When it comes to smartwatches, we’re actually coming from a slightly difficult position for the Redmi Watch 6 Active. Our team has been using the Redmi Watch S4. And even as someone who enjoys running, working out at the gym, and generally keeping an eye on fitness, we haven’t really had a reason to move away from it.
So, when we started using the Redmi Watch 6 Active, the question wasn’t simply whether it was a good smartwatch. We were more interested in something much harder to answer: would it make us feel like we were missing something by not switching?
After all, a smartwatch can track your workouts, count your steps, monitor your sleep and throw notifications onto your wrist, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need a new one.
The Redmi Watch 6 Active, however, takes a different approach. At Php2,599, it sits firmly in the affordable smartwatch category. It focuses on the essentials rather than trying to replicate the feature list of more expensive wearables. It has a 1.85-inch AMOLED display, more than 140 sports modes, health tracking, sleep monitoring and a battery Xiaomi says can last up to 18 days under light use.
That makes it an interesting proposition not necessarily for people looking to upgrade from a premium smartwatch, but for those who want a capable wearable without spending too much.
For us, though, there was one thing we really wanted to find out if after spending time with the Redmi Watch 6 Active. Would we actually want to go back to our Redmi Watch S4, or would we be perfectly happy sticking with the simpler option?
Redmi Watch 6 Active Review: Design
Our team got the Sunset Orange variant of the Redmi Watch 6 Active, and honestly, it is a little more flashy than what we would personally want from a smartwatch.
For us, a smartwatch works best when it can quietly blend into whatever we’re wearing. We like the idea of being able to wear it while running or working out at the gym, but also keep it on when we’re wearing casual clothes or even office attire without it suddenly becoming the most noticeable thing on our wrist.
The Sunset Orange finish doesn’t quite deliver that low-key look.
Even when we were wearing our usual sports attire, we occasionally found ourselves wishing we had the Black version instead. Black would have been much easier to pair with different outfits and, more importantly, different pairs of running shoes. Orange is simply a more contrasting color, so it naturally draws a little more attention to the wrist.
That said, this is very much a matter of personal style rather than a problem with the watch itself. If you like a smartwatch that adds a pop of color to your outfit, the Sunset Orange variant certainly does that. For us, however, a smartwatch is something we’d rather have blend into the background, especially when we’re not dressed for a workout.
Beyond the color, the Redmi Watch 6 Active itself is designed to be lightweight and uncomplicated. At just 26g, it is 4g lighter than its predecessor, while its 9.9mm thickness also makes it slimmer than the Redmi Watch 5 Active’s 11.4mm body. The combination makes it easy to forget that we’re wearing it, which is exactly what we want from a watch we’ll keep on throughout the day.
The body is mostly plastic, although the brushed-metal-like finish gives it a slightly more polished appearance than the material might suggest. There is also IP68 dust and water resistance, so it is built to handle the sweat and splashes that come with everyday workouts.
The watch uses a single physical button on the side, which keeps the overall design clean. We could use it to access settings and features such as Find Phone, Flashlight, Timer, Stopwatch and camera controls, as well as health information. It’s a simple setup, but it also means there aren’t extra controls competing for attention on the side of the watch.
The included TPU strap uses a quick-release mechanism, making it relatively straightforward to swap straps. We did find the attachment a little fiddly at times, though, so changing it isn’t quite as effortless as we’d hoped.
Overall, the Redmi Watch 6 Active has the kind of lightweight, practical design we want from an affordable smartwatch.
Redmi Watch 6 Active Review: Display
The display is arguably the feature you’ll interact with most, and Xiaomi gives the Watch 6 Active a 1.85-inch AMOLED panel with a 390 x 450 resolution.
The relatively large screen makes information easy to read without requiring us to squint at tiny numbers. Notifications are readable, health statistics are clearly presented, and navigating menus feels straightforward.
It also supports brightness of up to 1,200 nits, which makes a noticeable difference outdoors.
We used the watch outside under bright conditions, and the display remained visible enough to check notifications, workout information, and other details without constantly shielding it with our hand. The reflective finish can still catch some light, but the high brightness helps compensate for it.
Another thing we appreciated was the touchscreen responsiveness. Even when the display was slightly wet, interactions remained reliable. That’s particularly useful when using the watch during workouts, when sweaty fingers aren’t exactly ideal touchscreen hardware.
