Mi Watch Revolve Active First Impressions: Time to Get Active?

The Mi Watch Revolve was launched in September last year priced at Rs. 10,999, but it has recently received a price cut to Rs. 7,999. It did not have any voice assistant on board, and its features did not really help it stand out. Xiaomi has now launched a new product called the Mi Watch Revolve Active, and it brings Alexa support along with SpO2 tracking, which is a useful feature given the current pandemic situation. Has Xiaomi made a better wearable? And should you choose the Mi Watch Revolve Active over the previous model? I spend some time with this new watch to find out.

Mi Watch Revolve Active Price in India

The Mi Watch Revolve Active is priced at Rs. 9,999 in India. As an early bird offer, Xiaomi is offfering a Rs. 1000 discount which brings the price down to Rs. 8,999. The Mi Watch Revolve Active also has an HDFC Bank offer for Rs. 750, which takes the price down to Rs. 8,249. You do not get sizing options but it does come in Beige, Black, and Navy Blue, with matching straps.

The Mi Watch Revolve Active has a 1.39-inch AMOLED display, and given that it comes in only one dial size, this device might look big on your wrists if you have small hands. The display is crisp and it also has an always-on mode. I found the display brightness to be good enough, and this watch has an ambient light sensor that can tweak brightness automatically.

The watch body feels plasticky, but it is super light at just 32g (without straps). The watch is water resistant upto 5 ATM of pressure which should help it survive the rigours of daily use. There are two buttons on the right side of the watch case. The upper one brings up the app drawer on the watch's display, while the second one is a shortcut for workout tracking. Both of them have good clicky feedback and you won't be second-guessing an input. The left side is completely blank.

The Mi Watch Revolve Active has two buttons on the case

Turn the watch around and you'll see a bunch of sensors on the underside. These are for heart rate, SpO2, and stress tracking. It also has connectors for charging the battery. I had a Beige unit of the Mi Watch Revolve Active, which has a brown back.

This watch uses 22mm bands, and the one included in the box has quick release pins so you can pop it off without any tools. Xiaomi says it will offer different straps as accessories for the Mi Watch Revolve Active, and you should be able to swap them quite easily. The strap material is soft to the touch and has a textured finish. You get a regular pin buckle on the strap to secure it on your wrists. I found it a little hard to wear the watch because of this texture, but it also felt secure once in place.

You can pair the Mi Watch Revolve Active to a smartphone using the Xiaomi Wear app. This app is very easy to use and setting the watch up for use for the first time is a smooth process. Once paired, the app can be used to check different metrics that the watch records. You also need the app to sign in to Amazon to get Alexa working on the Mi Watch Revolve Active. I did use Alexa for a little while, and found functionality to be a little limited – more on that in the full review.

With the Xiaomi MI Watch Revolve Active, you will be able to track heart rate, sleep, SpO2, stress, and workouts. The Watch also has built-in GPS to track outdoor workouts, and a barometer to gauge pressure. The Mi Watch Revolve Active has a 420mAh battery, which Xiaomi claims can last for upto 14 days and be charged in less than two hours using the supplied charger.

The sensors on the underside of the Mi Watch Revolve Active

I found the watch interface to be quite similar to that of the Mi Watch Revolve, which I have reviewed earlier. This new watch was quick to wake its display when I raised my hand. Swiping down from the top shows the notifications from a paired smartphone, while swiping up from the homescreen brings up the quick toggles. Swiping left and right from the watch face shows different metrics such as heart rate, sleep time, and stress, among others.

The Mi Watch Revolve Active, as its name suggests, is a fitness-focused product. Xiaomi seems to have also managed to pack in all the essentials. So should the Mi Watch Revolve Active be the fitness watch of your choice? Stay tuned for the full review to find out.