Unlike the Wear OS-powered Watch 5, the S5 focuses on classic HyperOS efficiency
Xiaomi has pulled the curtain back on the Watch S5, the latest iteration of the smartwatch line that runs the brand’s proprietary HyperOS platform.
While Xiaomi also recently launched the Watch 5 globally, powered by the feature-packed Wear OS 6, the S5 follows a different path. Like previous generations, it’s the long-lasting battery life that headlines here—though, for this generation, there’s now a slimmer, more integrated chassis.
Moving away from the modular, swappable bezels of previous models—like last year’s Watch S4—the Watch S5 utilizes a non-removable, integrated bezel made from forged 316L stainless steel. This change allows for a significantly thinner profile and a reduced border around the display, the brand says via Weibo.
Xiaomi is also leaning into some high-end finishes for this generation, specifically a ‘Forged Carbon’ variant with a layered texture and a ‘Midnight Blue’ ceramic option featuring 24 carved facets, both shown below.
(Image credit: Xiaomi)
Under the hood, Xiaomi has also performed an overhaul of its sensors to offer more precise health tracking. Yet, at least on paper, the real draw remains the battery efficiency.
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Because it runs on HyperOS rather than Wear OS, Xiaomi claims the Watch S5 can last up to 21 days on a single charge—a massive leap over the six-day estimate of its sibling.
It arrives in China first at a starting price of 999 yuan—about $140/£110—and a global rollout is likely in the works for later this year.
The Wareable take: A more aligned watch ecosystem
After a few years of spotty releases and skipped generations, Xiaomi finally appears to be aligning its smartwatch offerings. With these new, fifth-generation devices landing in close succession, it gives those craving a Xiaomi a much clearer path to choose from.
The equation, though, remains much the same as in the previous generations of each line. If you want a ‘proper’ smartwatch on your wrist with Google services and deep app integration, you go for the Watch 5. The Watch S5, instead, is for the user who wants a well-built, traditional-looking timepiece that only needs to be charged once or twice a month.
And by ditching the modular bezel for a thinner, unibody design, Xiaomi has elevated the S-line into a premium-feeling category that could finally challenge Huawei’s dominance in the ‘fitness tracker in a smartwatch body’ niche.