Xiaomi Watch S3 Review | Best Budget Smartwatch 2024

Reviewing the Xiaomi Watch S3 after two weeks of testing - and a few issues aside, this is one of the best budget smartwatches in 2024, thanks to its excellent battery life and customisable design. The Xiaomi Watch S3 is considerably cheaper than the OnePlus Watch 2, Pixel Watch 2, Samsung's Galaxy smartwatches and other rivals, yet boasts all of the features you'd expect.
Just over £100 in the UK bags you the Xiaomi Watch S3, one of the first HyperOS devices to arrive in Blighty. The design is impressively easily to personalise thanks to the twist-off bezels. You can also stick on different 22mm straps to completely change the look, any time you like.
The Xiaomi Watch S3 has basic notification alerts, all of the regular fitness tracking support and a selection of useful apps. I really like the widget setup, and you can customise almost every aspect of the smartwatch. However, in my first two weeks I failed to get contactless payments working and I've seen the occasional bug.
These Xiaomi Watch S3 issues will hopefully be sorted in an update soon. Until then, there's still plenty to love about this budget friendly smartwatch, especially at this price!
Xiaomi Watch S3 Review Chapters:
0:00 - How much?
0:38 - Design
2:57 - Display
4:12 - Mi Fitness app
5:01 - HyperOS & features
6:47 - Apps
7:46 - Wrist gestures
8:27 - Jank
9:02 - Alexa
9:45 - Watch faces
10:28 - Health & sleep tracking
12:46 - Performance & battery life
14:11 - Verdict

[@torelliandreadogacademy42]

Perfect video!!! I would like to ask if there is a program for SUP (Stand Up Pandling) and if in the settings there is an option to increase the size of the letters and numbers as I have presbyopia and may not see it well without my glasses. Thank you very much!!! Hope you keep up the good work!!

[@Csillabu]

Any chance that you'd review the Garmin Venu 3? Did I miss it? Do I need to send Garmin an email begging for them to send you review copies?

[@oKrikket]

I don't understand why they would go for a square UI design when the watch face is round.

[@Alex-hv3ir]

Because it's Xiaomi

[@leejenkinson5521]

can you customise the watch face with external software, been after THE DIVISION watch face on a smartwatch for a while!

[@aaronkenjiafundar4582]

does it have triathlon? like S1 active

[@sekhouchan9442]

Will you be reviewing the Xiaomi Watch 2 and slight compare it with Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro ?

[@justjuniorjaw]

They're giving this for free when buying any 14 variants, so it's good to see a review of this.

[@how.to.do.stuff.101]

No way

[@edfaridabdul8fa618]

While stock last..not free all the time..take note 😊

[@martinmoylan339]

Free , nothing comes free

[@rindurasulullah3014]

Saya bimbang antara Xiaomi watch S3 atau Huawei watch gt 3, tolong rekomendasi nya bang

[@voidmain8359]

can you please tell me when i can buy bezels rings for this watch i cant find it i got only one bezel ring with the watch

[@MarzoukAhmed-xc6xe]

هل هذه الساعة شغاله في الدفع مدي

[@F01L]

How does this compare to the watch s1 active?

[@raishinhimura211]

Is there a overall rating video for all the xiaomi watches/bands all together

[@ronseal02]

Can you review a Garmin Venu3 ?

[@murtazachaudhary3339]

Nice video

[@03085716]

setting up the curve card was a pain on s1 watch, only time i could get it to add was when in spain, and it works everywhere once added

[@EruksTeejay]

This looks quite promising. I recently reviewed the Haylou Watch R8, and i think its a great contender to this Xiaomi S3, for more than half it's price.

[@andikamichael]

how's the gps? can you run with it without your phone and track an accurate data like pace, HR and such?

[@killowatraibikio2855]

Also curious.

[@chapichapa]

did you watch the video ?

[@nikita8382]

Mister tech spurt, the Samsung Galaxy a55 is here in the Netherlands and I am waiting for your review about it to choose if this phone is the one for me, will you review the a55 or not at all?

[@glenn1964]

He does not review this kind of craps! Go to Dominique Vetter in the Netherlands. He is a big Samsung fan boy.

[@darkkforest]

You are in every comment letting people know you'll buy this phone. Calm down and just buy your damn a55. No one give an a$$.

[@nikita8382]

@@darkkforest wow, who hurt you? Mind your own business. This is my second comment as far as I know, so just chill sir. It is not a crime to ask if he is reviewing a phone, thats what he does. And thats how he helps a lot of people choose.

