Smartwatch

Mibro Watch X1 : test / review

Published on: 06-01-2022 / Modified: 22-07-2022
I have tested many watches in recent months (almost 20) and even if there are many models, I limited myself to a selection of brands so as not to be too scattered and to be able to compare the evolution of these. Before testing the Mibro Watch X1, I tested two other Mibro watches (Mibro Lite and Mibro Air). Mibro has entry-level price positioning with some mid-range features including the use of an amoled screen. Mibro also tends to produce watches with round dials and below average weight. The stage is set, all I have to do is test this new Mibro Watch X1.

Introductory offer

The Mibro Watch X1 will be launched on January 10 on Aliexpress with an introductory price of around € 60:
Mibro Watch X1 offer of launch on Aliexpress

Manufacturer web site:
https://mibrofit.com/

Price Mibro Watch X1

The list below shows the prices for the Mibro Watch X1 from more than 50 sites around the world. If you are not satisfied with any price, you can subscribe to a price alert to be the first to be notified when the price drops.

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Timeline

December 28, 2021: I received the Mibro Watch provided by YouPin Labs, the test can start

Waarom deze smartwatch?

Watches are easy to test products because they are products I use on a daily basis, so I can quickly compare common features and provide feedback. I'm not a big athlete but I still try to do one to two hours of sport per week where I measure my performance with heart rate monitoring. I can thus also compare the reliability of the measurements coming from the watch and I can also test the applications associated with them.

Structure of my tests

I test products according to a pre-established structure (see below) to provide you with maximum information. Unfortunately, this takes a lot of time. Unlike some sites where products are tested on a single day, I use the products I test for a minimum of a few weeks and sometimes even a few months. If the test is not complete at the time of your visit, I invite you to come back later or ask your question in the comment section below.

Unpacking

Until now, all Mibro boxes had a different design. This time the box has a sober but effective cubic design. The box contains the bare minimum with the watch, a recharging cable (for Mibro only) and a user manual.

First configuration

The configuration of the Mibro Watch X1 follows the same principle as almost all watches. It offers a QR code to download the Mibrofit app and another QR code to pair the watch with the app although it can also be detected via Bluetooth. I did not encounter any problem during this configuration.

Finish

The Mibro Watch X1 is mainly made of rigid plastic giving it a more solid appearance. Its dial is surrounded by a metal-effect ring reinforcing this feeling of solidity, the ring is also made of plastic. The strapping is fixed / static, it can give the impression of being mobile or of being tactile, but it is in reality purely decorative.

The buttons on the side are wide and flat, so they won't snag your clothes fabric or put pressure on the skin when you bend your wrist. The top button provides access to the main functions of the watch, the lower button provides access to sports modes.

The watch is quite thin (11mm thick) and light (52g with the strap).

On the back we find the usual sensors, I have no information on the type of sensor used, I cannot compare it to the other watches I have tested.

Overall, the level of finish is quite correct, the design is quite classic and makes this watch arguably more affordable for a wider audience where other brands have marketed watches with a more divisive design that may not appeal to everyone.

Connectivity

The Mibro Watch X1 is Bluetooth 5.0 compatible, it does not have a GPS chip.

Battery range

The Mibro X1 has a 350mAh battery which should give it 14 days of battery life in theory and in reality I should get to an effective battery life of two weeks. I had the watch on my wrist for 7 days when I wrote this article and I had 46% battery left. I use the watch every day with the basic functions (automatic heart rate measurement for example) and over the 7 days I did 3x30 minutes of sport (cycling).

Screen quality

Using a 1.3 inch amoled screen really adds value to watches that use this type of screen. Blacks are true black and it gives custom dials more depth, the dial looks more realistic. The brightness is variable and when pushed to the maximum, the watch could almost serve as a flashlight because the brightness is so strong. I also recommend lowering the brightness for the night because if you turn on your watch in the dark, you risk being a little dazzled.

With maximum brightness, you can use the watch outdoors, the screen remains perfectly legible.

Features

The Mibro Watch X1 broadly resumes the usual functions of a watch of this type. The home screen is customizable, you can choose from about twenty dials, some are available in the watch and the others must be downloaded from the MibroFit application.

