Xiaomi has officially confirmed the launch of its Watch 5 and Buds 6 at a December 25 event in China, alongside the new Xiaomi 17 Ultra smartphone. The Watch 5 introduces EMG sensing to Xiaomi’s wearables for the first time, while the Buds 6 offer CD-level audio and AI-powered smart features.
Xiaomi Watch 5 brings stainless steel, EMG and ECG
The Xiaomi Watch 5 is being positioned as a flagship-grade device, with the company using the term “fully intelligent” in its pre-release teasers. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 platform, a wearable-focused chip based on a 4nm process and featuring a quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU. This places the Watch 5 in the same league as recent Wear OS devices, although Xiaomi hasn’t officially confirmed the operating system just yet.
The device features a round dial design and a stainless steel unibody that reportedly undergoes 36 polishing steps. Both the front and back of Watch 5 are protected by sapphire glass, with a Mohs hardness rating of 9. Xiaomi is also showing off strap options that include polished stainless steel, leather brown and sportier green bands.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
Health tracking sees some interesting additions. The Watch 5 includes ECG analysis, a feature already common in many premium smartwatches. But what stands out is the inclusion of an EMG sensor. Xiaomi says it can detect weak electromyographic signals from small muscle groups and interpret fine movements. This could potentially be used for gesture recognition or motion control, although the company hasn’t gone into detail yet.
The EMG sensor is confirmed through internal Xiaomi posts on Weibo, and visuals show a redesigned sensor cluster that appears more advanced than the previous generation.
Xiaomi Buds 6 promise high-quality audio and AI tools
Xiaomi’s Buds 6 will also debut at the event, described as flagship-grade semi-in-ear earbuds. Available in black, white and pink, the new model carries a design evolution with biomimetic curves and a charging case that resembles a polished pebble.
The standout promise here is support for “CD-level” lossless audio, which suggests a major audio fidelity focus. While full specifications are still under wraps, Xiaomi has confirmed several smart features, including real-time translation, intelligent recording and AI-generated summaries.
The Buds 6 are expected to build on the feature set introduced with the Buds 5 in mid-2024. That earlier model already supported spatial audio, ANC, and long battery life. At launch, the Buds 5 were priced at CNY 699, which translates to around Rs. 8,000. Pricing for the Buds 6 hasn’t been disclosed yet, but a similar range seems likely.
All of this hardware will be formally unveiled at Xiaomi’s product launch on December 25. The event is set for 7:00pm local time in China, which corresponds to 4:30pm IST.
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