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Huawei Watch Fit 2 vs Xiaomi S1 Active: Which Will You Choose

If you are someone who really likes the Huawei Watch Fit 2 or the Xiaomi S1 Active but is not sure which one to buy, then I will do my best to help you decide which one is best for you. Each device has its own strengths and weaknesses and I will try to highlight those in this comparison.

Recently, I carried out a comparison between the Huawei Band 7 and the Xiaomi S1 Active. The comparison saw the Huawei Band 7 coming out on top with a score of 4 to 2. Since the Watch Fit 2 is an upgrade from the Band 7, I thought the Watch Fit 2 would win the comparison battle.

Ultimately, it was the Watch Fit 2 that emerged victorious in the comparison against the S1 Active. The comparison was conducted in six categories and the Watch Fit 2 won with a score of 4 to 0 (2 draws). These are the comparison results that summarize the outcome of the battle

SectorWinner
Smart FeaturesDraw
Health FeaturesWatch Fit 2
Third Party AppsWatch Fit 2
Workout Mode AbilityWatch Fit 2
GPS TrackingDraw
Battery LifeWatch Fit 2

The strongest features that the S1 Active offers are the smart features and GPS tracking. In my experience through testing the, the Watch Fit 2 can match the S1 Active which resulted in a draw for those categories.

The purpose of this article is to discuss my testing results and explain my approach to achieving a final result that is consistent and unbiased. It is worth noting that I do not include any specifications in my articles, but rather focus on sharing my personal user experience and testing results with my readers.

Smart Features : End Result Draw

One of the best smart features available.

The smart features category of both devices was thoroughly tested and the results were quite surprising. In the end, both devices performed exceptionally well, however, the final outcome was somewhat unexpected.

Despite this, it is important to highlight that there are many areas where these devices are similar, but there are also some notable differences. Before discussing the advantages of each device, let us first examine the testing results for the smart features category.

LevelS1 ActiveWatch Fit 2
Beginner4/55/5
Intermediate3/53/5
Advanced3/52/5
Final Score10/1510/15

Where the Watch Fit 2 Gains the Advantage

With the final results in the intermediate and advanced level I will show you what features the S1 Active does not have.

Ability to make phone calls : One of the things that the S1 Active cannot do is make phone calls from the device and speak into the device when the call is answered. You are limited to twenty contacts that can be stored into the Huawei Health app, where you can make calls from. Very useful and reliable feature to use every time.

Where the S1 Active Gains the advantage

The S1 Active has all the smart features that the Watch Fit 2 has except the ability to make phone calls from the device. Here are a few features that stand out.

Ability to use contactless payment : This feature I never got to test because Xiaomi Pay isn’t something that’s widely supported here in New Zealand, so if this type of feature is important to you then check with your back first if Xiaomi pay is supported. Xiaomi pay also uses Mastercard, so make sure you check that out.

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Make a SOS call : The Watch Fit 2 does not have this feature, however if this type of feature is important to you, then you must be warned that in my experience using this feature it is unreliable. Executing the SOS call works well, but the downside is that, it wont send second SOS message via text with your GPS coordinates, or has fall detection in case you are in capable of making a SOS call. I find Garmin and Apple are more reliable with this feature, so just be aware of that.

Digital Assistant : The Watch Fit 2 does not have a built in digital assistant, which is a real pity. However the S1 Active does Alexa, which is a very reliable feature. Alexa can activate the features without the need to do so manually. There is a downside which is Alexa commands do come slower and at times it times out. This might not happen in your part of the world but in New Zealand, Alexa tends to be a little buggy.

If you want to know more about the smart feature ability for both devices, I have written an article with the full test results. Please check this out so you understand the devices capabilities.

Health Features : Winner Huawei Watch Fit 2

When it comes to health features, both devices are fairly low on the pecking order, especially against brands like Fitbit, Apple, Withings and whoop which have the most reliable health tracking devices in the market.

Both devices can offer all day heart rate monitoring, stress management tools and blood oxygen readings. However there is one feature that the S1 Active does not have which is snore detection, which is the only reason the Watch Fit 2 wins this category.

Sleep tracking is a must for me when prioritising my own health, and the snore detection feature in my experience isn’t quite at the same level as the Galaxy Watch, Apple, or Fitbit, and only provides one recorded sleep.

Third Party Apps : Winner Huawei Watch Fit 2

When it comes to third party app ability the Watch Fit 2 is the clear winner in the category. The eight point gap between the two devices really says a lot. In comparison to the S1 Active, it performed very weak. If you are someone that has a premium level subscription with a third party app, then this category is important to you. Here is a final summary of my results in comparison.

FeatureS1 ActiveWatch Fit 2
Connection TypeBluetoothBluetooth
App Stores2/52/5
In Direct Ability0/55/5
Direct Ability1/54/5
Final Score3/1511/15

App stores : Both devices dont have a big app gallery that is compatible to these devices. I wont go into full detail here, but I will provide a link below that will take you to my full article. This is important because the type of mobile device you have can affect your user experience for better or worse.

In direct ability : If you are not familiar with the term, it’s where you allow a third party app permission to access your tracking data, and the Watch Fit 2 was fantastic to use. During my testing I used popular apps like Adidas running, Strava and Komoot. All apps synchronised instantly once my workout ended, or in Bluetooth range to your phone. The Watch Fit 2 was very reliable, whereas the S1 Active performed really badly. If this is important to you, please check out my full articles about the devices third party apps.

