Full specifications, features and battery life for the Xiaomi Watch 5, the brand’s 47mm Wear OS flagship with dual-frequency GPS, offline maps and EMG gesture control.
| Manufacturer | Xiaomi |
| Type | Wear OS smartwatch with GPS |
| Series | Xiaomi Watch |
| Predecessor | None specific. Sits above the Watch S5 in Xiaomi’s range. |
| Successor | None yet |
| Dimensions | 47 x 47 x 12.3mm |
| Weight | 56g, excluding strap |
Specifications and features as at launch.
Xiaomi Watch 5
A Wear OS watch with dual-frequency GPS, offline maps and Google apps, for Android phones only.
Expert opinion | Specifications | Battery life | Features | Further reading
Expert opinion
Xiaomi Watch 5 is a smartwatch first and a sports watch second, and it only works with Android phones. It puts Google Maps, Google Wallet, Google Play apps and Gemini on the wrist, and its offline maps can guide you along a route and lead you back to the start without a phone signal. The EMG sensor reads finger movements, so a double pinch can start or stop a timer or end a call when your hands are busy. For training it records more than 150 sports with dual-frequency GPS, the kind that holds its accuracy in cities and under trees, and a barometer tracks your climbing. What it lacks is depth: Xiaomi publishes nothing on training load, recovery or running form, and there is no ANT+ for chest straps or power meters. An entry Garmin such as the Forerunner 165 coaches you far better. Battery is a claimed 6 days, long for Wear OS, but Xiaomi gives no figure for a long GPS session. It suits an Android user who wants one premium watch for daily life, navigation and casual training.
Specifications
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Type | AMOLED |
| Size | 1.54in |
| Resolution | 480 x 480px, 312 PPI |
| Brightness | Up to 1,500 nits (HBM, full screen) |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz |
| Bezel | 2.6mm |
| Physical | |
| Size | 47mm |
| Dimensions | 47 x 47 x 12.3mm |
| Weight | 56g, excluding strap |
| Case material | 316L stainless steel case, sapphire glass on the display and the heart rate sensor cover |
| Strap | Fluororubber, fits wrists of 135 to 205mm |
| Colours | Black, Juniper Green |
| Water resistance | 5 ATM / 50m. Pool and near-shore swimming; not for hot showers, saunas or diving. |
| Sensors and positioning | |
| GNSS | Dual-frequency (L1 + L5), multi-constellation: GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS |
| Optical heart rate | PPG sensor, 4 LEDs and 4 photodiodes |
| Other sensors | EMG, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light, electronic compass, barometer |
| © the5krunner. Link required. | |
| Connectivity and battery | |
| Operating system | Wear OS by Google |
| Phone compatibility | Android 8.0 and above only. iPhone is not supported. |
| Processors | Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 (4nm) plus BES2800 low-power chip (6nm) |
| Memory | 2GB RAM, 32GB storage |
| Wireless | 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth/BLE 5.4, NFC (availability varies by region). No ANT+ listed. |
| Calls | Bluetooth calls via built-in speaker and microphone, phone must stay connected. Third-party app calls not supported. |
| Battery | 930mAh |
| Battery, smart mode | Up to 6 days claimed |
| Battery, always-on display | Up to 4 days claimed |
| Battery, power-saving mode | Up to 18 days claimed |
| Charging | Magnetic charging dock, approximately 90 minutes for a full charge |
Battery life
Xiaomi claims up to 6 days in smart mode, 4 days with the always-on display, and 18 days in power-saving mode from the 930mAh battery, which Xiaomi says is the largest in any of its smartwatches. The smart-mode test assumes three hours of GPS-recorded exercise a week alongside all-day heart rate, blood oxygen, stress and sleep tracking, so a runner training five or six hours a week should expect to charge more often than every six days. Xiaomi does not publish a continuous GPS figure. A full charge takes about 90 minutes on the magnetic dock, which makes a quick top-up before a long session practical.
Features
Full feature detail is covered on the Xiaomi specifications index.
Sport and training
- More than 150 sport modes track running, cycling, hiking and more, with live heart rate and calorie burn.
- Dual-frequency L1 + L5 positioning across five satellite systems, which Xiaomi says improves resistance to signal interference.
- A snap of the fingers can be set to start a chosen workout without touching the screen.
- Pool and open-water swimmers can wear it in the water, with a 5 ATM rating.
Navigation
- Full-colour vector offline maps, downloaded through the Mi Fitness app, show where you are without a phone signal.
- Route navigation, track-back to your start point, and off-route alerts help on unfamiliar trails.
- Google Maps on the wrist gives turn-by-turn directions and public transport information when connected.
Health and recovery
- All-day heart rate tracking with high and low heart rate alerts runs by default.
- All-day blood oxygen and stress tracking can be switched on, along with high-precision sleep tracking that includes REM.
- A one-tap health check gives a quick snapshot on the watch, with detailed reports in the Mi Fitness app.
- Mi Fitness data can be shared with other apps through Health Connect.
Smart features
- Gemini answers spoken questions and completes tasks across apps from the wrist.
- Google Wallet handles contactless payments, transit and boarding passes.
- Google Play lets you install apps and watch faces directly on the watch.
- EMG gesture control lets you pinch twice to end a call, snooze an alarm, take a remote photo, or start and stop a timer.
- Custom gestures, such as shaking or rotating the wrist twice, can open a chosen app.
- With a Xiaomi HyperOS 3 phone, the watch works as a remote camera viewfinder and controls Xiaomi smart home devices.
Compatibility
- Works with Android 8.0 and above only; iPhone is not supported.
- Some features, including remote camera and Xiaomi Smart Hub, need a Xiaomi phone running HyperOS 3.
Further reading
- Xiaomi specifications index
- Xiaomi Watch S5 specifications
- Xiaomi Watch S4 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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