Compare Xiaomi Watch 2 vs Garmin Forerunner 570

Automatic workout detection is not a strength: one reviewer found no automatic workout tracking, while another said the feature could be trigger-happy, though one YouTube reviewer enabled it successfully.

Reviewers noted helpful race/activity automation, especially AutoLap timing gates and finish-line cleanup, but evidence is narrow rather than a broad auto-detection theme.

Reviewers consistently liked the Wear OS app ecosystem, highlighting Google apps, Play Store access, and major third-party apps as a major value advantage.

Garmin's app ecosystem is useful through Connect IQ and watchface downloads, though reviewers repeatedly describe it as more limited than Apple or Wear OS.

Band feedback is mixed: reviewers appreciated standard or workout-friendly straps, but the included TPU band was also called cheap, okay, or less premium than alternatives.

The silicone/translucent bands are generally praised for softness, fit, sweat comfort, and durability, with one reviewer noting a strap tail/bump annoyance.

Battery life varies by setup, ranging from one day with richer tracking to two days or more with conservative settings, so it is useful but not class-leading.

Battery life is divisive: still far better than mainstream smartwatches for some users, but several reviewers saw a drop from the 265 and short always-on endurance.

Blood oxygen tracking is widely present and generally useful, with several reviewers noting all-day or nighttime SpO2 support and one comparison showing close readings.

Blood oxygen tracking is present and used in overnight health tracking, but reviewers mention it as part of the health suite rather than a standout accuracy feature.

Bluetooth support is generally reliable for phone connection and calls, though one reviewer emphasized the watch is Bluetooth-only because it lacks cellular service.

Bluetooth supports calls and pairing with phones/sensors, but one reviewer reported frequent phone disconnect notices, making connectivity evidence mixed.

Brightness is a consistent strength, with reviewers praising the AMOLED screen as bright enough for normal use and direct sunlight.

Brightness is one of the clearest strengths, with reviewers calling the AMOLED screen brighter, vivid, and among Garmin's brightest.

Build quality is generally good for the price, with premium-feeling or solid construction noted, though some reviewers still felt it lacked ultra-premium materials.

Build quality is viewed positively thanks to a robust-feeling case and upgraded aluminum bezel, with no major build concerns outside price-tier omissions.

The two-button setup is easy to use and customizable, but reviewers also noted the lack of a rotating crown limits navigation compared with the Pro model.

The five-button setup is repeatedly praised for sweaty, rainy, gloved, and swimming use, while also complementing the touchscreen well.

Call handling is a clear positive, with multiple reviewers saying the microphone and speaker support calls well and allow direct wrist calling.

Call handling is a solid new smartwatch feature via microphone, speaker, and Bluetooth, though reviewers usually treat it as handy rather than essential.

Calorie tracking usefulness is weakly supported because one reviewer found Mi Fitness workouts sometimes contained glitched calorie figures or mismatched information.

Calorie tracking is available and tied into activity details, including pack-weight calculations, but reviewers do not deeply validate calorie accuracy.

Charging convenience is a recurring concern because the proprietary magnetic puck needs careful alignment and is less flexible than universal wireless charging.

Charging convenience is acceptable but not premium: Garmin's connector is functional and fast enough, yet the lack of wireless charging is a recurring caveat.

Charging speed is one of the strongest battery-related positives, with reviewers reporting full charges in roughly 35 to 60 minutes.

Charging speed receives positive user evidence, with one long-term reviewer saying it can recharge during a morning shower.

Coaching features are present through running courses, sports modes, and coaching tips, but evidence is limited and less central than the basic tracking features.

Coaching features are a major strength, including Garmin Coach, triathlon plans, daily workout suggestions, and adaptive training guidance.

Comfort is strongly positive: reviewers repeatedly described the watch as light, comfortable, unobtrusive, and wearable during daily use, sleep, and workouts.

Comfort is broadly strong, with reviewers calling it light and wearable all day; only larger-size sleep comfort and strap buckle issues temper the praise.

The companion app is mixed: it enables setup, reports, watch faces, and health views, but one reviewer found Mi Fitness a chore for analysis.

Garmin Connect is powerful and data-rich, though one reviewer notes its learning curve and depth can feel overwhelming.

Contactless payment support is a major Wear OS benefit through Google Wallet or Google Pay, though one reviewer disliked the required screen lock.

Contactless payment support is confirmed through NFC payments, but reviewers mention it briefly rather than as a major buying reason.

Cross-platform compatibility is limited because several reviewers said the watch is Android-only or loses potential on iPhone despite the Mi Fitness app existing there.

