Honor has quietly introduced a new budget smartwatch, and it’s clearly going after a very specific audience. The Watch X5i keeps things simple, keeps things cheap, and leans a lot on design.

At first glance, it looks very familiar. The rectangular shape, curved edges, overall layout, it’s hard not to think of the Apple Watch. But under the surface, this is a much more basic device.

Instead of a full smartwatch platform, the X5i runs on a lightweight RTOS, which means fewer apps and less complexity. That trade-off, though, helps quite a bit with battery life. Honor is claiming up to three weeks on a single charge in typical use, or around six days with always-on display enabled, which is honestly where this kind of watch makes more sense.

The display itself is an AMOLED panel with a 450 x 390 resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate. Nothing cutting-edge, but more than fine for notifications and basic use. There are also over 180 watch faces, so at least there’s some room for customization.

On the health side, it covers the usual basics. Heart rate tracking, SpO2, stress monitoring, plus sleep tracking and menstrual cycle tracking. There are also 109 sports modes to accompany users through their workouts and track progress. It sounds like a lot, though in practice most people will probably stick to a handful.

One slightly unexpected addition is two-way Bluetooth calling support. The watch includes a speaker and microphone, so you can take calls directly from your wrist when it’s connected to your phone, and even make calls when it’s more convenient than reaching for your phone.

Build-wise, it’s fairly lightweight, with a plastic body and IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. That should be fine for everyday use, but it’s not really meant for swimming or anything beyond light exposure.

The Watch X5i works with both Android and iOS, which helps widen its appeal a bit.

At 229 yuan (roughly $33), it’s clearly not trying to compete with premium smartwatches. It’s more about offering the basics in a design that looks more expensive than it is. And for that kind of price, the battery life alone might be enough for a lot of people.

No word yet on when it might launch outside China, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see it show up in more markets soon.

(Source: Honor)

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