Ever since getting a smartwatch a couple of years ago, I’ve never needed any other watch—and for good reason. Fitness is a huge part of my life and it’s nice that I’m always able to monitor my workouts and progress with the help of a wearable and its companion app.
However, one thing that always bothered me about my smartwatch is its weight. While it’s not too heavy—I can wear it when I’m running or playing tennis—I have to remove it when shooting hoops since it can be quite cumbersome. So imagine how thrilled I was when I started wearing the Redmi Watch 3 Active, which as of this writing, may end up being my new favorite smartwatch.
At around 41g, the Redmi Watch 3 Active is lightweight without feeling flimsy. While its frame is mostly plastic, it feels sturdy enough that I’m confident it can take a few bumps and hits. The 2.5D curved glass also gives the watch a more premium look. When I first unboxed it, I was easily impressed at how it doesn’t look like a budget wearable at all.
The Redmi Watch 3 Active comes with a magnetic charging cable and a user manual. It would have been nice if it also came with an extra different colored strap, but then that may be asking for too much given its P1,999 SRP.
Setting up and pairing the watch with your phone is easy. You just need to scan the QR code that pops up on the watch’s display, or download the Mi Fitness App from Google Play or the App Store. The Mi Fitness app is important so you can fully utilize the features of the watch.
The 1.83-inch LCD display is sharp and offers adequate brightness. Swiping and scrolling between apps is fairly smooth and you can easily check your current heart rate, SPO2 levels, sleep data, and step count with just a light tap/swipe on the screen.
I took the Redmi Watch 3 Active for a quick 3km run and was initially confused because it couldn’t track my location. Only after I had finished my run and checked did I find out that the watch doesn’t have GPS built in. If I wanted the watch to track my location, I had to have my paired phone with me. Again, with the price of this particular model, I really couldn’t complain.
The post-run reading shows the duration of the run, the distance, average pace, max pace, the number of steps taken, heart rate, and cadence.
One thing that I like about this watch is the variety of sports and workouts it can track. Not only does it track indoor and outdoor runs, walking, cycling, hiking, it can also track activities such as rock climbing, parkour, paragliding, a variety of dances, combat sports, racket sports, and even recreational activities such as tug of war, fishing, and frisbee. I kid you not, that is not even the half of it.
But the features don’t end there. When paired with your phone, you can even use the watch to make and answer voice calls. I tried whispering into the watch with the phone in another room and it came out clear on the receiver’s end.
Another cool feature is the Find Phone functionality. If you’re like me who forgets where he places his phone once in a while, this is a time saver.
In addition, the Redmi Watch 3 Active monitors your sleep quality and recommends how to improve rest and recovery. There are also health reminders such as when to get up and hydrate.
I haven’t charged the watch since receiving it about a week ago. But as of writing, the battery is still at 37%, so I guess the advertised 12-day battery life is more or less accurate.
Considering all the features you get for the price of maybe eight venti frappucinos, you’re really getting your money’s worth with the Redmi Watch 3 Active. Even without the GPS tracker, this is a must for those who are looking for a feature-packed smartwatch that won’t break the bank.
