Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite is a small price smartwatch with heart rate monitoring. So, we compare it with the Apple Watch Series 3, a four-time more expensive smartwatch. Let’s see if the Xiaomi good price for value applies here.
Mi Watch Lite vs. Apple Watch: compatible smartphones
Let’s begin this review with the basics. Which smartphone do you need to use those smartwatches? When it comes to the Mi Watch Lite, you can use both iOS or Android smartphones. You will be invited to download Xiaomi Wear Lite for iOS and Xiaomi Wear for Android. But, this isn’t the case with the Apple Watch. Unlike Xiaomi, an iOS device is mandatory to use the Apple Watch. However, the pairing process is even easier as the Apple Watch will automatically detect your iPhone.
Specifications
At first view, the Mi Watch Lite is good-looking. In the box, we find the USB charger. But this one isn’t magnetic. The watch has to be pushed on the charger. This is less practical than a magnetic charger. Afterward, the Xiaomi watch is the lighter one with 33 grams. It’s really light so you can forget it. To interact with the Xiaomi watch, you have the touchscreen and one button on the side.
On the other hand, we have the Apple Watch Series 3. In the box, you find an additional band for a bigger wrist. Also, you have a magnetic charger. This one is straightforward to use. The Apple Watch is markedly heavier than the Xiaomi watch with 52 grams. But the interaction is better with the digital crown. Indeed, Xiaomi only has a simple button. Of course, the Apple Watch screen is also tactile. Finally, this watch comes with a speaker and mic. This isn’t the case on Xiaomi’s side.
To conclude the specifications chapter, let’s speak about the watches screens. The Mi Watch Lite only exists in one screen size: this one measures 1.4″ with a resolution of 320*320 pixels.
The Apple Watch Series 3 screen exists in two sizes. We use the smaller screen for the comparative review because the price is lower. Indeed, if we want to compare with the Mi Watch Lite, we need the less expensive Apple Watch (but still a lot higher than the Mi Watch lite). So the screen size of the Apple Watch from this review measure 1.3″ with a resolution of 272*340 pixels.
Both screens from the Mi and Apple watches are similar in terms of visual comfort. But the OLED screen of the Apple Watch looks better than the LCD screen of the Mi watch when it comes to the angle views.
Mi Watch Lite vs. Apple Watch: bands
Another key point about those watches: the bands. On Xiaomi’s side, the band is classic. But Apple innovates with a different band design. You can customize both watches. On Xiaomi’s side, you need to push a button and pull out the band. Then you could change the band by one of the five available straps. Moreover, you can choose 3 different body color for the Xiaomi watch. The one from this review is black but it also exist the Ivory and Navy blue cases.
Similarly, on the Apple Watch, you can also change the band by pushing a button. Then you have to slide it on the side. More choices are available compare to the Mi Watch.
Watch faces
On both watches, you can edit the face. If you stay pushed on the Mi Watch screen, you will have some choices directly on the watch. You even have a customizable watch face where you can edit the displayed pieces of information. On this custom face, you can edit 4 spaces with thoses contents:
- Battery
- Heart rate
- Calories
- Sleep
- Steps
- Music
- Workout
- Weather
On the Xiaomi Wear Application you will find a lot more watch faces.
But Apple watch faces choices mix simple and complex ones. Indeed, you have a watch face on Apple Watch, making it evolves regarding where the sun is, for instance, with the solar watch face. Or you also have the Siri watch face with adapting to the situation tiles, like next meeting. So the watch face evolves in function of different triggers. As shown on Mi Watch Lite, the Apple Watch can also edit the screen with selected information pieces. And with more content than the Mi watch. For example, you can display your schedule. To finish, on the iPhone app, you will find a vast choice of watch faces, like on the Mi watch. For all the positive reasons evoked above, watch faces is a big win for the Apple Watch.
Applications
On the Mi Watch Lite, you’ll find essential apps:
- Workout
- Activity
- Stats
- Heart rate
- Sleep
- Breathing
- Compass
- Air pressure and altitude
- Music
- Alarm
- Stopwatch
- Timer
- Weather
- Notifications
- Find phone
- Light
In contrast, the Apple Watch proposition is more like a mini smartphone. You have a calendar, maps and you can even add new applications. In the same way as the watch faces, applications are a big win for the Apple Watch.
Strava usage
Strava is a viral sport social network. With the Apple Watch, you can directly download the Strava app on your wrist. So you can directly run your activity from the watch and sync it automatically on the Strava network.
But for the Mi Watch, it’s more complicated but possible. There are two steps:
Time needed: 10 minutes
How to sync Mi Watch Lite workouts with Strava?
- Connecting Xiaomi Wear Lite and the Apple Health App
All you need to do is connecting the Xiaomi Wear Lite app and the Apple Health App. You will find this possibility in the parameter of the Xiaomi Wear Lite app. Once done, your workout from the Mi Watch Lite will be sync on the Apple Health App.
- Connecting Strava and the Apple Health App
Since your workouts from the Mi Watch Lite are now in the Apple Health App, it’s time to connect Strava with Apple Health. For that, Apple made a tutorial.
However, syncing your Mi Watch Lite workouts with Strava isn’t possible if you use the watch with an Android phone. Indeed, Xiaomi Wear (Android version) doesn’t allow you to sync your Mi Watch Lite workouts data with Apple Health.
Notifications
On the Apple Watch, you can interact with your notifications to reply to a message, for example. Whereas on the Mi Watch Lite, notifications are read-only.
