a wristwatch. By covering the screen with your palm, you may instantly switch it off. Alternatively, using the screen timeout feature, you can set the Redmi Watch 3 Active to go into standby mode.
The sole logo on the Redmi Watch 3 Active is located directly above the optical sensors on its underside, allowing blood oxygen levels and heart rate tracking. The magnetic charger attaches to the contact points below and connects to a USB Type-A port on the device’s opposite end; a power adapter is not included. The smartwatch’s interchangeable straps can also be detached from it at the bottom.
Charcoal Black and Platinum Grey are the two color choices for the Redmi Watch 3 Active. Although the latter may appear slightly better looking and more distinctive, the review unit supplied to me is the former. The smartwatch’s 5ATM water resistance certification and the default strap’s comfort level and waterproofness work hand in hand. The Redmi Watch 3 Active connects through Bluetooth 5.3, and when coupled with a smartphone, it supports Bluetooth calling. Of course, a speaker and microphone are built-in for this to function correctly.
Active software, user interface, and app for Redmi Watch 3
Compatibility with smartphone operating systems (and occasionally even inside the Android ecosystem) isn’t guaranteed on low-cost smartwatches, but the Redmi Watch 3 Active checks all the right boxes. The device supports the smartwatch on iOS and Android platforms and is compatible with the Mi Fitness app.
For my review, I used a OnePlus 9 Pro (Review) with the Redmi Watch 3 Active connected and the Mi Fitness app installed. The program manages the connection between the smartwatch and the smartphone using Bluetooth. It also establishes the link for voice calls and synchronizes notifications between the two devices. The app receives fitness and health information gathered on the watch to offer improved insights and analysis.
With widgets for activity, sleep, steps, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and more, the software itself is well-presented. Additionally, you may begin exercises from within the app. Outdoor activities incorporate mapping into the monitoring; however, this depends on your phone for position information because the smartwatch does not enable location tracking. It’s simple to change the gadget’s settings and essential tools; overall, the app is functional and well-equipped for the device.
The Redmi Watch 3 Active boasts a wide selection of watch faces, just like any good wristwatch should. A wide array of downloadable options, arranged arbitrarily, is available in addition to the three default choices. The smartwatch may store up to two additional watch faces in addition to the three default choices, which can be deleted and updated as much as you like if you find one you prefer and download it using the app. There were a few good choices, but most were too bizarre for my tastes.
The Redmi Watch 3 Active is compatible with the iOS and Android-based Mi Fitness app.
Redmi Watch 3 Active battery life and performance
Regardless of price, almost all smartwatches offer the most basic form of fitness tracking. The Redmi Watch 3 Active tries to distinguish itself as a fitness-friendly alternative given its ‘Active’ label, but the accuracy and utility of this could be better on low-cost gadgets.
The Redmi Watch 3 Active doesn’t live up to its boasts, essentially in line with the rest of the inexpensive wristwatch market. Even though there are more than 100 tracking and sport modes with allegedly optimized tracking performance, most of these are specialized, making it difficult to determine whether the tracking data is reliable.
I focused on recording the fundamentals for my evaluation, particularly steps, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels. The Redmi Watch Active estimated 1,060 steps in our 1,000-step test while I physically counted 1,000, indicating a 6% inaccuracy rate. This is too far removed from the more precise step-tracking data that high-end devices can produce, but it is close to what other smartwatches in this price range deliver.
Similar issues arise with heart rate tracking, especially when taking a reading while moving around; the results are frequently too low or fluctuate erratically. The blood oxygen tracking and the heart rate reading, compared to the Apple Watch Series 7 for accuracy, were limited to standing still or sitting with my arm steady.
Water resistance for the Redmi Watch 3 Active is 5ATM.
The specifics of sleep tracking didn’t seem remarkably accurate or detailed; it was very simplistic and reasonable about the amount of time spent sleeping. Overall, health tracking on this can give consumers a rough understanding of what’s happening, but it’s far too erratic to be depended upon for anything significant.
The Redmi Watch 3 Active performs admirably overall, with the default user interface and apps generally functioning as expected. The Redmi Watch 3 Active’s screen is bright and adequate for the price, even though it isn’t quite as sharp and attractive as some of the competition in this market (which employs OLED displays).
I could wear the smartwatch all day, occasionally while sleeping, and use it for around seven days on a single full charge. If you turn off the continuous connection for calls and avoid using the Redmi Watch 3 Active for too many calls, you can extend the battery life a little.
Turning it on through the Bluetooth settings is simple if that is something you plan to utilize. The Redmi Watch 3 Active will only activate for calls if you answer the call on the smartwatch itself. This is useful since, even with the connection active, answering a call on your linked smartphone rather than the watch guarantees that audio is diverted to the correct device. Call quality is acceptable for brief calls in comparatively quiet settings. You’ll find it too soft and annoying for prolonged calls or in noisy surroundings, and you’ll probably want to switch to your smartphone or good earbuds.
Verdict
The Redmi Watch 3 Active is a fitness-focused smartwatch, although there isn’t much evidence to support this. It still qualifies as a wearable device and is a capable budget option that effectively manages tasks like notifications and calls. It is attractive and comfortable, has an excellent screen and software, and can operate effectively for around seven days on a single charge.
As a result, there are a few issues, but the Redmi Watch 3 Active only offers a little that makes it stand out. If you’re looking for a new, inexpensive smartwatch that costs less than Rs. 3,000, consider this, mainly because Xiaomi products are known for their dependability and longevity.