Full specifications, features and battery life for the REDMI Watch 6, Xiaomi’s mainstream budget GPS smartwatch and the successor to REDMI Watch 5.
| Manufacturer | Xiaomi |
| Type | GPS smartwatch |
| Series | REDMI Watch |
| Predecessor | REDMI Watch 5 |
| Successor | None yet |
| Dimensions | 46.45 x 40.03 x 9.94mm |
| Weight | 31g approx., excluding strap |
Specifications and features as at launch.
REDMI Watch 6
A big-screen watch with its own GPS that goes up to 24 days between charges.
Expert opinion | Specifications | Battery life | Features | Further reading
Expert opinion
REDMI Watch 6 gives you a big AMOLED screen, built-in GPS and weeks between charges for a budget price. It records more than 150 sports, tracks heart rate in the pool, takes Bluetooth calls and has a second button for quick access and emergency SOS. Two GPS antennas pick whichever has the stronger signal for the wrist you wear it on, which should help on tree-lined and urban runs, though it is not a dual-frequency watch. There is no barometer, no ANT+ and no external sensor support, so cyclists with a power meter or chest strap get little here, and training data stays in Mi Fitness, which offers far less analysis than a Garmin Forerunner 165. Over REDMI Watch 5 it is slimmer, brighter and has more storage. Battery is a claimed 24 days in light use and 7 to 12 days with GPS training and health tracking switched on. It suits newer runners, gym users and pool swimmers who want dependable basics and smart features for very little.
Specifications
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Type | AMOLED, always-on display option |
| Size | 2.07in, square |
| Resolution | 432 x 514px, 324 PPI |
| Brightness | 1,500 nits HBM, 2,000 nits peak |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz |
| Screen-to-body ratio | 82% |
| Physical | |
| Dimensions | 46.45 x 40.03 x 9.94mm |
| Weight | 31g approx., excluding strap |
| Case material | Aluminium alloy frame, stainless steel crown |
| Strap | TPU, quick-release, fits 135 to 205mm wrists |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM (GB/T 30106:2013) |
| Buttons | 2, rotating crown and secondary button, plus touchscreen |
| Colours | Obsidian Black, Silver Gray, Glacier Blue |
| Sensors and positioning | |
| GNSS | Single-frequency, multi-constellation (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS), dual L1 antennas |
| Optical heart rate | Heart rate sensor with blood oxygen sensor |
| Other sensors | Accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, electronic compass |
| © the5krunner. Link required. | |
| Connectivity and battery | |
| Wireless | Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Calls | Bluetooth calls via built-in speaker and one microphone, phone must be connected |
| Storage | 512MB available |
| Battery | 550mAh |
| Battery, light use | Up to 24 days claimed |
| Battery, normal use | Up to 12 days claimed |
| Battery, heavy use | Up to 7 days claimed |
| Charging | Magnetic charging cable |
| Compatibility | Android 8.0 and above, iOS 14.0 and above |
Battery life
Xiaomi claims up to 24 days in light use, 12 days in normal use and 7 days in heavy use with the always-on display enabled. The light-use figure assumes only 90 minutes of GNSS-recorded exercise a week, and the normal and heavy figures assume 180 minutes, alongside all-day health monitoring and notifications. Xiaomi does not publish a continuous GNSS figure. Someone running four or five times a week with GNSS on will record more than those test assumptions, so expect something closer to the 7 to 12 day range than the headline 24 days. That still means charging once a week or so, which is long for a watch with a screen this large.
Features
Full feature detail is covered on the Xiaomi specifications index.
Sport and training
- More than 150 sports modes record running, cycling, hiking and more, with real-time heart rate and calorie tracking.
- Independent GNSS lets you track outdoor runs without carrying your phone.
- Dual L1 antennas switch automatically to whichever has the stronger signal for the wrist you wear the watch on.
- Heart rate tracking now works while swimming, and 5 ATM water resistance covers pool and shallow open-water use.
- The screen orientation adapts to left or right wrist wear, which helps avoid accidental crown presses during workouts.
Health and recovery
- All-day heart rate monitoring with abnormal heart rate alerts shows how your body responds through the day and night.
- All-day sleep monitoring analyses sleep quality.
- All-day blood oxygen monitoring measures every 30 minutes and vibrates if levels are low.
- All-day stress monitoring measures every 10 minutes, and four guided breathing exercises help you settle afterwards.
- Women’s health tracking gives menstrual cycle reminders.
Safety
- A triple press of the secondary button calls an emergency contact once Emergency SOS is set up in Mi Fitness.
Smart features
- Bluetooth calling lets you answer calls from the wrist while the phone is connected.
- Local music plays through connected earphones, although music transfer needs an Android phone.
- A linear motor with more than 20 vibration patterns makes alerts and alarms easy to feel on the move.
- Remote camera control turns the watch into a shutter button for your phone.
- On Xiaomi phones and tablets running HyperOS, the watch can control Xiaomi smart home devices.
- Customisable watch faces include portrait faces on HyperOS phones.
Compatibility
- The watch pairs with Android 8.0 and above or iOS 14.0 and above through the Mi Fitness app.
Further reading
- Xiaomi specifications index
- REDMI Watch 5 specifications
- REDMI Watch 6 Lite specifications
- Xiaomi Watch 5 specifications
- Sports watch specifications
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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