Review of Xiaomi Redmi Watch 4 Global: Affordable Smartwatch with Premium Features

Introduction

Metal case, 1.97-inch AMOLED LTPS display with a refresh rate of up to 60Hz and 5Hz for Always On Display technology. Built-in multi-system GNSS navigation, crown for easy interface navigation, support for Bluetooth call function.

New quick-release mechanism for straps, battery life of up to 20 days on a single charge, heart rate monitoring, SpO2, stress level, and sleep tracking. All this and more is claimed by the manufacturer in the advertisement for the smartwatch called Redmi Watch 4 Global.

Unpacking

This version comes in the same packaging as the Chinese one. It includes the name, an image of the model, and brief information. Everything is quite standard. The packaging is good, and the smartwatch is wrapped in film. The package includes a strap, documentation, and a two-pin charger. The device weighs 48.5g and its dimensions are 44×47.9×11.9 mm.

Appearance and Build Quality

Unlike the Chinese version, the system is available in Russian. As a reminder, the Chinese version only supported English and Chinese. This model can be purchased in gray and black colors. Unfortunately, no other colors are available.

Externally, in terms of materials and assembly, everything remains the same: the average frame is made of aluminum alloy, while the back is made of matte plastic. The quick-release strap, with a wrist size range from 135 to 205 mm and branded attachment, is made of TPU. Unfortunately, it cannot be replaced with any other strap with a standard attachment. On the other hand, this branded attachment is very convenient.

When wearing the V4, it is not noticeable, even during sleep. The strap does not rub and does not cause sweating underneath, which is not surprising considering the quality of the materials.

Sensors and Buttons

Further on the case, there is brief information, two charging contacts, health monitoring sensors, microphone, and speaker. The onboard sensors include a heart rate sensor with a blood oxygen sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, and electronic compass.

Also on the right side, you can notice a single mechanical button. It handles navigation within menus, going back, and accessing the power menu for turning the device on, off, or restarting it. Triple pressing this button can initiate an emergency call to a specified number within the app.

Screen and Interface

The Mii voice assistant feature is absent, unlike the Chinese version, but since it doesn’t support Russian language, it’s not a significant loss. There’s no option to assign a different command to the button, which is disappointing. However, it’s beneficial that the button has a scrolling function for navigating menus and more. Moreover, scrolling is accompanied by a pleasant tactile vibration.

Let’s continue. The watch features a good AMOLED LTPS display, specifically 1.97 inches in size with a resolution of 390×450 pixels and a screen refresh rate ranging from 5 to 60 Hz. The 5 Hz mode is for Always On Display (AOD). AOD can operate in smart mode or on a schedule. The style of AOD depends on the watch face design, provided the watch face supports AOD style. Additionally, there are five preset AOD styles in the settings, and some of them can be slightly personalized.

It’s very convenient that the screen is flat. Again, it’s all subjective, but personally, I prefer flat screens more. The bezels are not massive, but they could certainly be smaller. The font is readable, and the translation is accurate.

System and Controls

During its usage, the system doesn’t experience significant lag, though a brightness of at least 1000 lux would be preferable, not to mention 1300 lux or higher. It features automatic brightness adjustment, which functions well. The screen timeout can be set for a maximum of 60 seconds.

When you turn your wrist, the screen turns on almost instantly, which is convenient. It’s also convenient that when AOD is enabled, you can choose whether the AOD or the watch face will light up when you turn your wrist. You can turn on the screen with a tap and turn it off by covering it with your palm.

Next, swiping gestures from the main screen: swiping from top to bottom reveals notifications, while swiping from bottom to top opens the quick access panel. Here, you can find options such as speaker cleaning, power-saving mode, and the always-on display function, which can be configured for up to 20 minutes, among others.

Swiping left to right and vice versa navigates through widgets, which can be customized and sorted according to personal preference, enhancing usability. Widgets are organized in cells, and each screen can display up to four applications. Settings offer several display styles for the menu, providing flexibility in customization.

Functions and Features

The menu includes a year with detailed information, a calendar, notes, events, an alarm clock that can be set directly from the smartwatch, a stopwatch, and a timer. However, only the Pomodoro timer can run in the background. There’s also a world time tracker, compass, smartphone finder, dialer, and contacts, which can be added via the app, with a limit of up to 10 contacts. In my opinion, this is somewhat limited compared to smartwatches that offer full synchronization of contacts with smartphones.

