Namaste Techies!
The smartwatch market in India is heating up—literally and figuratively. With the Xiaomi Watch S4 landing around ₹14,999 (Effectively), it goes straight for the throat of the OnePlus Watch 2R and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 FE.
But specs on paper don’t tell the whole story. We tested it in the Delhi heat to see if it survives.
1. Battery Life: 15 Days or Just Marketing?
Xiaomi claims up to 15 days. In our testing with Jio eSIM enabled:
- Typical Usage (LTE): 4 Days solid.
- Heavy Usage (GPS + Calls): 2.5 Days.
Compared to the Galaxy Watch 6 (which needs charging every evening), this is a relief. It charges fully in about 65 minutes, which is decent for a morning rush.
2. Heating Issues in Indian Summer?
One concern with LTE watches is heat. During a 10-minute call outdoors (38°C ambient temp), the watch did get noticeably warm. It didn’t shut down, but HyperOS dimmed the screen brightness to protect the device. If you plan to talk for hours on your wrist while riding a bike in traffic—maybe use a headset instead.
3. Value for Money: S4 vs OnePlus Watch 2
| Feature | Xiaomi Watch S4 | OnePlus Watch 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~₹15k | ~₹20k |
| OS | HyperOS 2 (Smooth) | WearOS (More Apps) |
| Battery | 15 Days | 4 Days |
| Bezel | Interchangeable | Fixed |
The Interchangeable Bezel is the killer feature here. You can change the look from “Office Formal” to “Gym Mode” instantly. For the price difference, Xiaomi offers better hardware versatility.
4. Connectivity: Jio & Airtel
We tested with Jio and Airtel eSIMs.
- Jio: Worked flawlessly. VoLTE calls were crisp.
- Airtel: Setup took a few tries across the Mi Fitness app region settings.
Ensure your region is set to “India” in the app for the smoothest onboarding.
Verdict: The Practical Choice
At ~₹15,000, the Xiaomi Watch S4 is the Value King. It lacks the app ecosystem of WearOS (no WhatsApp typing support yet), but for notification triage, calls, and pure battery endurance, it beats everything else in this segment.
Pros:
- Insane battery life for an LTE watch.
- Premium, customizable design.
- Great price point.
Cons:
- Gets warm on long calls.
- App ecosystem is smaller than WearOS.
