Are you looking for a smartwatch that has a large display, a metal crown, and Bluetooth phone calls? If so, you might be interested in the Redmi Watch 4, the latest smartwatch from Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi. In this Redmi Watch 4 review, I will show you the design, features, price, and performance of the new smartwatch, and compare it with the previous generation Redmi Watch 3, and the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro. I will also tell you the difference between the Chinese and the global versions of the Redmi Watch 4, and help you decide which one to buy.
Redmi Watch 4 Review
The Redmi Watch 4 is a smartwatch that has a premium design and build quality, thanks to the aluminum alloy frame and the metal crown. It also has a large 1.97-inch AMOLED display, which is great for viewing content and interacting with the smartwatch. In addition, it is one of the first Xiaomi smartwatches running on HyperOS. The display also supports a 60Hz refresh rate, Always-on Display mode, and ambient light sensor. This Redmi smartwatch also has a removable silicone strap, which is comfortable and durable. Its strap is compatible with other Xiaomi wearables, such as the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro. The smart watch is available in Obsidian Black and Silver Gray colors.
Redmi Watch 4: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Premium Design: Elegant aluminum alloy frame and metal crown.
- Large AMOLED Display: Vibrant 1.97-inch screen with deep blacks.
- HyperOS UI: Smooth interface with 60Hz refresh rate.
- Bluetooth Phone Calls: Convenient hands-free communication.
- Health Tracking: Comprehensive 4-channel PPG sensors for heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep.
- Removable Silicone Strap: Comfortable and customizable.
- Extensive Features: 200+ watch faces, 150+ fitness modes, music, camera control, and emergency SOS.
- Good Battery Life: 470mAh battery for up to 20 days of use.
- Fast Charging: Recharges in about 2 hours.
- Mi Fitness App: User-friendly app for seamless integration.
Cons
- Limited Notification Interaction: No reply option to notifications.
- App Translation Issues: Some parts of Mi Fitness app in Chinese.
- Occasional Connection Issues: Intermittent connectivity problems.
- No Games: Lack of gaming features.
- Global vs. Chinese Version Differences: Variances in price, OS, and availability.
Unboxing
In this Redmi Watch 4 review, I will start by showing you the unboxing experience of the new smartwatch. It comes in a simple white box, with an image of the smart watch on the front, and some specs on the back. Inside the box, you will find the smartwatch, a magnetic charging cable, and a user manual. The unboxing process is very quick and easy.
Design and Build Quality
The first thing you will notice is its big 1.97-inch display. This is one of the main selling points of the smartwatch, as it offers a lot of screen space for viewing notifications, widgets, and watch faces. The display is also AMOLED, which means it has vibrant colors, deep blacks, and good contrast. So, the maximum brightness of the display is 600 nits, which is enough for outdoor visibility. Doing the Redmi Watch 4 review, we found that the display also supports LTPS 5Hz and 60Hz refresh rate, which makes the animations and transitions smooth and fluid.
Another highlight of this smart wearable is its metal crown. It is a feature that was missing on the previous generation Redmi Watch 3, which had a plastic body and no crown. The metal crown not only adds a touch of elegance and style to the smartwatch but also makes it more functional. You can twist the crown to navigate through the menus and press it to select an option or go back. Also, it has a red ring around it, which adds some contrast to the otherwise black or silver dial.
The back of the latest Redmi smartwatch has 4-channel PPG health-tracking sensors, charging contacts, a microphone, and a speaker. Its health-tracking sensors include a heart rate monitor, a blood oxygen monitor, and a sleep monitor. The charging contacts are used to connect the smartwatch to the magnetic charging cable. Also, the microphone and the speaker are used for Bluetooth phone calls, which is another new feature of the Redmi Watch 4. You can pair the smartwatch with your smartphone, and make and receive calls directly from your wrist.
The Redmi Watch 4 review for the removable silicone strap shows it is comfortable and durable. It has a size range from 135 to 205 mm, which should fit most wrists. The smartwatch is available in two colors: Obsidian Black and Silver Gray. The black version has a black dial and strap, while the gray version has a silver dial and strap. You can also buy other straps in different colors and materials if you want to change the look of your smartwatch.