[@darkkforest]

@@nikita8382 I wasn't speaking to you. Chill

[@shiftygoescrazy]

where do you buy the bezel cause i lost my original one

[@fernando.j23]

Xiaomi Store.

[@DerkuiDerkui]

Where do you buy the watch? Can't find it. I go to the Xiaomi website, but can't buy anything on there.

[@AceChina]

If you're American or Canadian you have to buy it from a reseller.

[@marknoel7662]

Will you be able to view media in messenger?

[@rons7555]

Cheers !

[@RedVRCC]

I have a Xiaomi 12 Pro, should I get a Xiaomi smartwatch too or go for something different? Does it do anything special if used with a phone from the same brand?

[@-xYz--nk1gm]

no, there is nothing special. I have a Huawei watch, but the notifications there are very weak. This Xiaomi has much better ones. An equally interesting watch is Redmi Watch 4

[@RedVRCC]

@@-xYz--nk1gm thanks for the input, I have a fossil gen 5 smartwatch rn which surprisingly still works great and looks really good but it's starting to show its age. I know a lot of brands nowadays try to create these "seamless" ecosystems so I wasn't sure if there was special integrations regarding smartwatches of the same brand as your phone.

[@Mrknowhow2020]

NFC Payments in the UK is a deal breaker for me as I wanted this over the watch 2, purely for 15 day battery life and NFC payments if they worked

[@paulcanning]

Does the crve payment work Mr Tech Support NFC is important to me great vid

[@tuhazmecasoami2655]

Yo lo tengo y funciona bien

[@JamesCrow]

No Esim for global? 😢

[@sx200paul]

Xiaomi watch 2 pro is wear os & esim. and a great price compared to other with the same features.

[@hannmarch8209]

How does it compare to the Amazfit Balance i care most about good battery life on these smart watches most just get 2-3 days and call it quits.

[@abdulmajeedal-hadeethi458]

i get 12-14 days on huawei gt4 but i gotta say that galaxy watch 6 has better functionality than gt4

[@hannmarch8209]

@@abdulmajeedal-hadeethi458 Appreciate the response, I have a watch 6 never touched I'm trying to get rid of it because I CBA charging every 2 days. I much rather have a long battery and good health/fitness tracking.

[@JJ-eg6xd]

im waiting for scientific review for HR accuracy test

[@anonymus15]

I usually just say axela (alexa backwards) to make sure i dont trigger anything when im talking about it.

[@djwarren5081]

I was in Sunderland the other day to see my mate. I actually thought about the scruffy little tech reviewer as I enjoyed a pint in Fitzgerald's. The folks up there are really friendly.

[@joewipat5452]

Sorry for your loss

[@WP7Nettwerk]

@TechSpurt I'd say it is so hight, 148HRT while you review device.

[@bonngt]

The touch screen does not seem to be working that well in the video at the 5.59 min mark....

[@tuhazmecasoami2655]

La pantalla táctil es algo lenta

[@gidnwk._.1203]

hi are you going to release the review video of the a55?

[@EmmieSuksai]

​@@n.imanthadesilva9700En ymmärtänyt mitään 🙁😕

[@ramononavarro]

so cool

[@orgrimdoomhammer2161]

Has anyone used this with pixel 7a? please, need an opinion

[@christiansenmarcus]

I once accidentally rejected a call from my boss with that gesture. LOL

[@Wahsup05]

Will you be testing out the S2 that came out with this one as well?

[@A-pu2fg]

The comment at the end says he ciouldn't get contactless payments working, Has anyone else got this watch and can confirm it works?

[@thereisonlycis3566]

Getting this in black with the omnitrix logo

[@mallduty]

how many hz screen?

[@shinzo3270]

60

[@BlessByYou777]

Lovely watch mate. I would buy one these

[@toxotis70]

Can you use google wallet?

[@leedorney]

I've an s1 sport and the battery lasts about 3 days after a year charges fast tho and the payment thing is handy once you get a Curve card.. generally ok but can't Bluetooth a chest HR strap to it like a Garmin can, nice display tho and is an ok watch 👍

[@paulcanning]

does the Curve card work ok

[@leedorney]

@@paulcanning Yes, theirs 3x the basic one doesn't charge you 👍

[@nikostsilimparis3864]

Can you help me please... Where can i find the bezel ring for that watch.

[@Ramon314]

As much as I want to like this, my xiaomi watch s1 pro still feels more perfect for me. It just looks a lot better.

