Redmi Watch 3 Active review: Reliable budget smartwatch

Xiaomi earlier in the month launched the affordable Redmi Watch 3 Active along with the Redmi 12 series phones and X Smart TV series in India.

The company has incorporated all standard health and fitness tracking features in the Redmi Watch 3 Active and offers it for less than Rs 3,000. I used it for little more than a week and here are my thoughts on the latest budget offering from the house of Xiaomi.

Design and build quality

Redmi Watch 3 Active sports squarish case with smooth corners. The 1.83-inch 2D curved display with HD resolution (240×280p). It is really good for its asking price. Our review unit is a Charcoal Black model.

The company also offers another Platinum Grey variant. It also looks good.

. The display supports peak brightness up to 450 nits and 60hz refresh rate. I was able to view time and other details such as the weather on widgets without having to bring my wrist up close to my eyes. I just had to raise up to abdomen level and be able to read the time with ease indoors. However, outdoors you can read clearly from chest level.

Even the sensors on the device are really good too, as the display lights up instantly once it notices the hand rising up.

As the name implies, Redmi Watch 3 Active is built to help you develop an active lifestyle, go out to jog, swim and if time permits, go for long trekking expeditions. The device comes with a 5 ATM rating, meaning it can withstand water pressure up 50 metres.

The strap is really soft and sturdy too. It can be changed with ease. Besides the black band that comes with the retail box, the company also olive green watch strap.

With colourfull watch faces, users can mix and match with the outfits.

. User interface and performance

Setting up the Redmi Watch 3 Active is like a walk in the park. Even a first-time user can pair it with a smartphone within five minutes. Just switch on the Watch and it will display the QR code and scan it via phone camera and it will lead to the Google Play Store ( or to the Apple App Store for iPhones) to install the Mi Fit app. From there, just follow the on-screen instructions.

. For me, it took less than four minutes to complete the process, including a tutorial on how to navigate within the watch to find apps such as Spo2, heart rate monitor, stress, and settings. Also, while setting up the device, you can also set the target to burn the calories and moving (walking) exercise for the day.

It supports swipe gestures, users can swipe fingers left or right sides to find quick access to popular widgets such as exercise, calories burned meter, weather, and more.

. If swipe up, you can quickly access settings, turn on/off do not disturb mode, torch, find my phone app, and more. To see recent notifications of messages, email, and social media platforms, you just have to swipe your finger down on the watch's screen.

. The new Redmi Watch 3 Active can track heart rate, read out SPO2(blood-oxygen saturation) monitoring, monitor sleep patterns, and a stress calculator.

. As you can see (above), I am averaging seven hours of sleep per night. It is one hour less than the required sleep, which experts believe is essential for the body to get sufficient time to recover from being actively working for more than 16 hours a day. Sleep deprivation has a negative impact on immunity in terms of resistance to seasonal diseases (like colds and fevers) and sensitivity to pain. Also, it can affect a person's mood and brain function, which is critical for decision-making. If that goes wrong, it will have a bearing on work and relations with colleagues and loved ones.

With sleep pattern tracking on Watch 3 Active, users can develop a disciplined life with the right amount of sleep and physical activities.

. The new Xiaomi watch can track more than 100 sporting activities and calculate calories burnt.

It also supports women with menstrual cycle tracking that provides predictions and reminders for upcoming periods. The monitoring details can be viewed conveniently on the Watch display; consumers no longer need to check their smartphone app.

Another notable aspect of the Watch 3 Active is the SOS feature. When in an emergency, just triple-press the function button for quick urgent calls. He/she can add emergency contacts with the SOS feature via the Mi Fitness app.

With Bluetooth v5.3 and microphone support, users can receive and answer calls right from the wrist. Yes, the sound delivery is good. But, I usually use it to screen calls to either take up if it is from an office colleague or family member or else reject them.

. With 289mAh battery capacity, the Redmi Watch 3 Active can easily last for more than 10 days under normal usage. It supports magnetic charging cable, which by the way, comes with the retail box. It can fully charge the watch from zero to 100 per cent capacity in a little over one and a half hours.

. Final thoughts

Redmi Watch 3 Active is a reliable fitness companion. It helps keep track of the physical activities and how many calories have been burned. Also, it can monitor heartbeat raate and can also read out SpO2 (blood-oxygen saturation) and keenly track the sleep pattern. All these features help owners to balance their activities and accordingly match with their eating habits to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

. There are women-specific features to help track the menstrual cycle and SOS emergency calls are value-added features.

Considering the reliable features, Redmi Watch 3 Active is a smart buy for its price.

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Redmi Watch 3 Active review: Reliable budget smartwatch

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