Features
This smart wearable offers over 200 watch faces, notifications, quick settings, fitness modes, health tracking, music and camera control, weather, alarm, stopwatch, timer, compass, Bluetooth phone calls, emergency SOS function, NFC (for transport cards in China), and Xiaomi HyperOS UI (similar to other Redmi smart bands and watches).
Redmi Watch 4 Review: Settings Menu
Watch Faces
The Redmi Watch 4 review shows it has six watch faces pre-installed, but you can download more from the app on your smartphone. The app has a large collection of watch faces, in different styles and categories. Some of the watch faces also support customization, which means you can change the style of some elements, or add widgets to display more information, such as steps, calories, weather, battery, etc. You can also use the Always-on Display mode on the Redmi Watch 4, which shows a simplified version of the watch face, even when the screen is off. Also, the Always-on Display mode also has some themes to choose from, which add some variety to the look of your smartwatch.
Notifications
The Redmi Watch 4 can show notifications from your smartphone, such as calls, messages, social media, emails, and more. You can swipe down from the main screen to access the notification center, where you can read the notifications, and delete them if you want. However, you cannot reply to the notifications, or interact with them in any way, other than reading and deleting them. This is a limitation of the smartwatch, as it does not have a keyboard, voice input, or a quick reply option. The only exception is the phone calls, which you can answer or reject from the smartwatch, thanks to the microphone and the speaker.
Quick Settings
The Redmi Watch 4 also has a quick settings menu, which you can access by swiping up from the main screen. You can use the quick settings menu for useful options, such as Do Not Disturb mode, Silent mode, Raise to Wake, Settings, Flashlight, Find Phone, Clearing Water, and Battery Saver.
The Raise to Wake option allows you to turn on the screen by raising your wrist, which is convenient but also consumes more battery. Its Settings option takes you to the main settings menu, where you can change the watch face, the brightness, the vibration, the language, the time format, the reset option, and more.
The Flashlight option turns the screen into a white light, which can be useful in dark situations. There is also the Find Phone option, which makes your smartphone ring, so you can locate it if you misplaced it. The Clearing Water option plays a sound to eject any water that may have entered the speaker of the smartwatch, which is useful if you used the smartwatch in water.
The Battery Saver option turns off some features of the smartwatch, such as the Always-on Display, the Raise to Wake, the Bluetooth, and the heart rate monitor, to extend the battery life.
Fitness Modes
The Redmi Watch 4 has over 150 fitness modes, which include outdoor running, indoor running, outdoor cycling, indoor cycling, walking, hiking, swimming, elliptical, rowing, yoga, cricket, basketball, football, badminton, jump rope, and free training. You can choose any of these modes from the smartwatch and start your workout. There is also the auto-detect 6 workout modes like walking, running, elliptical, rower, jump rope, and cycling.
This fitness tracker will track your time, distance, calories, heart rate, speed, pace, and other metrics, depending on the mode. You can also see a map of your route if you use the GPS of your smartphone. The Redmi Watch 4 review for specs shows it has built-in multi-system GNSS for accurate location tracking for your runs, walks, etc.
The Redmi smartwatch will also give you some feedback and suggestions, based on your performance and goals. You can also view your workout history and statistics on the app on your smartphone, and sync them with other platforms, such as Google Fit, Strava, and Apple Health.
Health Tracking
The Redmi Watch 4 also has some health tracking features, such as a heart rate monitor, blood oxygen monitor, and sleep monitor. There is a new 4-channel PPG sensor. So, the heart rate monitor measures your heart rate continuously and shows you the real-time data, as well as the daily, weekly, and monthly trends. You can also set a heart rate alert, which will notify you if your heart rate is too high or too low.
The blood oxygen monitor measures your blood oxygen saturation level, which is an indicator of your respiratory and circulatory health. You can measure your blood oxygen level manually, or set a schedule for automatic measurements.
The sleep monitor tracks your sleep quality and shows you the duration, stages, and score of your sleep. It also gives you some tips and suggestions to improve your sleep quality. You can view all the health data and trends on the app on your smartphone, and get more insights and analysis.