[@amitjesur]

It has LTE?

[@-xYz--nk1gm]

no

[@momo-cm8uw]

I had it for a week and I love it

[@hanibaal5909]

Still? Do you recommend it?

[@momo-cm8uw]

@@hanibaal5909 yhhh

[@Rayu25Demon]

for me a rectangular screen is better also a magnetic strap is must. everytime i need to wash my hand it easier to remove the watch. i cant replace haylou RS4 plus yet.

[@jaspercas]

I've used a lot of mi bands, haylou before having an apple watch, now I'm using a samsung wearOS. The only thing that I would want from these kinda cheap "smartwatch" is to have some storage and a spotify port so I don't have to bring my phone when I just want to listen to music.

[@giazveriachvili8348]

Divers' bezel on a digital watch :D That's cute, I really like it

[@savaalin7137]

Can i view photos on the watch ,like was on wear os?

[@onceafiend]

The last time someone said they were my uncle spurt, the police got involved!!

[@pawewojcik465]

Xiaomi Watch s3 czy amazfit balance ?? Który lepszy??

[@EwanShibi]

Xiaomi

[@colinbooth531]

Get the balance, genuine 2 week+ battery and all the features you need!

[@MegaDustDevil]

Amazfit balance. Xiaomi does not give updates or any support after sales. And fake sensors that does not work.

[@-xYz--nk1gm]

Porównujesz 2x droższy zegarek do xiaomi? Balance też szału nie robi. Mimo wszystko w tej cenie ten xiaom wydaje się mieć sens.

[@-xYz--nk1gm]

@@MegaDustDevil this amazfit is not a better watch and it costs twice as much. How do you know that Xiaomi won't give you an update if it's a new watch? Besides, what will the updates give you? I currently have a Huawei GT2 and thanks to the updates, the watch works slowly, much worse than on the day of purchase.

[@DamienWalter]

I'm not watching the "wrist gestures" section, don't need to see the spurt spurt

[@SuperHans64]

Damn, wish I’d known about this before I spent £100 more on the Oneplus Watch 2. Dagnabit! Muskie!

[@darkkforest]

You have a better watch than this basic one.

[@mariom7030]

Are you sure about the wrist gestures...?

[@tuhazmecasoami2655]

Sí, es cierto. Yonño he podido comprobar

[@mariom7030]

@@tuhazmecasoami2655 thank you. To be honest, I was talking about the kind of gestures he made in this video.They seemed a bit "special" to me 🙈

[@tuhazmecasoami2655]

@@mariom7030 Ah, entiendo

[@adrikhankant6170]

@@mariom7030 reject a call with the same movement you call someone a "wanker" is the reason why I'm buying.

[@mariom7030]

@@adrikhankant6170 😂

[@TobiasburinagaensiojrTob-hd4eu]

Ooh

[@babi-xl3og]

Can you pls review Redmi 4

[@jaideepwadali]

looks exactly like samsung galaxy watch 4 classic

[@vatrica1]

I've bought it 2 weeks ago to replace my amazfit gtr 3 and I must say it's been great, unbeatable considering the price. At that time I couldn't find any reviews so was a bit sceptical but I paid off 😊

[@marcusmat]

Does the watch support GPS navigation features to save locations and navigate to locations? Could you check this out. Thanks in advance!

[@vatrica1]

@@marcusmat i don't think so mate, don't see any GPS options or settings anywhere on the watch or app

[@djzrobzombie2813]

What's up skid Marks

[@bhasty1]

Lmao. Did you go to school with him too?

[@sTuPiDiScOoL_]

I can tell the time thankyou i dont need to pay a company to do it for me.....

[@darkkforest]

So this is basically the Redmi Watch 4 without Alexa Round face version.

[@fenixgold123]

Solo entre al video por la miniatura de nino nakano

[@Bitchovski]

I have a GTR 4 that works with Zep OS, which what I thought replaced the Mi Fitness. I have the S3 that is coming along with a new phone & I hope it will work with Zep. Between the S3 & the GTR4 which is more advanced? The bat life sounds great, mine lasts just a week with all features activated & a daily 1hr walk

[@alfredwilliams783]

Did you get your S3 and pls if I may ask which is better between the Amazfit GRT 4 and Xiaomi s3.

