It was the year 2014 when Xiaomi launched one of the most iconic products in its portfolio, the Xiaomi Mi Band. Shortly after, my servant debuted the Xiaomi bracelet via AliExpress to see what the experience of wearing something smart on her wrist as a replacement for her sports watch was like. A lot has happened since: I can no longer conceive of my daily life without a wearable for activity and the Xiaomi Band has evolved enormously, just like the sector. It’s no longer that modest bracelet of its debut: Xiaomi has understood how the segment works, continues to refine its proposition in its latest iteration and I wouldn’t buy it again just because it’s cheap.
There are people who don’t care about time (except for such imperative tasks as going to work). Others, however, remember our first watch well, a red Flik Flak which sooner or later was replaced on Sundays by the communion watch. As a punctual person bordering on obsessive, it quickly became my most treasured gadget. With this love of precision and data, wrist wearables quickly became my object of desire.
In 2015, two wrist-worn gadgets caught my eye, even though they were both at the extremes of the segment: the original Apple Watch and the first Xiaomi Mi Band (soon to be updated to the Xiaomi Mi Band 1S ). At that time I was using an Oregon Scientific heart rate monitor for sports, reliable but a bit crude and its screen didn’t look too good outside (it was other times). And then she came: my first Xiaomi wristband
It didn’t compete in precision with the heart rate monitor, but to be honest, it didn’t need it: it won me over because I totally forgot I was wearing it. On the one hand, by its very light design and its IP67 resistance. On the other hand, because of its huge battery. That it cost me 20 dollars was the icing on the cake and although having to resort to a mobile phone to see the data is not the most practical thing when exercising, I have never been an intensive athlete who uses them to tighten up and improve their performance. I love looking at metrics and was grateful to make the jump to the app.
I liked the experience so much that I gave my sister the Xiaomi Band 2, the first with a screen, its iconic design and a central button. The Xiaomi Band 3, now without a physical button, served as a gift for my partner at the time. For me it was the perfect initiation gadget to give to people with a certain interest in technology and sport: good, pretty and cheap. Being able to change the straps was already the icing on the cake. Our paths have separated: wearing a wearable on the wrist has become a duty
Xiaomi Band or the art of moving along the wire of the segment
In the end, it must be taken into account that although smartwatch and activity bracelet are two devices that First of all they may seem so similar that they compete with each other, they are not: there is a line that separates smartwatches and bracelets, which could come down to this if you are looking for discretion, maximum lightness, the lowest price and you do not need so much, better a bracelet. Of course, there are cheap watches too, but along the way we lose that minimalism.
In this fine line of design-performance-price, there comes a point, that of the most high-end straps, where unless you want something light, it’s probably worth opting for a watch. So if: price is an important factor when designing a bracelet. And here it is time to balance on the wire, something in which Xiaomi is doing very well: betting on a certain conservatism of a star product in its segment, but implementing fair and necessary improvements to stay attractive and current while keeping the price at bay. We see it with an example: integrating the GPS would have gone directly into the noblest domain both in terms of services and price, probably reaching the psychological barrier of 100 dollars.
And what is this essence? The first has to do with great autonomy, which according to Xiaomi in this Smart Band 8 is up to 16 days. The second has to do with a versatile and lightweight design: the body is still very similar, but now the customization does not only come with the straps, but you can put it on a pendant and on the shoe. And the third is the price: it’s no longer cheap, but it’s still the best value for money. It’s not the most complete (this position is probably for the Fitbit Charge 5), but its PVP is probably at least 100 dollars lower. Xiaomi also has one more strength: its application and its ecosystem, broad, robust and with a minimal learning curve if you have already tried it.
That said, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 evolves its “basic” strengths but adds and continues to offer a product that shines in its segment: the 1.62-inch AMOLED screen with 600 nits of brightness at 60 Hz, highly customizable and always turned on, blood oxygen sensors, quick charge in one hour, more than 150 sports modes… I bought my first Xiaomi Band to try and just for its low price it was worth it. And today if I had to buy an activity bracelet, it would be the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 for all it offers for what it costs.
Home | Xiaomi Weibo profile
In Xataka Android | Best smart bracelets: which one to buy and recommended models
