The Mi Watch Lite may look like the Redmi Watch which was announced a few weeks before it but both wearables are different. Apart from their names and of course, the regions where they are sold, they also have different features. This post highlights the differences and should also help you decide which of the two you should purchase.
The table below shows a spec by spec comparison of the two watches.
| Redmi Watch (REDMIWT01) | Mi Watch Lite (REDMIWT02) | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 1.4-inch with 2.5D glass 320 x 320 resolution 323 PPI | 1.4-inch with 2.5D glass 320 x 320 resolution 323 PPI |
| Watch Faces | Over 120 watch faces | Over 120 watch faces |
| Sports Modes | 7 sports modes (Outdoor running, Treadmill, Outdoor cycling, Indoor cycling, Walking, Swimming, and Freestyle) | 11 sports modes (Outdoor running, Treadmill, Outdoor cycling, Indoor cycling, Freestyle, Walking, Trekking, Trail run, Pool swimming, Open water swimming, Cricket) |
| Hear rate monitoring and sleep monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | No | Yes (GPS+GLONASS) |
| NFC | Yes | No |
| AI Assistant | Yes (XiaoAI) | No |
| Microphone | Yes | No |
| Waterproof Rating | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 BLE | Bluetooth 5.0 BLE |
| Sensors | Heart rate sensor Geomagnetic sensor (electronic compass) Six-axis motion sensor (3-axis accelerometer + 3-axis gyroscope) Ambient light sensor | Heart rate sensor Geomagnetic sensor (electronic compass) Six-axis motion sensor (3-axis accelerometer + 3-axis gyroscope) Ambient light sensor Barometer |
| Battery Capacity and Battery Life | 230mAh Typical usage - 7 days | 230mAh Typical usage - 9 days |
| Price | CNY 299 (~$45) | $59.99 |
| Colors | Watch: Elegant Black, Ivory, Ink Blue Straps: Elegant Black, Ivory, Ink Blue, Cherry Blossom, and Pine Needle Green | Ivory, Black, Navy Blue Straps: Ivory, Black, Navy Blue, Pink, and Olive |
The key differences between the two watches are sports modes, GPS, AI Assistant, NFC, battery life, and price.
Sports Modes
This is a key difference between both watches. The Redmi Watch supports just 7 sports modes whereas the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite supports all seven of the Redmi Watch’s sports modes and adds four more – open water swimming, trekking, trail running, and cricket. Xiaomi did say that cricket mode will be added through an OTA upgrade, so out of the box, the Mi Watch Lite supports just 10 sports modes.
GPS
This is another major difference between the two watches. The Redmi Watch doesn’t have built-in GPS which means if you go for an outdoor run or cycle, you have to connect it to your phone to use GPS. The Mi Watch Lite, on the other hand, has GPS+GLONASS for positioning, so you don’t have to connect it to your phone to track your trajectory.
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AI Assistant and NFC
The Redmi Watch has both an AI Assistant and NFC. The assistant is Xiaomi’s XiaoAI and with the built-in microphone, users can ask it questions, set alarms, and use it to control compatible smart home appliances. It also has NFC for payments.
The Mi Watch Lite doesn’t have a built-in assistant which is why there is no microphone. It also does not have NFC, so there is no support for contactless payment.
Battery Life
Both watches have the same 230mAh battery capacity but the Redmi Watch has a lesser battery life – 7 days compared to the Mi Watch Lite whose battery life goes up to 9 days on a single charge.
Price
The Redmi Watch is officially sold for ¥299 (~$45) but third-party resellers sell it for a bit more. While Xiaomi is yet to reveal the price tag of the Mi Watch Lite, it is already on sale by retailers and can be gotten for even $58.90 on Giztop.
Conclusion
The Mi Watch Lite definitely has more to offer, at least for international buyers who won’t find a use for the Redmi Watch’s XiaoAI assistant and NFC payment support. The Mi Watch Lite has more sports modes, GPS, a slightly better battery life, and supports more languages but all of these come with a more expensive price tag. Nevertheless, it is the logical choice for any international buyer.
On a side note, we believe the Mi Watch Lite may launch in China as a sort of Redmi Watch Pro that has GPS and more sports modes. The reason is the model number which shows it is clearly a Redmi product that has been rebadged as a Mi product for international markets, so a local release is definitely possible. However, it should come with certain additional features such as NFC and the XiaoAI assistant, and a higher price tag than the standard model.
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