Cross-platform use is solid for notifications on Android and iPhone, but iPhone reply limitations keep it short of Apple Watch-level integration.

Customization is strong, with reviewers praising watch face choices, complications, tile rearranging, strap options, and Play Store watch face expansion.

Customization is strong across watchfaces, widgets, data fields, layouts, colors, and report options, with several reviewers highlighting personalization.

Display quality is one of the most praised attributes, with multiple reviewers calling the 1.43-inch AMOLED screen sharp, bright, detailed, and excellent for the price.

Display quality is a standout: the AMOLED panel is sharp, vivid, responsive, and frequently cited as a major upgrade.

Durability impressions are mixed: the watch survived normal testing and felt durable, but reviewers noted no military standard and uncertainty about protection materials.

Durability evidence is mostly positive, with bezels, bands, water use, and glass holding up well, though one review noted small scratches or heat-related unresponsiveness.

ECG functionality is absent; reviewers explicitly noted there is no ECG or related advanced health hardware at this price.

ECG functionality is the clearest omission: many reviewers criticize the lack of ECG despite the newer heart-rate sensor and the price.

Fit is acceptable but size-sensitive, with one reviewer praising snug fit potential and others noting the larger case or specified wrist-size range.

Fit is praised for secure, no-bounce wear and useful size options, particularly for smaller wrists.

Fitness tracking accuracy is mixed: indoor heart-rate workouts and swim data looked promising, but reviewers warned some workout data and GPS could vary.

Fitness tracking accuracy is strong overall, anchored by consistently praised GPS and heart-rate performance across running, cycling, and multisport use.

GPS evidence is mostly positive, especially from reviewers praising dual-band or accurate outdoor tracking, though one reviewer found the GPS lacked exactness.

GPS accuracy is one of the strongest attributes, with reviewers repeatedly calling tracks excellent, flawless, near-perfect, or among the best tested.

Health tracking accuracy is adequate for general trends but not medical-grade, with reviewers split between encouraging raw data and warnings about trust or heart-rate dependence.

Health tracking is broad and useful, covering heart rate, sleep, stress, skin temperature, respiration, and wellness metrics, but some illness/sleep limitations appear.

Heart-rate accuracy is mixed: some reviewers saw close readings versus Garmin or an oximeter, while others reported jumps and inconsistent values.

Heart-rate accuracy is highly rated across most reviews, especially for running and intervals, though lab-style testing found some delays and dips.

LTE connectivity is not available on the Watch 2, and several reviewers treated the missing eSIM or cellular option as a clear compromise.

LTE connectivity is not offered; reviewers explicitly note the lack of cellular connection or cellular smartwatch capability.

Navigation is the biggest tradeoff: breadcrumb routing works, but the absence of offline/topographic maps is repeatedly criticized at this price.

Materials quality is acceptable for the price, with an aluminum frame and light body, but reviewers contrasted it with stainless steel or sapphire-equipped rivals.

Materials quality improves over the 265 with an aluminum bezel and Gorilla Glass, giving the watch a more premium feel.

Menu navigation is generally intuitive through swipes, buttons, tiles, and quick toggles, though the lack of crown means more touch navigation.

Menu navigation is mostly intuitive and easy, supported by buttons, touchscreen, Glances, and refreshed menus, though phantom clicks hurt one review.

Music controls are supported through YouTube Music, Spotify, and playback controls, but the evidence focuses more on availability than depth of control.

Music controls are available alongside notifications and calendar previews, but reviewer evidence is brief.

Onboard music storage is a strength because the 32GB storage was repeatedly described as enough for apps, playlists, podcasts, or offline music.

Onboard music storage is supported through 8GB storage, MP3s, and streaming-service syncing, giving it better music capability than many sports watches.

The operating system experience is a major selling point because it runs Wear OS with Google services, though being on Wear OS 3.5 drew update concerns.

The updated operating-system experience is cleaner and more modern, with Garmin aligning the 570 with newer Fenix/Forerunner UI styling.

Outdoor visibility is consistently praised, with reviewers saying the display remains bright or visible outdoors and in direct sunlight.

Outdoor visibility is excellent, with reviewers praising sunlight readability and the bright AMOLED display in harsh outdoor conditions.

Pairing reliability appears good in the limited evidence, with reviewers citing automatic syncing and an easy setup process.

Pairing and syncing are mixed: some reviewers found smooth iPhone/Strava syncing, while another saw repeated phone disconnects.

Recovery insights are weak because Mi Fitness recovery suggestions were criticized, despite the watch offering some post-workout analysis.

Recovery insights are a major reason reviewers liked the watch, especially Training Readiness, Body Battery, HRV, and sleep-informed rest guidance.