Further in the menu, there’s a player for adjusting volume and skipping tracks that are played on the smartphone. However, there’s no capability to load music directly onto the smartwatch itself. There’s a button for remote camera capture with a 3.5-second timer, which works well but is optimized for Redmi smartphones. Compatibility with smartphones from other brands may vary and could pose challenges.

Just a reminder, it’s advisable to choose smartwatches that are compatible with your smartphone brand; otherwise, you may encounter issues. Even if today you pair Huawei watches with a Xiaomi smartphone and everything works fine, tomorrow after a Huawei update, it might say, “Hey buddy, I’m not going to take calls or show messages here anymore.”

Workouts and GNSS

There are plenty of onboard workouts available: swimming tracking, automatic activity detection, post-workout status information, running templates with various intensities, workouts, activity tracking, interval training, warm-up, metronome, pacer, and more.

A huge plus is the presence of built-in GNSS. The smartwatch can determine location in about 7 seconds, and maps are generated with a small margin of error within normal limits. Step counting is accurate. During workouts, you can use the music player, but workouts cannot run in the background, so multitasking is limited here.

Health Monitoring

Heart rate measurement can work in smart mode or automatic mode with intervals of 10 and 30 minutes. SpO2 measurements and stress level monitoring can also operate in automatic mode. However, all these metrics can be measured manually as well. The smartwatch does not measure air quality or blood oxygen levels automatically.

It’s convenient that you can configure health monitoring directly from the smartwatch, not just from the smartphone app. The smartwatch displays informative graphs, which are not just for show but provide detailed and useful results of measurements. Overall, the data readings are accurate. This applies to sleep monitoring results as well, which are also detailed and reliable.

Reminders and Exercises

Onboard, there are also activity reminders, breathing exercises, and vitality tracking over a 7-day period based on activity. The operating system, Hyper OS, is closed, so third-party apps cannot be installed. Bluetooth version 5.3 ensures stable connectivity. However, it’s not possible to connect a chest strap or wireless headphones to the smartwatch.

There is no support for Wi-Fi, eSIM, or NFC in this model. However, the Chinese version includes NFC, though it’s not for bank cards but rather for transportation or smart locks. Talking through the smartwatch is convenient, and answering calls is quick. Notifications arrive instantly, but you cannot respond to them. Icons are displayed, but emojis are not supported.

You can adjust the vibration strength and even create custom vibrations, which is convenient. However, in my opinion, a more pleasant vibration motor could have been installed. The microphone performs well, as does the speaker. The sound quality is good, and the speaker is sufficiently loud.

Battery and Water Resistance

Battery capacity is 470 mAh, and a full charge cycle takes 1 hour 30 minutes. In a typical usage scenario with AOD enabled and automatic brightness adjustment, the battery lasts 8-9 days. This performance is similar to the Chinese version, which is quite impressive and top-tier in terms of results.

Regarding water resistance, it is rated at five atmospheres. You can swim and bathe with them, but it’s not recommended to use them in saltwater or in a sauna. During the testing period, they were not affected by water in any way, but I reiterate that I don’t advise submerging any electronics. However, the decision is ultimately yours.

App and Updates

Redmi Watch 4 Global connects to the fitness app with the Russia region setting. The app features four tabs: Health, Workout, Devices, and Profile. On the main screen with the smartwatch, you can view the battery percentage, which is convenient, and a gallery of watch faces. There are personalized watch faces, dynamic clickable watch faces, and the option to set any photo as a wallpaper.

Next, there’s a sleep mode setting, synchronization, “Do Not Disturb” mode, device finder, smartphone unlock function via the smartwatch, standard settings, and firmware updates. I’ve already received the firmware update. Comparing it to the Chinese version with the old firmware, the changes are noticeable in the system’s more reliable operation and battery consumption, as stability has improved.

But overall, the main drawbacks remain: emojis are not displayed, there’s no ability to reply to notifications. Remembering Mi Band models, Redmi, Xiaomi. What’s missing? No calculator, no headphone connectivity, no ability to load music onto the smartwatch, and the vibration motor isn’t great. The screen bezels could be smaller. Additionally, the current price is quite unreasonable.

Summary

The Redmi Watch 4 Global is essentially the same as the Chinese version, but with support for more languages and without Chinese apps. The fact that updates are delivered is a significant plus. I review many different brands of smartwatches, and it’s not uncommon for them to be released and then not receive further improvements. These watches continue to receive updates, which is good. In my opinion, the Redmi Watch 4 Global gets a thumbs up from me.

Goodbye and good luck to you, dear friends. Translate