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Direct Ability : If you are not familiar with the term, it’s where you control a app that was download from it’s app gallery. Unfortunately both devices dont have a great app gallery so there was limited choice during testing. Some of the apps worked and some of them didn’t, which was due to the mobile device you are transfer the app from. In order to get the best experience, it’s better to have a like for like ecosystem i.e. Galaxy Watch and Android phone, Apple Watch with Apple phone etc..

The Watch Fit 2 was clearly the winner in this category, but like I said, if this is important to you please read through my full articles about the devices third party app ability.

Workout Mode Ability : Winner Huawei Watch Fit 2

The Watch Fit 2 is by far the clear winner in this category, and tracking your workouts is probably the Watch Fit 2 strongest category in this comparison. The S1 Active is really a basic fitness racker with at least one intermediate feature. Here is a quick summary of my testing results

CriteriaS1 ActiveWatch Fit 2
SpecialitySmart AppsActivity
Basic Level5/55/5
Intermediate Level1/55/5
Advanced Level0/51/5
Final Score6/1511/15

The Watch Fit 2 is such a powerful, reliable and affordable device when it comes to tracking your workouts. Through my testing, the Watch Fit 2 performed really well consistently and reliably. Here are the features where the Watch Fit 2 outperforms the S1 Active.

Ability to measure training load : Training load is an essential feature that measures your training load by accessing training, sleep and stress management data to generate your training load score. A really helpful device that will allow you to train smarter, and exercise within your bodies capacity to handle stress. If my score is high, I can train at a higher intensity, if it is low then I would do more of a recovery workout like stretching or walking, really useful feature that stops you from over training.

Ability to Measure Fitness level : The Watch Fit 2 can do this in two ways which is the heart rate recovery method or V02 max. Heart rate recovery is where you take your heart rate after your work out for two minutes. The closer your heart rate is to your resting heart rate after two minutes, the fitter you are. The great thing about this feature it can be done after anaerobic exercise like strength workouts or CrossFit, and aerobic exercises such as running. The V02 max is a measure of your bodies capacity to absorb oxygen, the fitter you are, the more efficient you become.

Ability to use Bluetooth Sensors : This is quite a useful feature for anyone that demands accuracy during training. The Bluetooth sensor ability is more suited for a runner and cyclist, and you can connect to Huawei STAG (Huawei’s own motion sensor for running and cycling), heart rate trap, cadence sensor and power meter (smart axel from your bike).

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These are some of the advantages that the Huawei Watch Fit 2 has over the S1 Active. It’s ability to track your workouts is very impressive, and I am only speaking from my own experience. I personally like to import or export some of my completed routes when hiking or running, and the GPS battery consumption is very impressive too. If you want to know the Watch Fit 2 or the S1 Actives workout mode ability please check out my full articles on this.

GPS Tracking : Draw

When it comes to GPS tracking both devices are evenly matched, however the S1 Active has dual band frequency which should have displayed some differences in accuracy, but in the end the final scores have drawn level. Here is a summary of the three tests that I have done

CriteriaS1 ActiveWatch Fit 2
No of GPS sensors55
Basic test5/55/5
Hard test1/51/5
Very hard test4/54/5
Final Score10/1510/15

If you want to see the full results of the tests including how I go about testing, check out my full articles for both devices. I do explain some of the difficulties when using GPS so take a look at that if GPS tracking is important to you for a smart watch.

Battery Life : Winner Watch Fit 2

When it comes to battery life testing I like to do this in two parts. First part is based on my typical usage without GPS tracking. The second part is based on the battery life consumption when using GPS. In the end it will give you a final score.

In the end the Watch Fit 2 really dominates in this category. Although there is only a two point difference in comparison, but the end result is huge and it can result in extra number of days with a single charge. Here are my final testing results for this category.

CriteriaS1 ActiveWatch Fit 2
Battery economy without GPS2/54/5
GPS Battery Consumption rate per hour5/55/5
Final Score7/109/10

Battery Economy without GPS

This is based off my own typical usage, and this is what my typical usage looks like.

  • All day heart rate tracking including sleep tracking
  • AOD : 20-25 screen activations
  • 50 minutes workout tracking
  • 20 messages
  • 1 hour of GPS tracking
CriteriaS1 ActiveWatch Fit 2
Battery economy without GPS per day14%10%
No of days69
star rating2/54/5

I mentioned earlier that the two point difference is a huge difference and the table above is evidence of that. I always end the test once the device has used up 90% of it’s battery. So based on my typical usage the Watch Fit 2 was 29% more efficient based on my typical usage.

GPS Battery Consumption

Anyone that uses GPS tracking a lot would know that this is a massive battery drainer. Especially for anyone that goes on long hikes, rides etc. Both devices are very impressive in this field and has matched some of the best brands in the market. Here is the final results.

CriteriaS1 ActiveWatch Fit 2
GPS battery consumption per hour5%5%
star rating5/55/5

Final Conclusion

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have learnt a lot about both devices in comparison. If you are someone who is looking to by either device but unsure what to buy, I hope I have put forward enough information to allow you to make a choice with confidence.

I would hate for you to buy a watch and it didn’t meet your expectations, which is why I have designed my article within these six categories. At least that way you know what to expect when you are using the built in features.

Here in New Zealand, both devices are very similar in price, which is about $200 to $250 NZD, which is very considerable if you are looking at buying the Watch Fit 2.

If you are someone that still has there heart set on buying the Xiaomi S1 Active, then I think it’s still a good choice. If I was to describe the perfect person who would benefit buying this device would be

  • Wants a device that is heavy in smart features
  • Wants a basic fitness tracker
  • wants to get reliable GPS tracking
  • Reasonable battery life

Once again thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed reading the article.