The watch has the following functions:
- heart rate measurement
- measurement of the oxygen level in the blood
- music player
- alarm / alarm clock
- trigger the phone's camera
- call display
- breathing exercise
- find your phone
- stopwatch
- calculator
- sleep tracking
- stress level measurement
- sport modes (38 in total)
- receiving messages (mail, sms, chat, etc.)

The Mibro Watch X1 therefore has all the basic functions of a watch of this type. It probably lacks the GPS but in this price range, it is quite rare.

Measurements

I tested the Mibro Watch through several sports sessions and compared the results with my Polar H10 belt.

Like most entry-level watches, this watch is not intended for athletes who want to measure their performance, there are two reasons for that:
1. The watch cannot handle large fluctuations in heart rate well, so it loses a lot of information about rises and falls in heart rate. At rest or at a constant pace, the measurements are much more reliable and closely resemble the measurements of my Polar H10 belt.
2. Neither the watch nor the Mibrofit app stores all the information about the sports session. So I cannot review my heart averages, the application only keeps superficial data.

For sir and madam everyone, this problem of measurement reliability will not matter because if your heart rate is regular, the watch will give a correct indication of the number of beats.

App

The Mibrofit application has evolved a lot since the first time I tested it, it is easy to use and includes all the data collected by the watch. The app cannot yet compete with more mature apps like Zepp or Mifit, there are still a few things to fix before we get there. First there are the translations, I was often faced with Chinese screens so I was not able to understand the messages displayed by the watch. The other thing that I missed is the data history. Although the basic data is saved by the app, the sports data is very superficial and not at all comparable to what I have found on other watches.

Compatibility

The Mibro Watch X1 is compatible with all phones capable of running the Mibrofit application.

Operating system

The Mibro X1 is a very easy to use consumer watch. The menu structure is very clear and you never have to go very far to find a feature. The home screen is customizable, you can change the dials by selecting the dials available in the watch but you can choose others from the application, there is something for everyone.

On the left, we find a series of non-customizable shortcuts including the weather forecast, heart rate measurement and blood oxygen levels. You will also find a shortcut to the most used functions, this will prevent you from having to go in all the menus.

On the right you will find a series of widgets such as the details of the heart rate or the activity of the day. You can add any widgets you want from those available, but once that is done, you cannot remove them.

At the bottom is the list of messages and notifications received on the phone and synchronized with the watch. These messages can come from several sources such as gmail, whatsapp, sms, ... These messages are stacked one above the other with just the logo of the application used to be able to distinguish them. When you receive a message, the watch will vibrate several times and although you may have already read these messages on another device, the watch will still vibrate.

Encoutered bugs

Not yet available / tested

Compare Mibro Watch X1 with the others

Test / Review conclusion

The Mibro Watch X1 is a watch that has a format and design that should appeal to a fairly large audience, I find that Mibro has found a good balance with a light watch, a fairly large screen and a fairly successful design. Beyond subjective judgment, this watch has several qualities that will set it apart from the competition. First there is the amoled screen which offers excellent contrast and excellent readability. This screen is readable from all angles and its brightness is sufficient for outdoor use. After the screen, I would say that autonomy is another strong point. I had the opportunity to test watches with an autonomy of one to two days, other watches with weeks of autonomy, the Mibro Watch X1 offers approximately 2 weeks of autonomy. The watch is quite easy to use, all the features are easily and quickly accessible.

Even though the images used to promote this watch often show athletic people, this watch is not suitable for an athletic audience because heart measurements are not reliable enough. The watch struggles to keep pace with the heartbeat when the heartbeat fluctuates a lot, so it loses information that ultimately affects the end result. If, on the other hand, you just want a watch to give you a snapshot of your heart rate, the Mibro is capable of measuring heartbeats quite reliably. The other point that bothered me a bit was the data retention in the application. The application only displays a summary view of sports activities, it is not possible to retrieve the details of a sports session. Again if you are not athletic, this shouldn't bother you too much.

Strengths

- screen quality (contrast, readability, brightness, ...)
- battery life
- ease of use
- light (52g)

Weaknesses

- not designed for a sporting audience
- no gps
- translations not always correct in the watch and the app
- reliability of the heart rate measurement
- application not yet at competition level (Mifi, Zepp, ...)