Subsequently, when you receive a call on the Mi, you can only reject it. While on the Apple side, you can respond because of the mic and speaker.
Mi Watch Lite vs. Apple Watch: heart rate monitoring
To review the 24h heart rate monitoring on Mi and Apple watches, we use the WHOOP strap as a gold standard. Indeed, the WHOOP strap outworks the competition. Even if Mi, Apple, and WHOOP use photoplethysmography technology (monitoring Heart Rate by shining green light through the top layer of your skin), WHOOP has developed many proprietary techniques, hardware enhancements. So it will be the best standard to determine which smartwatch between the one from Mi or Apple is the best to monitor your heart rate.
In the above picture, we compare the Mi Watch Lite (left) and Apple Watch (right) heart rate monitoring with WHOOP (bottom). Compared to Apple Watch, we see more precision on the Mi Watch Lite side. To obtain this result with the Xiaomi watch, you need to set the heart rate monitoring at 1 min. So you will have this well-detailed heart rate curve. Apple doesn’t allow you to choose the frequency rate at which the watch records your heart rate. Consequently, as the Apple Watch choose when the watch records your heart rate, you can have no record for 9 min. It results in this no detailed curve. With the WHOOP record at the bottom, we understand better why to use it as a gold standard. This is the most reliable 24h heart rate monitoring.
Sleep monitoring
Another time, we can see on the above picture that Mi Watch Lite (left) is the more accurate in front of Apple (right) with Whoop (bottom) as the gold standard reference. Indeed, WHOOP provides in-depth sleep monitoring. It tracks all 4 sleep stages with precise accuracy:
- Slow-wave sleep (SWS)
- REM
- Light
- Awake
The Mi Watch Lite detect this phase of your sleep:
- Deep
- Light
- Awake
Apple sleep tracking only deect:
- Time in bed
- Time asleep
Running
This time, we test the quality recording of both watches for running. And the gold standard reference will be the Garmin heart rate monitor. Indeed, chest straps measure the heart rate directly by recording the electrical signal of the heart. In comparison, photoplethysmography technology (used on Mi and Apple watches) indirectly reads the heart rate signal by interpreting the blood’s flux with a very noisy signal.
GPS tracking
Firstly, we test the quality of the GPS signal by analyzing the tracing.
In the above picture, we can see that the Mi Watch Lite’s tracing is more precise than the Apple Watch. Indeed, the Mi tracing is more representing the reality of the course. This accuracy difference can exist because the Xiaomi watch uses GPS and GLONASS constellations of satellites, while the Apple Watch Series 3 only uses the GPS one.
Heart rate monitoring
Let’s say it right away, neither Xiaomi nor Apple have exploitable heart rate data for professional athletes. But for amateur usage, Mi data seems more interesting, as shown in the below picture.
Indeed, we observe a less precise heart rate signal from the Apple Watch compare to the Mi watch. But the only exploitable signal for professional athletes comes from the Garmin gold standard. The signal provides by the Garmin heart rate monitor is the most precise one. So there is no ambiguity when it comes to making a HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training).
Mi Watch Lite vs. Apple Watch: Swimming
When it comes to swimming, Apple Watch data seems more reliable and interesting in term of performance learning, as seen in the below picture:
Indeed, the stroke rate seems more reliable on the Apple Watch. And the Auto Sets from the Apple analysis give useful details by taking into account the rest between each set. So you have a better understanding of your swimming performance.
Mi Watch Lite vs. Apple Watch: Battery
For this review, heart rate monitoring of the Mi Watch Lite was setting to every 1 minute. In this condition, the Mi watch lasts 5 days. But by default, the heart rate monitoring is set to every 30 minutes. In this configuration, the Mi Watch Lite is up to 9 days of battery life. If the battery life is a big win for the Xiaomi watch, it is a big issue for the Apple Watch. Indeed, it is not practical with 1 day and 6 hours of battery life if you want to monitor your night. Or if you don’t like to recharge your watch often.
Battery life in active usage
The battery life of the watch drop when you train with them. For the Mi watch, we test the battery in active use with:
- 2h46min of running
- 41min of swimming
- 38min of bicycle
In this condition and still with the heart rate monitoring set to 1 minute, the Xiaomi watch last 4 days and 15h.
For the Apple Watch, we test the battery in active use with:
- 2h46min of running
- 41min of swimming
As bicycle time was later in the week, it wasn’t in the same battery cycle. In this condition, the Apple Watch Series 3 lasts only 1 day and 2 hours.
Mi Watch Lite
To conclude, the Mi Watch Lite is realy basic when it comes to the watch faces and applications. But the Xiaomi watch outperform the Apple Watch concerning fitness. Finally, the battery life is a big win for this watch with up to 9 days of battery life.
Apple Watch Series 3
Concerning the Apple Watch, it outperform the Mi watch with his watch faces and applications. The Apple Watch is like a mini smartphone where you will find your schedule or even respond to a call. But when it comes to the fitness data, the Apple Watch lack in term of precision like a poor GPS tracing and low heart rate monitoring frequency. At last, the battery last only 1 day.
Where to find those watches?
Once you know what criteria are essential for you, so you know which one to buy. For good fitness and battery life, choose the Xiaomi watch. And for good watch faces and applications, choose the Apple Watch Series 3.
Mi Watch Lite
The Mi Watch Lite can be found here on Banggood.
Apple Watch Series 3
The Apple Watch Series 3 can be found here on Amazon:
