Compare Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro vs Garmin Approach S70

Workout auto-detection is inconsistent across reviewers: one full review says workouts must be started manually, while one video saw walking prompts appear after several minutes.

Auto-detection is supported mainly through automatic shot tracking and measured-shot behavior, with positive convenience but some manual confirmation or sensor caveats.

Wear OS and Play Store access are the biggest upgrade, with reviewers broadly praising Google apps and third-party support despite some complaints about Xiaomi’s skin.

The Garmin ecosystem is praised for tying golf, fitness, watch faces, and Connect IQ-style additions together.

The straps are easy to replace and sometimes praised for softness, but the strap/case balance drew criticism during exercise because the heavy body can move around.

Band quality is mixed: reviewers like comfort and integrated looks, but several dislike the molded strap not laying flat or prefer older straps.

Battery life is the most split attribute: some reviewers got two days, but others saw one day or less than 48 hours depending on always-on display, LTE, and workout use.

Battery life is one of the strongest positives, with reviewers reporting long smartwatch use, multiple rounds, and much better endurance than Apple Watch comparisons.

Blood oxygen tracking is widely present, including overnight SpO2 in some setups, and one sports test found pulse-oximeter deviation acceptable.

Pulse ox and blood oxygen tracking are present in several reviews and treated as part of the S70’s higher-end health sensor package.

Bluetooth connectivity was straightforward in the reviews that tested it, with solid phone, earbud, and Mi Fitness syncing experiences.

Bluetooth connectivity is supported through Bluetooth music and headphone pairing, though the evidence is functional rather than deeply evaluated.

Brightness is generally strong and outdoor-friendly, though one reviewer disliked the indoor auto-brightness behavior.

Brightness is repeatedly praised, with reviewers describing the screen as bright, crisp, colorful, and clear.

Build quality is generally praised thanks to the stainless-steel construction and premium feel, though the extra weight affects comfort.

Build quality is viewed positively, with reviewers describing a lightweight, well-designed build and confidence-inspiring construction.

The physical controls are a strength, with the rotating crown and buttons making apps, workouts, payments, and navigation easier to access.

Button controls are generally praised, with reviewers liking the three-button setup and easy navigation support.

Call handling is strong in the reviews that tested it, with clear microphone/speaker performance and usable wrist calling.

Call handling is limited because reviewers say the watch can show or manage calls but cannot be used to actually speak through the watch.

Calorie tracking is available through workout summaries and goals, but reviewers mostly treat it as part of general fitness data rather than a standout insight.

Charging convenience is mixed: the watch charges quickly, but the proprietary two-pin dock and required orientation are repeated annoyances.

Charging convenience is mixed to negative, with reviewers repeatedly mentioning proprietary charging, USB-C adapter issues, and awkward face-down charging.

Charging speed is a clear positive, with several reviewers reporting roughly 40-50 minute full charges or meaningful top-ups in 10-20 minutes.

Charging speed has limited but positive support from one reviewer who says it does not take long to fully charge.

Coaching is useful for basic analysis, interval suggestions, and recovery estimates, but more serious sports reviewers found training-load and recovery guidance weak.

Coaching features are one of the S70’s strongest themes, with virtual caddie, PlaysLike, club suggestions, shot dispersion, and scoring advice appearing across many reviews.

Comfort is a common concern because the large stainless-steel case feels bulky for sleep and workouts, though one reviewer still found it comfortable day to day.

Comfort is a major strength, with reviewers saying the watch disappears, sits comfortably, and does not bother them during golf or sleep.

Mi Fitness divides reviewers: some liked its simple all-in-one controls, while others found it cluttered, buggy, and far behind stronger health apps.

Companion app quality is generally positive, especially Garmin Golf for round data, stats, and ecosystem value, with setup requirements noted.

Contactless payments are well supported through Google Wallet/Google Pay and are easy to reach from the hardware shortcut.

Contactless payments are available through Garmin Pay, but evidence is mixed because bank support and setup can be limiting in some regions.

Android compatibility is strong, including non-Xiaomi Android phones, but iPhone owners get a less intuitive and more limited experience.

Cross-platform compatibility is positive overall because the watch pairs with iPhone and Android, though notification controls differ by platform.

Customization is broad, covering watch faces, tiles, app shortcuts, straps, and button behavior, though some rivals offer deeper hardware-button remapping.

