The Xiaomi watch S3 is an affordable smartwatch with a highly customizable look that includes replaceable bezels. It can track your health, fitness and sleep, send phone notifications to your wrist and last several days between charges. The wrong side? It runs Xiaomi’s software, which seems a bit basic, and you can forget about third-party apps.
I’ve been using the Xiaomi Watch S3 for almost a month, and I’m impressed with its tracking capabilities, considering its relatively low price, and the interchangeable bezels are a nice touch. But I’m also okay with saying goodbye to him. The Watch S3 has too many limitations for me, but it’s important to remember that this device costs less than half the price of the most affordable option in our lineup. best smart watches guide.
Before we get into it, it’s worth noting that there is a global version of the Xiaomi Watch S3, but it’s not sold in the US, there’s no official support in the US -United States and some features (like NFC for payments) vary by region.
Chameleon Smart Watch
Photography: Simon Hill
For those who like to match their watch to their outfit, the Xiaomi Watch S3 has a unique trick up its sleeve in the form of interchangeable bezels. Changing the strap on a watch can be impactful, but being able to change both the strap and the bezel almost makes it feel like a completely different device.
The Watch S3 has a fairly bulky 47mm aluminum case with angled lugs and two buttons on the right. A stainless steel bezel sits above the screen and you can rotate it to remove it and replace it with another bezel. It’s easy once you get the hang of it, and there’s a little marker inside to help you line up. The frames fit together securely and I was never worried about them coming loose.
Attach a new bezel and the Watch S3 suggests a matching watch face. This is an interesting tip. There are over 100 watch faces in every style imaginable, and you can even create your own. Changing the strap is also simple, so you can quickly change your look. My favorite among the straps and glasses sent by Xiaomi was the stylish green and black combo. You get a black or silver bezel with a matching fluoro rubber strap with the Watch S3, and alternatives must be purchased separately.
The 1.43 inch AMOLED The screen has a layer of protective Corning glass. The screen is spacious and sharp, but the relatively low peak brightness of 600 nits (a measure of luminance) meant it was sometimes difficult to read in bright sunlight. The Watch S3 is also rated 5ATM for water resistance, meaning you can swim with it.
Photography: Simon Hill
Simplified for endurance
The Xiaomi Watch S3 focuses on the essentials with call and notification alerts from your phone; health, fitness and sleep tracking; and a handful of utilities like a voice recorder, camera shutter control, and a compass. It runs HyperOS, so there are no third-party apps like you’ll find on a Google Wear OS smartwatch.
Navigation in the Watch S3 is smooth and lag-free. HyperOS isn’t the most attractive software and lacks a cohesive design, with a mix of dull and garish icons. But it generally worked well, aside from a few missed notifications from my phone. It connects via Bluetooth 5.2 and you can use it with any phone running Android 8 or iOS 12 or later. I tested with the Xiaomi 14 Ultra.
