Little has surprised locals and strangers with the launch of its first smart watch for Spain, especially considering that it surpasses the alternatives of its mother house.
Until now, Poco was better known in Spain for its cheap mobiles, such as the . Models that reuse parts from other Xiaomi phones to offer an excellent quality/price ratio, but nothing really surprising or attention-grabbing, especially for those who are up-to-date in terms of technology. Until now, Redmi and Xiaomi were the reference brands of the Chinese manufacturer.
That is changing. This 2022 has been the year in which Poco is leaving its niche, expanding beyond the products that we most associate with the brand. The launch of a gaming mobile that surpasses most of the models of its sister brand Redmi and a few Xiaomi. And a few weeks ago, Poco announced that it was going to expand beyond mobile phones.
A cheap smartwatch
Poco’s strategy begins with the first products that are usually launched when a company wants to create a new ecosystem: with headphones and a smartwatch (or smart watch).
I have already been able to test the watch, the Poco Watch, and it has surprised me; Not so much because of the hardware or the possibilities it offers, since it is still a low-end model, but because of the way in which it surpasses alternatives from Xiaomi itself to become the best watch in this range that the manufacturer offers.
And that’s shocking because, to the naked eye, it really does look like a cheap watch like the dozens (hundreds?) of Chinese alternatives already on the market; although that should not be interpreted as a bad thing. It’s a relatively elegant little watch, especially in the black color I’ve tested it in (it’s also available in an ivory white and blue); in fact, the size is the only aspect that really tells you that it’s not an expensive watch, although, again, that’s not a bad thing: for many people it’s preferable to wear something this small on the wrist, rather than a ‘tome’.
The feeling to the touch is good, better than I expected. The strap made of thermoplastic polyurethane material (TPU) does not give bad sensations and we can tighten it without disturbing. The watch itself is beautifully designed, with a flat screen and a slightly rounded body; the only element we see is the button on the right, the only method we have to interact with the interface apart from the touch screen.
Complete for the price it has
Despite its size, the Poco Watch is very complete and has competent hardware for the price. For me, the screen is the star, a 1.6-inch AMOLED panel that offers very good readability despite the small size of the clock, probably thanks to its high resolution and good brightness. I have had no problems using the watch functions outdoors.
And that is important because it has many functions, especially related to health. The optical sensor that is integrated in the lower part is capable of obtaining a variety of data from our body, such as heart rate; but what has really surprised me is finding the measurement of oxygen in blood (SpO2), something that is more common in mid-range and high-end watches. It is a technology that tells us the percentage of oxygen that runs through our veins, and an indicator that we may have breathing problems when we sleep or when we exercise.
If we add to that the more than 100 sports modes, it is clear that this watch can be a good substitute for exercise bracelets, if they seem too simple and limited to us. I also have to make special mention of the fact that it comes with independent GPS, so you don’t need to use your mobile phone to record our outings and routes.
All this would be useless without a system capable of offering access to information quickly and easily. In that sense, there are zero surprises: Poco uses the same system that all other Xiaomi watches use, and we don’t even have a Poco-exclusive face by default; the good news of using an established platform is that everything on it works very well. As usual, swiping left or right on the touch screen opens different “cards” with information such as heart rate; while if we swipe down we see the notifications and if we swipe up, we have access to the settings panel. Finally, if we press the button we will have access to a list of apps, from which we can directly access the different functions of the watch.
I really liked that you don’t need to use the app to access basic data such as your heart rate or sleep history; but if you really want a better view of your body, the app is a must. Again, it’s not a surprise that it uses the same Mi Fitness app that all other Xiaomi watches use, and again, that’s good news because it’s complete and easy to use.
The last aspect that I would like to highlight about the Poco Watch is the battery, which according to the brand reaches 14 days in normal use; However, as soon as you activate functions such as heart, oxygen and sleep monitoring, that number will drop quickly. Still, I’ve been able to use the watch for a week and have 55% battery life, so it fits perfectly with Poco’s promises.
A surprising watch, for being from Poco
The , with a price of 89.99 euros, shows that things are changing a lot soon, and may indicate that the brand is no longer satisfied with being a sidekick to others. And it is that, ironically, this is the best watch of this type that Xiaomi offers among all its brands.
Xiaomi already offers watches very similar to this one: the Xiaomi Mi Watch Lite and the Redmi Watch Lite 2 share many elements such as the body, the strap and the system; but they are worse than this Poco Watch, since they do not have an AMOLED screen or the new optical sensor that registers blood oxygen, and although they are cheaper, they are not really recommended.
Is this Poco Watch a preview of what is to come from Poco? I hope so, because to begin with, it has managed to launch Xiaomi’s most interesting cheap smartwatch.
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