Smartwatch with 9 days battery & GPS

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It took a long time, but smartwatches are now part of Xiaomi’s extensive portfolio. Released in China as the Redmi Watch smartwatch, the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite smartwatch is already available for around $60. Compared to its competition, the Mi Watch Lite brings one important advantage. But can Xiaomi do smartwatches at all?

Technical specifications of the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite

Product name	Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite
Display	1.4 inches; 320 x 320 pixels
Battery	230 mAh; ~9 days
Protection certification	ATM 5
Features	Pedometer, heart rate monitor, alarm clock, call and push notification, 11 sports modes, sleep tracking, GPS
Weight	35 g (with wristband)

Same design, same colors

Xiaomi basically sticks to the rectangular design of the very first Mi Watch, which was only released in China, for the Mi Watch Lite. At second glance, you will also notice that it looks exactly like the Redmi Watch. That was also only introduced in China. Finally, the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite is the global version of the Redmi Watch. The center of attention here is certainly the 1.4″ large display. The upper and lower screen edges in particular are thicker than on the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini, for example, but it remains pleasantly narrow on the right and left.

The display glass is slightly rounded on the sides. However, the display is also clearly framed in the plastic casing of the watch, and the transition is not as nicely solved as in the Amazfit. This is not the only reason why the watch looks a bit more angular in general, but also because of the function button, which provides a notch, and the missing transitions between the watch and the silicone strap. The silicone wristband is made of TPU and is replaceable in itself. However, Xiaomi uses its own clasp here, so you cannot fall back on the conventional 20 mm bands. The clasp is also quite stiff and the band lacks a thorn, so the rubber strap always protrudes a bit.

The Mi Watch Lite works just like the Redmi Watch with a function key on the right side. However, the majority of the operation is done via the touchscreen. The Mi Watch Lite is available in the same colors as the Redmi Watch: black, blue, green, gold and rosé. The watch cases are also darker in the darker colors, and they are gold-colored in gold and rosé. The watch thus tips the scales at 35 g with and 21 g without the strap, which makes it very comfortable to wear despite its edgier design. This also applies in the shower; the Mi Watch Lite is protected against water according to ATM 5 classification.

The bottom line is that I like the watch both visually and in terms of workmanship and it is appropriate for its price. However, not much more. Users who place more value on design will have to dig deeper into their pockets and look in the direction of the Amazfit GTS 2 Mini or Huawei Watch Fit.

TFT instead of AMOLED

As with smartphones, the screen is a decisive quality criterion for a smartwatch. Xiaomi opted for a 1.4″ TFT color touchscreen display with a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels for the budget watch. This adds up to a pixel density of 323 ppi, which is a strong value for a watch in this price range! Just for comparison: an Apple Watch offers 330 ppi pixel density, the more expensive Mi Watch 326 ppi, but both use an AMOLED panel. This simply offers a better contrast ratio, less power consumption and the option of an always-on display, which you have to do without on the Mi Watch Lite.

In return, it is quite bright with 350 nits. The brightness can be adjusted automatically or manually in six levels. In the test, half of the brightness is enough for good readability. Users who want to save battery power can even manage with level 1. There are again numerous watchfaces, over 120 to be exact, some of which are also customizable. However, only four are preinstalled. Unfortunately, the memory is also limited. Otherwise, there are no settings options except for the automatic lock.

The watchfaces are partly customizable, at least my modular watchface offers four complications. Almost all applications can be stored as shortcuts in the three lower modules, but only almost. I personally miss the watch functions like timer or stopwatch. Otherwise, however, applications like the sports modes or the music control can be used there. The central module offers fewer options.

Operation of the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite

Xiaomi turns the familiar smartwatch operation upside down. You start from the watch face as usual, but you swipe up to get to the quick settings, which are at the bottom. The notifications open with a swipe down, so they are at the top. On the horizontal axis, however, you get your favorites as usual, which you can also customize in the app. You have more options under the quick settings than in the GTS 2 Mini, for example, and you can also quickly access the settings. However, the favorites are not a real link to the application, but a kind of widget that does not offer all options. Under sleep tracking, for example, you can only find sleep duration, but not sleep-in and wake-up time.

