While I didn’t follow the training plan since I know myself and my body better, the smartwatch gave me the accurate pace I needed to complete my run on a terrain with over 200-meter elevation gain. (Yes, I still did walk for a total of three minutes — shorter than the 15-minute total suggestion of the smartwatch.) Total control over your health XIAOMI All Models 12 Pro 11 Mi 10 Redmi 9 Note RFID Real Leather 100% Handmade Wallet Phone Case Folio Book Cover Free Keyring HandyHüllen Having a long-lasting battery means I can focus on working out and hitting my training schedule. Trust me, a lot of times you’ll postpone your training sessions because your smartwatch is still charging.

Poco M5s Wallet Case, Xiaomi Poco EasyShow Cover for Xiaomi Poco M5s Wallet Case, Xiaomi Poco

For an athlete, a fashionable statement isn’t what I’ll be going after. I’d need a smartwatch that keeps up with my training so I can be at my best during my races and competitions. I’ve recorded multiple times using the cover screen and having it vertically allowed me to get a full preview of the photos and videos I’m taking. With an AMOLED screen, the smartphone can make images pop. Whether you’re binging a series or playing a game, it uses the most of its screen to bring virtual worlds to life. However, the screen does stumble a tiny bit while under direct sunlight. It does take a fair bit of finagling to get the perfect viewing angle while I’m out on a walk. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the results from the main sensor both with and without the 64-megapixel mode switched on. Images are sharp and bright with plenty of detail and a decent amount of depth from the rear sensor. With the 64-megapixel modeWhen streaming 1080p video on YouTube for a few hours, I found it took about 35 minutes for the battery life to drop from 100% to 95% and a further half hour to reach 90%. It fell to 75% in just over 3 hours and 60% in just under 5 hours. In terms of low-light camera performance, the M5s is underwhelming, with noise levels going up a little. That said, they are easily remedied with some post-processing. I'm also a little disappointed with the low dynamic range in indoor shots, which results in details being lost in darker areas.

POCO M5s - The fun magician | POCO Global POCO M5s - The fun magician | POCO Global

The compatibility isn’t limited to a Huawei device since it syncs well with both iOS and Android smartphones. That means anyone can enjoy the smart technology in this little trinket. The Huawei GT 4 accompanied me for more than a month in preparing for my upcoming races. With a battery that lasts up to 14 days of usage (sometimes less when I train every day), I didn’t have to worry about recharging my device every day or two. Despite its low price, POCO did an excellent job of tuning the display and design of the M5s to make it feel more premium. If you know me all too well, you’d know my days are based around my training regimen for my upcoming Spartan races. I’ve been on the competitive heat which pushes me to go to the gym, go for a run, and sometimes, wander on mountainous trails. On another note, it survived a day’s worth of trail running, cafe-hopping, and driving around. Granted, there was no cell reception in the mountains which helped prolong its battery life, but it still put up a fight.

Armed with a Helio G95 chipset (with up to 6GB of RAM), you might assume that the POCO M5s can’t perform as well as a gaming-centric smartphone of the same price range. You’d be wrong, though. I didn’t find performance to be a problem during everyday use and a game of Among Us ran smoothly on the phone, but, if a high-performing gaming phone is your priority, I would look elsewhere.