Xiaomi Watch S3 review

18 March 2024
Xiaomi's first HyperOS smartwatch offers unparalleled customizability, sleek looks and a rich set of features.

Sort by:

  • P
  • Peter
  • 6v0
  • 08 Apr 2024

Kuba, 25 Mar 2024Everything I ever owned from xiaomi was broken after 6-12 m... moreMy mileage is mixed. Poco F3 - died after 3 months (battery wouldn't charge). Got a Mi 10T Pro as a replacement and this one is still working fine after 2 years. Mi Band 6 worked very well for over a year. I changed to Mi Band 7 Pro which worked fine for almost 2 years but recently the touchscreen became mostly unresponsive. It's still on warranty, so I'm going to get it replaced, probably, and keep it as a spare. Might get the S3 as sort of an upgrade - mostly after the looks and the better screen. Apps for me are secondary, it's a glorified fitness tracker for me.

    Marco M, 03 Apr 2024I might give it a go. As the Lige branded version from AliE... moreSteel, I have a LOT of blah blah in my review of the T8 here:
    https://eskerahn.dk/?p=4941

    It is 304, and this means very low Nickel content, less than e.g. 316.

      EskeRahn, 03 Apr 2024(I tried to install the app, and it is a QWatch Pro fork, w... moreI might give it a go. As the Lige branded version from AliExpress. Seems like the cheapest version. With the fabric band my nickel allergy shouldn't be too affected. Do you know if the case itself is aluminium or steel? I may have to patch it a little if steel.

        EskeRahn, 02 Apr 2024I would not be at all surprised if the Henry London thing l... more(I tried to install the app, and it is a QWatch Pro fork, with different colour schemes, and it controls a T8 just fine, so yeah it is the same...)

          Marco M, 02 Apr 2024I have also been looking at a unfamiliar brand (for my sake... moreI would not be at all surprised if the Henry London thing linked is a T8 rebranded and with branded firmware.

          Their app, is pretty clearly a fork of "QWatch Pro" used for the T8
          https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.qcwatch.henry

          In the screendump in the app description the watch is labelled as T8_xxxx with xxxx the first four digits, just like for the plain T8

            EskeRahn, 02 Apr 2024Unfortunately very few thin ones exists, that are NOT "... moreI have also been looking at a unfamiliar brand (for my sake) smartwatch recently. It's slimness caught my eye. The HLS65-series of Henry London. ø43mm watch at 8mm thickness. https://henry-london.com/collections/smart

            Only mineral glass, but at that price range for a smart watch, I'm not complaining. I mainly use the alarm of my Xiaomi Smart Band 7 and timer functions. Don't need that much more, though NFC payment would've been nice if first going the smartwatch route. I have a NFC card "embedded" in the strap of my smart band, so could just transfer it to the watch.

              Marco M, 26 Mar 2024Yes, because it is trendy. Regardless of what watch sellers... moreUnfortunately very few thin ones exists, that are NOT "two watches thick"

              And none from the top brands AT ALL!

              That is why my personal favourite is one from a completely unknown manufacturer named "Sovogue". It is a 7mm ø43mm one.

              I tried to make a post on the oversized watches here, with a list of the few watches I know of less than 45-46 in length: https://eskerahn.dk/?p=6040

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • spX
                • 30 Mar 2024

                if this is premium build then whats garmin sapphire solar? extra premium build?

                  • F
                  • Fan
                  • T4m
                  • 26 Mar 2024

                  Watch S1 have wireless charging. What backward compatibility you talk about?

                    • M
                    • ME
                    • ncr
                    • 26 Mar 2024

                    Cheap tasteless watch, no thank you.

                      EskeRahn, 25 Mar 2024Well I'm all for watches not being sex-oriented. Bu... moreYes, because it is trendy. Regardless of what watch sellers or manufacturers recommend :-)


                      On this list of six men's watches that look great on women, only one actually fits fairly okay.

                      https://timeandtidewatches.com/list-six-mens-watches-that-look-incredible-on-women-and-why/

                      Then there's this type of very large women's watches trending:
                      https://funkytradition.com/products/fashion-large-dial-watches-woman-students-wristwatch-damen-simple-leisure-belt-retro-lovers-quartz-watch-funkytradition

                      https://img.fruugo.com/product/8/34/302724348_max.jpg

                      https://www.nancyalvarezcollection.com/products/reloj-para-mujeres-white-rhinestone-ladies-dress-watch-leather-bracelet-quartz-womens-wristwatch-fashion-causual-montre-femme

                      Obviosyly trends come and go and soon maybe the tiny watches will be trendy again. Then normal, then large. Problably also some very thin and very thick also going around.