The widgets unfortunately only offer a reduced display and no link to the actual application.

However, the menu is also unusual, as it consists entirely of icons and does without fonts. A total of 18 menu items are arranged in a square, but that is not intuitive without fonts. The first visits to the menu of the Mi Watch Lite take a while, you have to find your way around, especially since not all icons speak for themselves. There are three clock icons for alarm clock, stopwatch and timer, but they are all purple. Of course, this settles after a while, but I still would have liked to see a list as a display option.

Which watch is the countdown?

It is also noticeable that Xiaomi does not use any animations on the Mi Watch Lite. When you swipe to the left, the application simply opens and does not “swipe” along. This ensures speed, but it does not look very appealing. I think animations would have been good for the look, but Xiaomi opted for speed. Fair enough.

Range of functions of the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite

Unfortunately, the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite is not necessarily “smarter” than the Redmi Smartwatch and is more of a fitness watch like the Amazfit Bip S or Amazfit GTS, for example. It works with its own operating system and therefore does not offer the option to install apps later. Instead, there is the option of music control, watch functions like timer & alarm clock, notifications, breathing exercises, weather forecast, and thanks to the integrated heart rate monitor, gyroscope, and accelerometer, heart rate measurement and sleep tracking. In return, the watch is unfortunately not multitasking capable.

Sports tracking with GPS

Thus, Xiaomi also integrates four more sports modes here than in the Redmi smartwatch, which brings you to 11 “different” sports. These include running, cycling, trekking, swimming, but also cricket. The crucial difference to the Redmi Watch is the integrated GPS, A-GPS and GLONASS. I could at least try out the running mode several times and am satisfied with the tracking overall. The GPS works precisely and the fix came after about 10 seconds, on the route I can also not notice any major deviations, slight fluctuations like here are also found in the competition.

Compared with the Apple Watch SE, which is six times as expensive, there is a difference of 300 meters in distance, which I cannot quite explain due to the small GPS deviations. In addition, the activity duration is a bit longer, which can be explained by operating two smartwatches at the same time. So of course the pace changes, but overall the GPS tracking is accurate. The GTS 2 Mini also had a variance of almost 150 meters for the same distance recently. Perhaps Xiaomi uses slightly different calculations here, but without the direct comparison I feel I can rely on the data.

You can also lock the display during sports and set destinations in advance, but music control is not possible simultaneously. This has to be done via the smartphone, since the Mi Watch Lite does not support multitasking.

Sleep tracking

Xiaomi learns from Amazfit’s mistakes and integrates sleep tracking on the watch as well, even in the favorites. Only the sleep duration is displayed there, but in the menu you also get wake-up and wake-up time, an evaluation of the sleep quality and the division into the different sleep phases. The app also provides a history, a graphical representation and additional information about sleep in general, which should help to classify the data.

Music control

The Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite does not offer an offline music storage, which would also be unusual in this price range. Not even the more expensive Mi Watch has that. You can only control the media on your smartphone. The current track can be paused or played, you can jump to the next or previous track and change the volume. Of course, you also get information about the current track. That works sufficiently fast in the test, but the music control just doesn’t want to assert itself in my personal use. Do you guys use it?

Health functions

Smartwatches are sometimes used to monitor one’s health, which is why heart rate sensors, breathing exercises or blood oxygen saturation measurement are now part of the standard repertoire. The latter does not find its way into the Mi Watch Lite, but that is not a point of criticism in this price segment. The crux, however, is the inaccurate heart rate measurement, which achieves strange results despite the PPG sensor and deviates strongly from the measurements of the Apple Watch. We are used to better results from Amazfit, which also uses a second-generation BioTracker sensor. However, those who like can perform guided breathing exercises between 1 and 5 minutes with the Mi Watch Lite.