Customization is strong, with reviewers noting data fields, colors, golf settings, watch faces, and movable pin or flag controls.

Display quality is one of the strongest consensus positives: reviewers consistently praised the 1.43-inch AMOLED panel for clarity, color, and sharpness.

Display quality is the strongest consensus attribute: reviewers repeatedly praise the AMOLED screen’s sharpness, clarity, color, and impact on maps.

Durability looks promising because of the protected display and stainless-steel build, but lack of IP certification limits confidence for dust and rugged use.

Durability has limited direct support but is positive where mentioned, with the scratch-proof lens cited.

ECG functionality is effectively absent; reviewers explicitly noted that the watch cannot conduct ECG readings.

Fit favors larger wrists. The single large case and 22mm strap support make it adaptable, but smaller-wrist users were repeatedly warned away.

Fit is positive, helped by wrist comfort, swing clearance, and the smaller 42mm option for users who found larger cases too big.

Fitness accuracy is context-dependent, with some positive casual impressions but multiple serious tests finding unreliable exercise, heart-rate, and sync data.

Fitness and shot-tracking accuracy is mostly positive, with reviewers praising Garmin-level sensor accuracy and convenient data, though some note shot-tracking limitations.

GPS accuracy is mixed: some reviewers found dual-band tracking accurate, while Wareable/TrustedReviews found it below Garmin-level expectations.

GPS and yardage accuracy are consistently praised, including quick GPS lock, accurate yardages, and close agreement with rangefinder-style measurements.

Health tracking accuracy is uneven, especially body composition, which several reviewers described as rough or inaccurate compared with scales.

Reviewers describe broad health tracking as useful and Garmin-level accurate, especially when combining sleep, stress, heart rate, pulse ox, and fitness metrics.

Heart-rate accuracy is mixed: steady running can be acceptable, but interval or strength sessions produced large errors in several tests.

Heart rate appears as part of the S70’s fitness and wellness tracking, with reviewers treating it as a useful everyday metric rather than a golf-only add-on.

LTE is a valuable option on supported models, enabling calls, messages, music, and app use without a phone, though carrier support and battery tradeoffs apply.

Mapping and navigation are a major strength, with detailed hole maps, hazard views, pin movement, blind-shot tools, and full-color course layouts repeatedly praised.

Materials quality is a strength, especially the stainless-steel body and premium construction, even though those materials make the watch heavier.

Materials quality is positive in the available evidence, especially the ceramic bezel and premium-feeling build.

Menu navigation is generally smooth with the rotating crown, but some interface choices and widget limitations make navigation less polished than rivals.

Menu navigation is mixed: several reviews praise simple starts and quick menus, while touch-heavy hole navigation frustrates one reviewer.

Music support benefits from Wear OS apps like Spotify, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music, including offline listening in supported apps.

Music controls are present, but reviewers split between liking access and finding Garmin’s menu path less convenient than Apple Watch behavior.

Onboard storage is generous at 32GB and supports offline music, though one reviewer disliked the difficulty of moving files manually.

Onboard music storage is a clear plus, with multiple reviewers noting downloaded songs or playlists from services such as Spotify or Amazon Music.

Wear OS is transformative for Xiaomi, but execution is uneven: some reviews praise the smart experience, while others call Xiaomi’s skin unpolished.

Operating system experience is mixed: one reviewer finds Garmin software mostly intuitive, while another says the OS hurts enjoyment on the course.

Outdoor visibility is mostly good thanks to the bright AMOLED display, though reflections can still be worse than on some premium rivals.

Outdoor visibility is excellent across reviews, with several reviewers saying bright sunlight or sun glare did not prevent easy reading.

Pairing and syncing were reliable in the reviews that directly discussed setup, with no major Bluetooth pairing issues reported.

Pairing reliability has limited but positive evidence, with one reviewer calling phone pairing straightforward through Garmin’s apps.

Recovery insights are weak for serious athletes: one reviewer found recovery estimates useful, but others called recovery/training-load data rough or absent.

Recovery insight evidence is limited but supported by HRV readiness language, tying recovery-style feedback to sleep and heart-rate variability.

Reliability is a major caveat because multiple reviews reported bugs, crashes, stuck screens, unresponsive apps, or temporary step-count issues.

Reliability is mixed: GPS/course lock and battery endurance are praised, but one reviewer reports missed shot detections.

Safety features are present but basic, including heart-rate alerts and emergency/SOS settings rather than more advanced dedicated safety tooling.

Safety features have limited support, with one guide noting an assistance/fall-detection-style safety feature.

Size options are poor: reviewers repeatedly note that the Watch 2 Pro comes in only one large case size.

Size options are widely praised because the S70 offers both smaller and larger versions, though color choices are limited in some reviews.

Sleep tracking offers useful stages and scores for casual use, but comfort and app presentation issues limit it for some reviewers.

Sleep tracking gets frequent attention, with reviewers noting sleep scores, deep sleep or REM data, and morning feedback, though one reviewer questions how helpful the messaging feels.

Notifications are a clear smartwatch strength, with reviewers praising message viewing, replies, voice input, and app controls from the wrist.

Notifications are useful but mixed: reviewers like seeing messages and alerts, yet some call them distracting or limited for replies and conversation flow.

Smartwatch features are extensive thanks to Wear OS, with calls, messages, Assistant, Maps, Wallet, health tracking, and app support all represented.

Smartwatch features are strong for a golf watch, but reviewers still flag limitations compared with dedicated Apple or Android smartwatches.

Software smoothness is usually good thanks to Snapdragon W5+ hardware, even where reviewers criticized bugs or UI polish.

Software smoothness is a noted weakness in limited evidence, especially around pan-and-zoom behavior on the course.

Step counting is not fully reliable in the evidence: one written review found inconsistency and one video saw early step-count update errors.

Step counting is mentioned positively in limited evidence, mainly as an advanced counter one reviewer found useful.

Stress tracking exists and can pair with reminders or breathing, but confidence in accuracy ranges from useful anecdotes to outright distrust.

Stress tracking is widely mentioned; some reviewers found it surprisingly accurate or habit-changing, while one reviewer considered it less valuable.

Design is broadly premium and watch-like, but style opinions are split between elegant/best-looking praise and plain or boring criticism.

Style and design are positive, with reviewers calling the S70 stylish, modern, and suitable beyond the course.

Third-party app support is excellent for a Xiaomi watch because Wear OS brings Play Store apps, Google services, Spotify, WhatsApp, and more.

Third-party app support is useful but not always seamless, with Connect IQ and downloadable apps/features appearing as the main support path.

Touch responsiveness is strong in the tested reviews, with snappy taps, swipes, scrolling, and app interactions.

Touchscreen responsiveness is mixed: some reviewers find it good or responsive, while others find on-course panning and zooming fiddly.

The UI is easy to learn for some reviewers and seamless in places, but Xiaomi’s Wear OS skin also creates confusing or buggy behavior.

User interface evidence is limited but negative where cited, focused on the touchscreen interface feeling fiddly during golf use.

Value is a consistent strength, especially against Samsung, Google, and Mobvoi rivals, though critics warn the lower price comes with compromises.

Value for money is mixed but generally favorable for advanced golfers: reviewers praise value if using the full feature set, while warning basic-yardage users can spend less.

Google Assistant works well overall, helped by good microphones and Wear OS integration, although a few transcripts show normal voice-assistant quirks.

Watch face quality is generally good and highly customizable, with both Xiaomi and Play Store options, though one reviewer disliked many built-ins.

Watch face quality is well supported, with reviewers praising built-in faces, Connect IQ options, and the AMOLED screen making faces look better.

Water resistance is solid at 5ATM, making rain, showers, swimming, and shallow water use acceptable across several reviews.

Water resistance is positive, with reviewers citing 5 ATM or 50-meter ratings and shower/swim use.

Wellness insights are broad, covering sleep, SpO2, stress, body composition, breathing, and health dashboards, but accuracy caveats remain.

Wellness insights are a major differentiator, especially Body Battery, sleep, stress, energy, and Garmin’s explanations of what the metrics mean.

Wi-Fi support is present and useful for phone-free use at home, though reviewers rarely treated it as a standout feature.

Wi-Fi connectivity is lightly supported by setup/menu evidence showing the watch can connect to Wi-Fi for updates.

Workout variety is excellent on paper, with 150+ modes repeatedly mentioned, though depth and accuracy vary by sport.

Workout variety is a clear strength, with reviewers citing running, cycling, swimming, yoga, skiing, pickleball, and other activity modes.