Reliability evidence is limited but positive, with one reviewer saying the screen had not scuffed or scratched after several days of use.

Reliability is mixed: core tracking is reliable, but reviewers cite occasional crashes, overheating unresponsiveness, software bugs, and phantom clicks.

Safety features are modest: reviewers mentioned find-my-phone and heart-rate alerts, but safety was not a major focus.

Safety features are solid, with LiveTrack, Incident Detection, and safety/tracking features mentioned as part of the package.

Size options are a clear weakness because reviewers noted the watch is offered in a single large case size, which may frustrate smaller wrists.

Size options are a strength because the 570 comes in 42mm and 47mm, making it more accessible than single-size Garmin alternatives.

Sleep tracking is generally positive, with reviewers reporting useful sleep stages, wake-up detection, and close-enough results versus other devices.

Sleep tracking is useful but not class-leading; some found it reasonably accurate while others called it less robust or less complete than competitors.

Smartphone notifications are mixed: many reviewers found replies and alerts useful, while one reported Wear OS notification delays from frequent apps.

Smartphone notifications work, but evidence is mixed because one reviewer found notification handling intrusive during workouts.

Smartwatch features are strong for the price, including Google Maps, Wallet, Assistant, calls, messages, Play Store apps, and broad Wear OS functionality.

Smartwatch features improved meaningfully with mic, speaker, calls, voice commands, music, NFC, reports, and notifications, though it is not a full smartwatch.

Software smoothness is mostly good, with reviewers praising fluidity or improved slickness, but some still noticed sluggishness, stutters, or older Wear OS.

Software smoothness is generally positive, with reviewers describing the interface as polished, faster, and modern, but not bug-free.

Step counting evidence is limited but positive, coming from one reviewer who grouped basic step tracking with daily metrics that worked well for him.

Step counting appears accurate in direct step tests and is part of the daily tracking suite.

Stress tracking is widely supported as a built-in health feature, with some reviewers noting all-day tracking options.

Stress tracking feeds into readiness and wellness guidance, giving it practical value for recovery decisions.

Style and design divide reviewers: many found the minimalist round design clean or suitable, while others called it plain or lacking character.

Style and design are a standout upgrade, with reviewers praising the colorful, expressive, more premium look.

Third-party app support is strong because Wear OS and Google Play bring apps such as Spotify, WhatsApp, Audible, Amazon Music, and more.

Third-party app support exists through Connect IQ, but reviewers view Garmin's store as useful yet limited versus full smartwatch platforms.

Touchscreen responsiveness is generally positive, with reviewers describing responsive scrolling, usable touch controls, and smooth interaction, despite occasional UI polish issues.

Touchscreen responsiveness is widely praised as responsive, fast, and useful, especially alongside the physical buttons.

The user interface is broadly intuitive, with easy defaults and simple swipes, but one reviewer saw overlapping or disappearing graphical elements.

The user interface is cleaner and easier to navigate than before, though Garmin's learning curve and rare menu quirks remain.

Value for money is the strongest consensus point: reviewers repeatedly framed the Watch 2 as unusually affordable for a capable Wear OS smartwatch.

Value for money is the most common concern: reviewers like the watch but repeatedly say the price is high versus the 265, 965, 970, and rivals.

Voice assistant quality is generally good through Google Assistant, with reviewers praising accuracy, smart-device control, and easy voice access despite occasional recognition delay.

Voice assistant and command quality is good for watch tasks and commands, while phone-assistant workflows can be clunky or dependent on the phone.

Watch face quality is strong thanks to attractive AMOLED rendering, built-in faces, customization, and access to many additional faces through the Play Store.

Watch face quality is strong thanks to customization and readable data layouts, with reviewers highlighting clean default faces and useful widgets.

Water resistance is adequate for swimming and daily water exposure at 5ATM, though reviewers noted no extra IP rating or rugged certification.

Water resistance is well supported for swimming and real-world water exposure, including pools, lakes, ocean use, and a 5ATM rating.

Wellness insights are present but basic, with sleep advice and health summaries seen as useful yet generic or bare-minimum compared with premium platforms.

Wellness insights are deep and actionable, especially Body Battery, readiness, stress, sleep, and recovery metrics that shape daily decisions.

Wi-Fi support is present and useful, including 5GHz Wi-Fi, but one reviewer noted calls and notifications still depend on phone connectivity without cellular.

Workout variety is very strong, with reviewers repeatedly citing roughly 150 to 160-plus sport modes across running, swimming, cycling, gym, yoga, and more.

Workout tracking variety is excellent, with triathlon/multisport support, many sport modes, open-water swimming, gym profiles, and new activity types.