Other Features
The Redmi Watch 4 review shows it offers music and camera control, weather updates, alarm, stopwatch, timer, compass, and more. You can control your smartphone’s music playback and use the watch as a remote shutter for your phone’s camera. The watch displays current weather information and a 5-day forecast. You can set alarms, use the stopwatch and timer features, and view your location’s coordinates and direction through the compass feature. Simply swipe left or right or select from the menu by pressing the crown to access these features.
Performance and Battery Life
This smart wearable also supports 4-system GNSS, which means it can use GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and Beidou for accurate and reliable location tracking. The Redmi Watch 4 has a 470 mAh battery, which is quite large for a smartwatch. The official battery life of the smartwatch is 20 days, but that depends on how you use it.
If you use the Always-on Display mode, the Raise to Wake option, the Bluetooth phone calls, and the fitness modes frequently, the battery life will be reduced significantly. In my experience, I had to charge the smartwatch every 7 to 8 days, which is still not bad, considering the large display and the features of the smartwatch.
The charging process is very simple and fast. You just need to connect the smartwatch to the magnetic charging cable, and plug it into a power source. The charging time is about 2 hours, which is reasonable for a smartwatch. The charging cable is also compatible with the previous generation Redmi Watch 3, which is convenient if you have both smartwatches.
| Xiaomi Redmi Watch 4 Specs | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 47.5mm x 41.1mm x 10.5mm |
| Weight | 31.5g (without strap) |
| Frame | Aluminum alloy frame |
| Brightness | Up to 600 nits |
| Screen | Ultra large 1.97″ AMOLED display, 60Hz refresh rate, LTPS 5Hz |
| Strap | Obsidian Black: TPU strap size: 135mm ~ 205mm; Silver Gray: TPU strap size: 135mm ~ 205mm |
| Cover Material | 2D straight screen glass cover |
| Shell Material | Aluminum alloy middle frame + stainless steel crown + fiber high-strength polymer |
| Sensor | Heart rate sensor (with blood oxygen sensor), Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Ambient light sensor, electronic compass |
| Waterproof Level | 5ATM |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| GNSS | Supports 5-system GNSS: GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/QZSS/Beidou |
| Battery Capacity | 470mAh |
| Typical Use Time | 20 Days |
| Support APP | Mi Fitness |
| Package Contents | Redmi Watch 4 / Magnetic charging cable / User Manual |
App and Compatibility
The Redmi Watch 4 uses the same app as the Xiaomi smart bands, which is called Mi Fitness. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices, and it is very easy to use. You just need to select the China region in the settings before connecting the smartwatch, if you have the Chinese version of the Redmi Watch 4, like I do.
The app allows you to sync your data from the smartwatch, such as steps, calories, distance, heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, stress, and workouts. You can also view your daily, weekly, and monthly trends, and get some insights and analysis. It also allows you to change the settings of the Redmi Watch 4 smartwatch, such as watch faces, notifications, health monitoring, Bluetooth phone calls, emergency SOS, and more. You can also download more watch faces from the app, and customize some of them. The app also supports some third-party platforms, such as Google Fit, Strava, and Apple Health, where you can sync your data and share it with others.
It very user-friendly and intuitive, and it has a lot of features and functions to offer. However, it also has some limitations and drawbacks, such as the lack of games, the inability to reply to notifications, and the occasional connection issues. The app is also not very well translated, and some parts are still in Chinese, even if you choose another language. The app could use some improvements and updates, to make it more compatible and functional with the Redmi Watch 4.
The Verdict
In conclusion, it is a highly impressive smartwatch, boasting a wide array of features and functions. Its aluminum alloy frame, metal crown, and large, high-quality display make for a sleek and stylish design. Bluetooth phone calls, 16 fitness modes, health tracking, music and camera control, weather, and emergency SOS function are just a few of the many features it offers. With a good battery life, fast charging, and a user-friendly app, the Redmi Watch 4 is a solid choice for anyone looking for a high-quality smartwatch.
While there are some limitations, such as the inability to reply to notifications and the lack of games, these are minor compared to the benefits it provides. Additionally, the two versions of the watch (Chinese and global) have some differences in price, OS, and availability. However, for those seeking a smartwatch with a large display and a metal crown, the Redmi Watch 4 review shows it is one of the best options available on the market. Its listed price is around $100, but on AliExpress, it is often available with store coupons for only $75. You can simply collect the coupon below the listed price on the product’s page.
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