The watch was originally announced at the tail end of 2020 but finally saw a release in March 2021.
When did the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite launch?
The Watch Lite appeared on Xiaomi’s global site back in December last year, with little fanfare at the time and no formal release date. In markets, including the UK, it now looks as though the Lite was destined to launch alongside the standard Mi Watch and as part of the regional release of the company’s flagship phone – the Mi 11, all of which landed on 16 March.
How much is the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite?
The standard Mi Watch already comes in at an impressively low price point of just £119, but astonishingly, the Lite costs just £59.99 as standard, which makes it one of the most competitively priced smartwatches out there. Those that order either watch within the first seven days following release, however, nab them for just £99.99 and £49.99, respectively.
Where to buy the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite
The Mi Watch Lite is available to buy directly from Xiaomi, via its own online store.
What features does the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite offer?
The appealing thing about the Mi Watch Lite looks to be that it retains so much of what the standard watch brings to the table, although there are a few omissions. Expect a lower resolution and dimmer TFT LCD in place of a circular OLED colour panel, there’s no mention of pressure or ambient light sensors this time around and there doesn’t appear to be blood oxygen measurement as part of its PPG heart rate monitoring. There’s also a smaller 230mAh battery that results in up to nine days of general use per charge instead of up to 16 (or up to ten hours of sports tracking with GPS enabled). Here’s a full rundown of the Mi Watch Lite’s specs and key features:
Casing colours: Black, navy blue, ivoryTPU strap colours: Black, navy blue, ivory, olive, pinkDimensions: 41×35×10.9mmWeight: 35 grams w/ strap, 25 grams w/o strapDisplay: Rectangular 1.4in 320×320 TFT LCD, touch-enabled, up to 350nits min brightnessOS: Proprietary w/ 120+ watch faces + emoji support in notificationsConnectivity: Bluetooth, GPS + GLONASSSensors: Heart rate, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometerBattery: 230mAh w/ up to nine days longevity, takes two hours to chargeWater resistance: Up to 5ATM (swim-proof)
The Lite is aptly lighter and thinner than the standard Mi Watch and it’s also available with a combination of three casing colours and five TPU strap colours to choose between.
On the software side, there doesn’t appear to be a microphone this time around for virtual assistant interaction but the watch does offer support for 11 sport tracking modes (with Cricket – the 11th – coming via a software update at a later date). The Lite can also walk you through breathing exercises, track your sleep, supports smartphone notifications and music control, plies you with connected weather information and boasts an alarm and a flashlight. It tells the time too.
Related stories for further reading
Best Xiaomi phones Best smartwatches Best fitness trackers Best Fitbits Best smartwatch deals