                        • S
                        • Smartwatchguy
                        • Yd6
                        • 25 Mar 2024

                        Given the state of wearOs and what Google did to those keeping the platform on life support, expect more of this. Those new to wearables think health and fitness are the smart features so we have a long road ahead of us before the smartwatch market matures and evolves.

                        Most users are better suited with fitness bands that show notifications, stream music and maybe answer calls, just my opinion. (I don't mean the Pixel 2 which is sometimes in the list of fitness bands).

                          • D
                          • Dmx
                          • 33f
                          • 25 Mar 2024

                          Running the watch S3 Silver for 1 week now. Had the first Xiaomi Watch Sport for 2.5 years and tested the 2nd gen S1 Active as well.
                          My take: UI is polished enough compared to others, including minor tweaks. More features, better configurable watch faces. More sports features. The added thickness is noticeable but not an issue on small wrists (mine included).
                          While the band is of higher quality than 3rd party ones on Ali, I don't think it suits the watch. Changed it to a black one for now.

                          Got my second update yesterday (with no specific changelog), after the one out of the box.
                          I enabled Advanced Sleep tracking and set HMR on Smart Monitoring. Battery life is probably 1 week- to reach 10%. Didn't get to test Sports GPS tracking until now. Will probably disable Advanced Sleep as it's not smth I would necessarily use.

                          If it lasts 2+ years like the first gen did, until I passed it to someone in the family it's awesome. Got in Europe for 120 euros so you should look for a 120-130 price to be right. Some retailers have way to higher prices for this watch- almost matching the Watch 2 with WearOS which some priced even higher than discounted prices for the Watch 2 Pro... which again is no right. I guess in the 100-200 euros bracket they can price it anywhere.

                            Marco M, 25 Mar 2024Many men do. I'm just not one of them either :o) Be... moreWell I'm all for watches not being sex-oriented.

                            But ask any watchmaker what a suitable watch case size are for a particular arm, and you would not see anyone recommending a case of a length the size of the wrist width.
                            The ends of the watch case shall be ON the arm, not hoovering over it (or even worse beyond it)...

                            https://www.ohalloranjewelers.com/uploads/3/1/8/5/31852741/over-sized-watches_orig.jpg

                            And as far as I know people's arms aren't growing wider at the speed the smartwatches get more and more oversized...

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • JHk
                              • 25 Mar 2024

                              Anonymous, 25 Mar 2024This design emphasises the 'bezels'. Trying to t... moreWow, I rarely read such bad takes. The design emphazises the look of a true watch, therefore it has such bezels. It's intentional and not a bad thing.

                                600nits brightness is not enough for outdoor use. AMOLED screens on smartwatches are the best proof that with the power of advertising they can sell refrigerators to Eskimos.

                                  EskeRahn, 25 Mar 2024I wonder how many that has an arm fat erhm huge enough for ... moreMany men do. I'm just not one of them either :o)

                                  Besides, we've lived in a time for quite a while where even women get the bigger "mens" watch instead if the smaller one designed for women. So much so that many womens watches are now the same size as mens watches. Speaking of non-smart watches here, btw.

                                  So it seems it has become normalized to wear an "over sized" watch. Or rather, it isn't considered as over sized anymore. Neither in smart watches nor with non-smart watches.

                                    I wonder how many that has an arm fat erhm huge enough for this not looking ridiculous on the arm? The one in the review certainly hasn't.....

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • 0cB
                                      • 25 Mar 2024

                                      Kuba, 25 Mar 2024Everything I ever owned from xiaomi was broken after 6-12 m... moreNot the same for my Mi Band 6. Used many months and gave to my sister. She is using it now. Still works fine. Bought Galaxy Watch 6 Classic. Cool smartwatch. The only downside is short battery life.

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • 2xE
                                        • 25 Mar 2024

                                        This design emphasises the 'bezels'. Trying to take a positive spin on a negative of the watch; HUGE bezels! There are many choices out there and mega-bezels is not on the list.

                                          1 of 2