Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The Xiaomi Watch 5 launches globally at MWC 2026 with gesture controls and a large battery.
- The 930mAh silicon-carbon battery nearly doubles capacity over the last model.
- EMG, PPG, and IMU sensors let you pinch twice to hang up calls or rub twice to dismiss alarms.
At its MWC 2026 kickoff event today, Xiaomi officially introduced the global version of the Xiaomi Watch 5. And instead of releasing just another iterative update, the company made a bold statement with this new device.
The main highlight is the hardware that enables hands-free control. The watch uses built-in electromyography (EMG), photoplethysmography (PPG), and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to power precise gesture controls.