The Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro boasts a design relying on a 1.43-inch touchscreen complemented by a set of two buttons and a functional crown. The interface invites users to engage with various fitness-tracking features by pressing the top button which reveals an array of sporting activities. Despite the potential for customization, double taps or long presses on this button will not result in additional commands.
The secondary button brings up the last accessed application with a single press, while a double tap conveniently shortcuts to Google Wallet. The crown, on the other hand, serves multiple purposes; a single press displays all apps, a double tap brings forth recently used apps, and holding it down activates the voice assistant. Although the top button’s function can be tailored to launch different apps, the rest of the button commands are preset and cannot be altered.
By swiping horizontally, users can navigate through various ’tiles’ that display information such as daily activities, weather, workouts, sleep tracking, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels. Interacting with these tiles grants access to more detailed submenus, and both their order and displayed content are modifiable through the associated app.
Contrary to many smartwatches, the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro’s gesture swipes for notifications and settings are inverted. Swiping from the top edge downwards reveals notifications sorted by apps, whereas swiping upwards from the bottom edge pulls up a concise menu offering adjustments for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile data, airplane mode, and do not disturb settings.
During day-to-day use, some users might encounter software hiccups. Instances such as the alarm feature abruptly ceasing to operate were noted, though a simple restart seemed to resolve the problem. Another observed oddity was the smartwatch starting to make frequent exercise announcements unprompted, which also required a reboot to silence.
While the hardware of the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro offers a robust and user-friendly experience, it’s clear that the software leaves room for improvement, particularly in terms of reliability and flawless operation.