For a budget smartwatch, the display feels like a well-judged compromise. It’s large enough to be practical, bright enough for outdoor use, and responsive enough that we rarely found ourselves tapping twice just to make something happen.
Redmi Watch 6 Active Review: Software and Smart Features
The Redmi Watch 6 Active runs on Xiaomi HyperOS, and the interface is straightforward enough that we didn’t need much time to learn our way around it.
The main watch face gives you the information you’d expect at a glance, including the time, date, heart rate, daily steps, and calories burned.
From there, gestures provide quick access to commonly used features. Swiping in one direction brings up tools such as alarms, timers, and media controls, while another direction gives us access to weather, sleep information, and exercise shortcuts.
The watch itself handles a surprising amount of information. However, the Mi Fitness app is where the experience becomes considerably more comprehensive.
Available on both Android and iOS, the app acts as the central hub for health data, workouts, watch faces, and customisation. This cross-platform support is important because it means you don’t need to be locked into a particular smartphone ecosystem to get value from the watch.
Health tracking is particularly extensive for a wearable at this price.
The Redmi Watch 6 Active can monitor heart rate, SpO₂, sleep, stress, steps, calories burned, and activity duration. The Mi Fitness app then lets us look at these measurements across daily, weekly, and monthly periods.
For users who like seeing progress over time, this makes the data considerably more useful than simply having a number appear on the watch and disappear.
There is also menstrual cycle tracking, which can be configured through the Mi Fitness app using information such as cycle length, period duration, and the date of the last period. The app can then provide calendar-based predictions.
For fitness enthusiasts, the Watch 6 Active supports more than 140 sports modes. That covers familiar activities such as walking, running, and cycling, as well as strength training, aerobics, ballet, and even equestrian activities.
We appreciate the breadth, although realistically, most people will probably return to the same handful of workouts. Still, having the options available means the watch doesn’t become limiting if your fitness routine changes.
The app also handles watch-face customisation. There are numerous designs available, and many of the more popular options can be downloaded for free. Switching between them gives the watch a different personality without requiring any additional hardware.
Redmi Watch 6 Active Review: Everyday Use
Where the Redmi Watch 6 Active works particularly well is as a second screen for your smartphone.
We didn’t have to pull out our phone every time a notification arrived. Quick glances at the wrist were enough to decide whether something needed our immediate attention or could wait.
The additional tools are similarly practical.
Being able to trigger the phone’s camera remotely, set a timer, check the weather, or control media playback sounds simple and that’s precisely why these features are useful. They’re small conveniences that become part of your routine without demanding attention.
For anyone trying to become more active, the constant visibility of steps and activity data can also provide a gentle nudge to move. It isn’t a personal trainer strapped to your wrist, but seeing that you’ve been sitting for hours can be surprisingly effective motivation to take a walk.
Meanwhile, the health features should be viewed as tracking tools rather than medical equipment. They can help you understand trends in your activity and wellness data, but they aren’t substitutes for professional medical assessment.
Redmi Watch 6 Active Review: Battery Life
Battery life is one of the Redmi Watch 6 Active’s strongest practical advantages.
The watch packs a 470mAh battery, with Xiaomi claiming up to 18 days of use under light usage conditions. Naturally, turning on more tracking features and exercising regularly reduces that figure significantly.
But for us who always wear the device and use its features, it only manages to stay up to four days, max. Anyway, it’s still impressive, considering how heavy we used it.
That’s enough battery life that charging doesn’t become another daily chore. It also means we can wear the watch overnight for sleep tracking without having to sacrifice an evening of data just to charge it.
Charging itself is handled through the included wired USB-A charging cable rather than wireless charging. That’s one area where the budget nature of the watch becomes more apparent, but given how infrequently we needed to charge it, it wasn’t a major inconvenience.
Verdict: The Redmi Watch 6 Active Keeps Things Simple
At Php2,599, the Redmi Watch 6 Active isn’t trying to be a luxury smartwatch. And honestly, it doesn’t need to be.
There are compromises, of course. The plastic construction won’t give you the same premium feel as a much more expensive smartwatch, the strap takes some patience to attach initially, and charging isn’t wireless.
However, those aren’t necessarily dealbreakers when the Redmi Watch 6 Active just costs Php2,599.
For someone buying their first smartwatch, looking for an affordable fitness companion, or simply wanting a wearable that handles notifications and everyday tracking without adding another expensive gadget to their collection, the Redmi Watch 6 Active makes a convincing case.
So, are you getting one? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!
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