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Xiaomi Redmi Watch 5 vs. POCO Watch: Budget Smartwatch Review

7/06/2025

Xiaomi Redmi Watch 5 vs. POCO Watch: Budget Smartwatch Review

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In the competitive world of budget-friendly smartwatches, Xiaomi's sub-brands, Redmi and POCO, have each offered compelling options. With the more recent launch of the Redmi Watch 5, it's time to see how it stacks up against the established POCO Watch. This comparison delves into their designs, displays, health and fitness capabilities, and overall value to help you decide which wearable is right for your wrist. 

Xiaomi Redmi Watch 5 Sale on Amazon

Xiaomi POCO Watch Sale on Amazon

Design and Display: A Clear Evolution

The most immediately noticeable difference between these two smartwatches lies in their design and display technology.

  • Redmi Watch 5: Launched in early 2025, the Redmi Watch 5 boasts a significantly larger and more premium display. It features a stunning 2.07-inch AMOLED screen with a sharp 432 x 514-pixel resolution and a density of 324 PPI. This panel also offers a smooth 60Hz refresh rate and an impressive peak brightness of 1500 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight. Its design incorporates an aluminum alloy frame and an ultra-thin bezel, giving it a more modern and premium feel, weighing approximately 33.5g without the strap.
  • POCO Watch: Released in April 2022, the POCO Watch features a more compact 1.6-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 320 x 360 pixels and 301 PPI. While still an AMOLED panel offering vibrant colors, it's smaller and less sharp than its Redmi counterpart. Its build is primarily plastic for both the back and frame, making it slightly lighter at 31g (including the strap) and thinner at 9.98mm.

Verdict: The Redmi Watch 5 takes a significant lead here with its larger, sharper, brighter, and more premium display, complemented by an elevated build quality.

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Health and Fitness Tracking: Comprehensive Insights

Both smartwatches are well-equipped for health and fitness monitoring, offering essential sensors and a wide array of activity modes.

  • Redmi Watch 5: It provides comprehensive health tracking including 24/7 heart rate monitoring, SpO2 (blood oxygen) tracking, high-precision sleep monitoring, stress tracking, and a vitality score. For fitness, it supports over 150 workout modes and features a robust built-in 5-system GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS) for accurate outdoor activity tracking.
  • POCO Watch: This device also offers solid health features with an optical heart rate sensor, SpO2 measurement, sleep tracking (including naps and REM stages), stress monitoring, breathing training, and women's health tracking. It comes with over 100 fitness modes (including 17 professional ones) and features multi-system standalone GPS for reliable outdoor activity mapping.

Verdict: Both watches excel in health and fitness tracking, providing a wide range of features. The Redmi Watch 5 offers a slightly higher number of workout modes and a more advanced GNSS system, but the core tracking capabilities are robust on both.

Battery Life and Connectivity: Endurance Meets Convenience

Battery longevity and seamless connectivity are crucial for any smartwatch.

  • Redmi Watch 5: Equipped with a 550mAh battery, the Redmi Watch 5 promises impressive endurance of up to 24 days on typical usage and 12 days under heavy usage. It supports Bluetooth 5.3, features Bluetooth Calling, and even includes an independent recorder and the ability to play music without a phone. NFC is available in some regions. It runs on Xiaomi's HyperOS, promising tighter integration with the Xiaomi ecosystem.
  • POCO Watch: With a 225mAh battery, the POCO Watch offers up to 14 days of battery life on typical usage. It uses Bluetooth 5.0 (BLE) for connectivity and relies on a proprietary operating system that integrates with the Mi Fitness app. It lacks Bluetooth calling and NFC functionality.

Verdict: The Redmi Watch 5 clearly outperforms the POCO Watch in battery life and offers more advanced connectivity features like Bluetooth Calling and a newer Bluetooth standard, making it more convenient for day-to-day use.

Conclusion: A New Standard for Budget Smartwatches

The Redmi Watch 5, being a significantly newer device, brings notable upgrades over the POCO Watch. Its larger, more vibrant, and premium AMOLED display, coupled with superior battery life, Bluetooth calling, and a more refined design, makes it the clear winner for those seeking a modern and feature-rich smartwatch without breaking the bank.

While the POCO Watch remains a competent entry-level option, offering core health and fitness tracking at an affordable price, the advancements in the Redmi Watch 5 set a new standard for what's expected in this segment. If your budget allows for the newer model, the Redmi Watch 5 offers a much more compelling and future-proof experience.