Notifications

The square design of the Mi Watch Lite, but also the rectangular display of a Huawei Watch Fit, are particularly well suited for notifications. The Lite version of the Mi Watch can also display notifications, but it does not use emojis at all. They are displayed as question marks in a box – a pity! Otherwise, apps can be opened and deleted, but of course not answered. You have to buy a Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS for that. It is also a pity that hardly any app icons are displayed, so only “App” is written in front of the notification instead of the Facebook logo or similar. This is because no specific apps can be selected, there is only the “Other” option here.

Wear Lite: Own app for the Mi Watches

Surprisingly, Xiaomi does not require the Mi Fit app for the Mi Watch Lite, which we know from the Mi Band 5, but the Xiaomi Wear Lite app. This is also used for the regular Mi Watch and the Mi Smart Band 4C. But why actually? The Mi Fit app is already so widespread due to the Mi Band, offers all the important functions and could be adapted for the watch similar to the Mi Fit or Mi Home. However, the setup via the Wear Lite app is quite simple, the watch is found via Bluetooth and then the pairing only has to be confirmed. The Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite is compatible with Android and iOS.

Does this young gentleman look like me?

The Mi Wear Lite app is nevertheless quite well done, looks tidier but also a bit less functional than the Mi Fit app. Via Status, you can quickly see the most important data like number of steps, calories burned, sleep time, pulse and the last activity at a glance, which I like better than the Amazfit app, where the activities are rather hidden. Mi Wear Lite also offers the option to sort this info. You can start an activity under Training, but that is also possible via the watch itself.

Under “Profile”, however, you will notice that the settings are a bit limited. Especially in the notifications, you cannot activate individual apps, but only collected “Others”. Beyond that, you cannot even specify on which arm you wear the watch, how the pulse should be measured or how strong the vibration should be. The only customizability is in the installable watchfaces and the widget management. In addition, the app wastes a bit too much space for a kind of Memoji, i.e. the user’s own character, which does not actually add any value.

Battery life

The manufacturer opts for a battery capacity of 230 mAh, an appropriate capacity for a watch of this type. According to the product page, up to 9 days are possible, in fact, I can more or less confirm the claim. With my usage, I got 7 to 8 days, so the promise is almost achieved. My usage consists of activated notifications of some apps, medium brightness, 3 GPS units per week, sleep tracking, heart rate measurement and occasional use of the watch functions. However, the GPS usage naturally reduces the runtime; Xiaomi advertises 10 hours of continuous GPS positioning.

Charging is done with its own USB charging cable. It’s a pity that the device uses its own charger again and does not use the Amazfit charger, for example. A universal standard would be helpful. A complete charge takes about one hour and 45 minutes.

Conclusion: Buy the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite?

Xiaomi has chosen a very interesting price range for the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite, which will eventually settle at a price of less than $60 in the long run. Thus, it is tempting for us testers to talk about the best smartwatch/fitness tracker under $60. The sharp display, the solid build, the unagitated design, the range of functions, the solid runtime and especially the GPS speak for that. That is still not a matter of course in the price range and is probably the unique selling point of the watch. I also like it better than the Amazfit Bip U due to the GPS and the display, which does no honor to the otherwise strong Bip lineup. I see the only competition in the price range in the Amazfit Bip S.

However, the watch also makes a few unnecessary mistakes. The menu is unintuitive, the widgets lack information, the silicone wristband has its own clasp, there is no emoji support, and the app definitely has room for improvement. The price segment is also a bit dangerous, because even the half-price Xiaomi Mi Band 5 offers many of the Mi Watch Lite’s features except for GPS. And if you are willing to spend a bit more, you will get a much better display and overall package with a Huawei Watch Fit (with GPS) or Honor Watch ES (no GPS).

“You can do it, but you do not have to”. There is actually no phrase that sums up the status of the Mi Watch Lite that well. For under $60, it really is one of the best options on the market, but you should think twice about either spending significantly less or spending a bit more. Do you already own the Mi Watch Lite and how satisfied are you with the smartwatch?

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Portable UV disinfector with door hook in crowdfunding

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At the latest since the Corona pandemic, a new awareness of the transmissibility of diseases has emerged. Anyone who didn’t know the word “germophobe” before will probably have been acting like a germophobe since 2020. After all, there are more bacteria on the doorknob or on one’s smartphone than on a toilet, for example. On Kickstarter, a project has now caught our eye that is made for germophobes: the UVict.

