Xiaomi Watch S1 Active Review vs Watch S1 & Mi Watch — What’s different with the sports focussed watch?
The Xiaomi Watch S1 was announced back in December with Xiaomi 12 series. It is now receiving a global launch and a new fitness-focused Xiaomi Watch S1 Active launches alongside it.
The Xiaomi Watch S1 is designed to be a more premium solution compared to previous Xiaomi watches, it uses a steel chassis and sapphire glass. The S1 Active is a lighter, more sporty design.
Xiaomi Watch S1 Active vs Watch S1 vs Mi Watch Specification
I have not used the Xiaomi Mi Watch, but the Xiaomi Watch S1 is basically a larger version of it using premium materials, including a steel frame sapphire glass.
Xiaomi Watch S1 Design Comparison
The main difference between the two watches is the overall design and build. Functionally they are identical, the none active model has the same number of fitness modes, and they both have Multi-system Dual-band GPS. Similarly, the Active model has all the same smartwatch features, including Bluetooth calls, voice assistant and NFC payment (region dependant).
Visually they are very different, with the Active model being a sporty all-white design with a metal bezel and TPU strap. The Watch S1 has sapphire glass going edge to edge, then a black metal frame and black leather strap.
The normal Xiaomi Watch S1 weighs in at 52g in comparison to the 36.3g of the S1 Active. This is because it uses sapphire glass and a stainless steel case with a leather strap.
One potentially big difference is the way the watches charge. The S1 Active uses a proprietary charger with two small magnetic contact points. The premium S1 also connects magnetically to its charger, but it uses QI wireless and will happily take a charge on any pad style wireless charger.