[@Insurance_Info]

why did you bleep the word "alexa"

[@adrikhankant6170]

someone could record his voice and use his devices

[@adrikhankant6170]

when someone call you never answer with a "yes" becuase it can be use to sign you up in contracts

[@PlatinumState]

Saw it in store today and played around a bit. Wasnt impressed. Its fine but not for 150 euros

[@ianllewelyn9658]

Looks a tad large for your wrist...

[@SurSpir]

I had 2 Amazfit watches (by Xiaomi). Never again. Their battery life is great........until it's not! The moment they release a new model , the watch start consuming battery power like a glutton who's been set free after being starved for a month. I'm no fan of planned obsolence so next time I shop for a watch, it's gonna be a Garmin.

[@adrikhankant6170]

same happen to my xiaomi phone 2 weeks after warranty finish puff, went off and bye bye phone

[@smailez]

Please if someone had tried this watch say me his experience with it and his quality. Thanks 👍.

[@gabeBucur]

I have the S1, received one update and that was it. After a year the battery went from 10 days new to 4 days, same usage. Got a new watch under warranty. The only nice feature about this watch is that it has a sapphire screen, so it doesn't scratch. Other than that... wouldn't recommend xiaomi. Would rather go for amazfit, much better support.

[@camotech1314]

I heard amazefit is really good. I've got their sister brand watch ZeBlaze, it's super cheap and I get days of battery life. 😊

[@leedorney]

Interesting on Amazfit, hardly any do pay tho? 🤔

[@legacygaminginc.]

Vs redmi watch 4

[@alanhalsey8006]

Doesn't seem all that different to my S1

[@JohnJones-fk6ti]

Horology circle's 😂

[@liksoonlo]

148bpm wth

[@andymcvean9631]

"Is it a steaming heap of kak?"..... this is the sort of review we want, cheers.

[@camotech1314]

Just spend a bit more and buy the OnePlus Watch 2 with WearOS. Way better choice! 😉

[@Elijah-fc3ex]

It's too big for me, looks nice but I don't want a dinner plate on my wrist

[@jayangaweerakoon3466]

if you want ignore call simply jaking off nice features 🤣

[@sumitpalsingh5262]

I hope samsung n apple learns someday 😂😂

[@superiortoall22]

Learn what? This watch sucks lol

[@sumitpalsingh5262]

@@superiortoall22 many things.. apple n samsung sucks too.. hardly one day battery life n they say track Ur sleep by wearing it all night .. how u can charge or track sleep at the same time lol... Watch means charge n forget it for weeks not like a duty of charging every 20 hours or so .. hands up to honor Huawei n other Chinese brands .. we don't need extravagant functions in watch apart from steps count fitness tracking n Bluetooth calling or LTE... Apart from these functions all are rubbish n hardly used in day to day life..

[@iPhonenaire]

First 🥇

[@Oreigai-imoyarou]

妖怪ウォッチ!?

[@EmmieSuksai]

????

[@MrX-qs3gv]

It looks cheap

[@Yakamazuki]

Bro hand language/ pointing is getting annoying 😂😂😂😂

[@Yakamazuki]

Almost like you Are watching tv and there are kids running around in front 😂of you

[@vherostar]

I dont get the market for these watches. They are a poor fitness watch disguising as a smartwatch. They are not as robust as a smartwatch and not as good at reading as a fitness watch/band. Especially in a world where fitness watches are below £100 for a half decent one. The only thing I like about this watch is the looks. I can see battery being important as every watch outside of wearOS and apple watch are long life (how has google not sorted it yet?). So if you want a full fledged smartwatch this is not for you and if you want a fitness tracker, again not for you. Such a weird market.

[@aryanghosh8639]

Looks are exactly what these watches sell on

[@antonispetrides]

I prefer these to a full-fledged OS watch as it gets the looks and the battery life spot on. Don't need apps or reply to people from it. That's why i have a phone. It's always next to me. So this is way more appealing. Not to mention they are much cheaper.

[@Ramon314]

​@@antonispetridesexactly this. I love these allround watches with amazing battery life. People think they use the features of a full-fledged smartwatch, but they don't, so why waste battery life on it.

[@chikokpong]

Depends on how u use it.. are u heavy workout person that u need a full fledged wearOS watch or u're light workout person who enjoy simpler watch.

[@shazwanjaamat1600]

They will have the market though..not everyone is too obsessed with smartwatch with os and full features and so on so on..they just need a watch that looked stylish and affordable

[@anderssteiberg5584]

Bald and with a beard advertises watches.. No, I won’t buy this watch, sorry..

[@how.to.do.stuff.101]

review uniehrtz jelly star