• UVict disinfection device

What is the UVict?

The UVict – what the name stands for exactly, the manufacturer does not reveal – is intended as an everyday gadget and is therefore very portable. When “unfolded”, it measures 14.2 cm in height, but in the pocket it comes to a credit card size of 8.95 x 5.5 cm with a thickness of 1.6 cm. The surfaces are roughened, so that you have a better grip on this EDC gadget (every day carry). The hook is made of stainless steel. The UVict is available in two colors: black and white.

But wait a minute, hook? Yes, one function of the UVict is to be a “door opener” or a “button pusher”. Anything you would touch in public, such as doorknobs, elevator buttons, or the door button on the train, you are supposed to open with the integrated hook. Hence the hook shape, so that you can also pull on a door handle. The hook comes out of the UVict by pressing a button and moving your hand. A nice side effect is certainly the function as a fidget toy.

The UVIct is also a UV disinfection device: internal and external. As soon as the hook is put back into the device, the UVict starts to disinfect it, so that no bacteria can be transferred via the hook. This process takes one minute and is said to kill 99% of all bacteria. The UVict also serves as an external UV disinfection device. There are three UVA & UVC LEDs on the outside, which are also supposed to effectively disinfect small objects and surfaces such as your own smartphone. With the ultraviolet rays, the gadget is supposed to irreparably destroy the DNA and RNA of bacteria.

Of course, this also requires power. For this, there is a 500 mAh battery in the UVict, which is supposed to be enough for two weeks of use and takes two hours to charge.

Evaluation

From a personal point of view, I can say that even before Corona, I was very careful about what I touched and how, and liked to open doors with my elbow or similar. If you travel a lot on public transport, you’ve seen a lot of things in the meantime. That’s why I find the UVict as an EDC gadget actually really practical and useful. How well the bacteria are killed in practice, we can unfortunately hardly determine, but just for the “clean feeling” it is worth considering. For you or do you find such a gadget nonsensical?

If you’re interested, you can support the project financially on Kickstarter. The Super Early offer is unfortunately already sold out, but the Early Bird package including shipping for $49 is still available.

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Roidmi EVE Plus vacuum robot with LDS & extraction station surfaced

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Roidmi is known as a premium manufacturer of battery vacuums like the NEX 2 Pro from Xiaomi’s ecosystem. The step towards the first own vacuum robot is a logical one. With the EVE Plus, Roidmi goes straight for the latest technologies and features.

• Roidmi EVE Plus vacuum robot

There is the Roidmi EVE with and without “Plus” in the name. However, the “Plus” only stands for the additional extraction station. So if you order EVE with extraction station, you will get the “EVE Plus”.

Technical data: Comparison to Roborock S5 Max

	Roidmi EVE Plus	Roborock S5 Max
Suction force	2700 pa	2000 pa
Navigation	Laser room measurement	Laser room measurement
App	Xiaomi Home (Android, iOS) or Roidmi Cleaner (Android, iOS)	Xiaomi Home (Android, iOS) or Roborock (Android, iOS)
Operating Volume	n/a	50-65 dB
Battery	5200 mAh	5200 mAh
Dust chamber/water tank	0.3 l/0.3 l (electric)	0.46 l/0.29 l (electric)
Working time	n/a	2.5 h
Charging time	4 h	5 h
Weight	3.6 kg (extraction station: 2.7 kg)	3.5 kg
Dimensions	35.0 x 35.0 x 9.8 cm	35.3 x 35.0 x 9.65 cm
Inclinations	20°, up to 2 cm	20°, up to 2 cm
CE marking	expected yes	Yes
Features	Mapping with map storage selective space division No-go zones and zoned cleanup Alexa and Google Home control	Mapping with map storage of three floors selective room division No-go zones and zoned cleanup Mopping function with no-mop zones and electric water tank Carpet detection (increases suction power)

To the top with the extraction station?

