Wear Radar

Garmin vivosmart 5vsXiaomi Watch

$136
price gap
Garmin vivosmart 5 cheaper
31g
lighter
Garmin vivosmart 5
Garmin vivosmart 5
Buy/Wait:bad

Late in cycle — a new model is likely coming

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Xiaomi Watch
Buy/Wait:good

Early in release cycle

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Garmin vivosmart 5Xiaomi Watch
Pricing
Starting price$149$285
Subscriptionℹ️ Optional — $70/yr✓ None
Hardware
Weight25g56g
Water resistance5ATM5ATM
Battery7 days6 days
Always-on display
GPS
Cellular
PlatformiOS & AndroidAndroid only
TierFitness TrackerSmartwatch
Buy timing
ReleasedApr 26, 2022Feb 28, 2026
Cycle advicebadgood
Deals advicegreatneutral
Next modelGarmin vivosmart 6 (Expected 2026)

Health Sensors

Garmin vivosmart 5 only
2 exclusive sensors
Stress TrackingStress estimate from HRV and physiological signals
Body BatteryGarmin's energy reserve — how much fuel left in the tank
Both
3 shared
Heart RateContinuous or on-demand pulse tracking
SpO2Blood oxygen saturation, tracked during sleep
HRVHeart rate variability — stress & recovery scores
Xiaomi Watch only
2 exclusive sensors
ECGDetects irregular heart rhythms (AFib)
Skin TempOvernight changes linked to illness or cycle tracking

Why buy each?

Garmin vivosmart 5

Garmin Body Battery in a band

Body Battery energy monitoring — the feature Garmin is known for — in a wristband that's thinner than most fitness trackers.

HRV status and stress tracking

Continuous heart rate variability monitoring and all-day stress tracking give a more complete picture of recovery and readiness than step counts alone.

Works with Garmin Connect ecosystem

All data syncs to Garmin Connect, compatible with thousands of third-party apps, coaches, and integrations across the Garmin platform.

Xiaomi Watch

6-day battery on Wear OS

Dual-chip design keeps the main Snapdragon W5 dormant during light tasks, dramatically extending battery life beyond any rival Wear OS watch.

Wear OS 6 with ECG and eSIM

First Wear OS 6 device on the market — with ECG monitoring, EMG gesture control, and eSIM for standalone calling.

1.54" AMOLED at a competitive price

Larger and brighter display than Galaxy Watch 8 or Pixel Watch 4, with Hasselblad-tuned health sensors, starting at around $285.

Quick Winner

The right pick depends on what you optimize for.

For the budget
Xiaomi Watch wins

$285 vs $359 over 3 years · no required subscription.

For battery life
Garmin vivosmart 5 wins

7 days vs 6 days battery.

For health depth
Garmin vivosmart 5 wins

5 sensors.

For daily comfort
Garmin vivosmart 5 wins

25g · no required subscription.

Bottom Line

Technical gaps
  1. vivosmart 5-only sensors: Stress Tracking, Body Battery.
  2. Watch-only sensors: ECG, Skin Temp.
  3. Weight. vivosmart 5 is 31g lighter — relevant for all-day comfort and sleep.
Commercial gaps
  1. Hardware cost. vivosmart 5 is $136 cheaper upfront ($149 vs $285).
Pick the Garmin vivosmart 5 if…

Garmin users and health-focused individuals who want Body Battery, HRV, and advanced sleep analytics in a slim, discreet wristband rather than a sports watch. Compatible with both iPhone and Android via Garmin Connect.

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Pick the Xiaomi Watch if…

Android users who want a full-featured Wear OS smartwatch — ECG, eSIM, a large bright screen — at a price well below Samsung and Google competitors. A natural pairing with Xiaomi phones but fully compatible with any Android device.

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