Xiaomi’s new smartwatch is exceptionally cheap and very stylish
Debuted along with the Xiaomi Watch S4 “15th Anniversary Edition” in May, the company’s first-ever chipset developed in-house, Xring T1, is also packed inside the newly announced Watch S4 41mm, a more compact version of the original.
Launching its first chipset was a big deal for Xiaomi, especially in a market that faces numerous challenges like material shortages, increased demand for AI computing power, as well as trade restrictions.
Design-wise, the Watch S4 41mm is one of the most stylish compact smartwatches launched by Xiaomi. It’s smaller than the original Watch S4, yet it has the same premium feel despite its very low price.
The Watch S4 41mm uses Xiaomi’s Xring T1 chip | Images credits: Xiaomi
Overall, the look of the Watch S4 41mm is reminiscent of Skagen’s smartwatches, which are known for their minimalist design. What I found really interesting is that despite the fact that it’s made of stainless steel, the Watch S4 41mm weighs just 32g. In comparison, the 40mm Galaxy Watch 6 model, which is made of titanium and plastic, weighs around 28g.The smartwatch comes in four colors: black, quicksand gold, mint green, and white. The gold model specifically features a Milanese strap and a crown set with six-point cultured diamonds, which gives the smartwatch an impossibly stylish look.
Moving on to the actual specs, Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm sports a smaller 1.32-inch AMOLED display with 60 Hz refresh rate and 466 x 466 pixels resolution. According to Xiaomi, its Xring T1 chip is 35 percent more efficient than the chipset powering the original Watch S4.
As per the company’s statement, the newly announced Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm will be able to provide up to 8 days of battery life with network connectivity enabled. In comparison, the original Watch S4 only offers about 6 days of battery life.
On the downside, users will only get about 3 days of battery life with always-on display. For those who want even more juice from their smartwatch, the Watch S4 can last up to 15 days when connected to a phone (raise-to-wake enabled).
Price and availability
As far as the price goes, the Watch S4 41mm is incredibly cheap. Unfortunately, it’s only available in China at the moment, but it’s just a matter of time before Xiaomi brings it to international markets like it did with the original model.
Depending on the strap, Xiaomi Watch S4 41m might cost less than $150 or slightly more than $200. Anyway, here are the prices only valid for China:
- Fluororubber strap: 999 yuan ($140)
- Leather strap: 1,199 yuan ($165)
- Milanese strap: 1,499 yuan ($205)
Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm might not be on the same level as Samsung’s Galaxy Watch series performance-wise, but considering its price, it’s an excellent alternative regardless of whether or not you can afford something much more expensive.