The American manufacturer iRobot dominates the market with extraction stations, but it also costs a lot. Meanwhile, the top dog in this field is getting more and more competition from the Middle Kingdom. Ecovacs, Proscenic, Viomi… meanwhile, most manufacturers have an extraction station in their program or offer it as an option. Functionally, they all differ only marginally, but some at least have a display, like the Roidmi EVE.

The display of the extraction station reminds us of that of the Xiaomi air purifiers.

Extraction stations are charging stations and “emptiers” of the dust chamber in one – automated. When the robot drives to the station after its cleaning, the battery is charged and the contents are sucked out of the dust chamber. The whole procedure can reach a volume of 80-90 dB, which most people consider “unpleasantly loud”. For comparison, we humans converse at an average volume of 60 dB.

Despite the top-mounted display, this extraction station won’t offer much more options than other extraction stations either, but simply looks more visually appealing as a result and offers one or two pieces of information, such as battery level. The 3-liter potential bag capacity, which you then have to replace after about 30 cleanings, is also average.

How the station works

The pre-sale price of around $400 is almost ridiculously low for a robot with a station like this, so what’s the catch or is the price still going up? Let’s take a look at the other features of the first Roidmi robot.

Two apps for control

For a long time, we puzzled over why Roidmi developed an app specifically for this purpose, when they only made battery vacuum cleaners. Now, however, it seems like wise foresight: The Roidmi EVE can be integrated into the in-house app Roidmi Cleaner (Android, iOS) in addition to the Xiaomi Home App (Android, iOS) that we are well familiar with. Those who already own a few devices from the Xiaomi universe will have already integrated quite a bit in the Xiaomi Home app, which is likely to make more people opt for the Xiaomi Home app. Unless, of course, the Roidmi app offers more features.

The app control allows you to divide your four walls into different rooms on a virtual map.

The fact that a virtual map of the premises can be accessed and used in the app is related to the laser spatial measurement using the laser distance sensor (LDS). This is the most precise type of navigation, but it also works differently in gradations depending on the LDS.

The room division works automatically and also allows you to set working times for each room.

It is not possible to say exactly whether Roidmi developed the EVE Plus itself, often the manufacturer Roborock is behind Xiaomi’s vacuum robots. However, it can be assumed that the LDS comes from the Xiaomi/Roborock factory and accordingly the laser room measurement should also work well. Unlike the Xiaomi and Roborock models, however, it works with two rotating brush heads on the bottom.

The laser room measurement is extremely precise.

Continued cleaning and wiping function

A total of 18 sensors are installed in the new Roidmi; however, there is nothing about an automatic carpet detection (and that would be it if available). But there is mention of continued cleaning. When the Roidmi EVE Plus detects that the battery is running low (usually at 20%), it autonomously returns to the charging station, recharges the battery and continues cleaning at the spot where it last worked. There is no exact information on the working time (yet), but this smart feature definitely makes the EVE Plus suitable for premises above 250 m².

The EVE Plus can vacuum and mop at the same time. For this purpose, an attachment with a microfiber cloth is attached to the underside of the electric water tank. The robot automatically recognizes that it should mop. The amount of water that drips from the 0.3-liter water tank onto the cloth can be set in the app in increments (presumably low, medium, high).

Outlook and assessment

It stands and falls with the price, which does not seem to be completely clear at the moment, after all, there is only a pre-sale price of around $400 at Geekbuying so far. If this remains, the Roidmi EVE Plus with extraction station is a highly exciting price-performance device. Unfortunately, we also know from experience how pre-sales are and that the starting price tends to go up. The EVE Plus is definitely interesting, but it lacks the aha effect, the unique selling proposition, the innovation. Where is a new exciting feature? You’ve already seen everything somewhere that you see here on the Roidmi.

Sure, the most important features of high-priced models like selective room division and the electric water tank are included, but is that enough to secure a firm place in the market? As of now, it lacks the buying appeal – at least in my opinion. After all, extraction stations are no longer a highlight at the end of 2020.

Do you like the fact that Roidmi is now also involved in vacuum robots?

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