reliability and reasonable price with only one absence

Every year Xiaomi renews its proposal of smart bracelets. This year we saw not just one model, but three. The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 first arrived in Europe, then we learned about the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active. Now it's the turn of the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro, which we were able to test in EL ESPAÑOL – El Androide Libre.

This device is still a quantification bracelet, but Because of its size and features, it comes close to what a smartwatch is supposed to do.. At least one of the simplest ones, which does not have an advanced operating system. And since it's priced significantly lower, that's important.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro has a price in Europe of 69.99 dollarsmaybe a little high for a bracelet but definitely low for a watch. Considering the size and brightness of its screen and the fact that it has advanced functions such as GPS, it does not seem that Xiaomi has gone too far in this section.

A big bracelet

The first thing that catches your attention about this product is its size. When people see it Its 1.74-inch screen makes it look like a watch. It is true that the construction does not have the best materials, but it does not feel bad to the touch and is able to camouflage with any combination of clothing, especially since you can change the straps, even if it does not use a standard connection, but a proprietary one.

The frame is the same color as the bracelet which is included in the box and there are three different ones. In the unit that Xiaomi gave us a few weeks ago, the color is black, and it is perhaps the least attractive but also the most sober. We used it with the silicone bracelet provided in the box both for training and everyday use and to be a little more dressed up and at no time did we have the feeling that its aesthetic clashed .

Analysis of the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro

Alvarez del Vayo

What yes We missed, being used to watches, it's a physical button. This is one of the big differences between watches and bracelets. You can turn on the screen by rotating your wrist or tapping the screen, but the convenience of the button remains paramount.

Mastery and sport

Smart bracelets aren't particularly powerful devices, nor do they need to be. Its main task is to have an interface that works smoothly and with features that do not cause problems. This one does it.

We trained with the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro both indoors and outdoors and, for its price, it gave us very decent numbers. We were even able Compare heart rate quantification versus a professional treadmill and the offset was between 1 and 2 pulses in the range of 120 words per minute. Also we used GPS pfor outdoor hikes, which allows us not to take our cell phone with us if we don't want to.

And that's where the screen shines, never said better. One of the biggest changes from previous models is the screen brightness, which is 1,200 nits. In addition, it has automatic control, which made it possible to use it at any time without having to worry about whether what the bracelet was showing looked good or not or looking for a shadow.

It has a wide range of exercise detection, including some swimming exercises, because it is water resistant, as expected. We can also use the bracelet as a remote trigger of the camera even on non-Xiaomi phones. As for the sensors, those that calculate heart rate and blood oxygen saturation have been improved, and it shows. In addition, the vibration motor is stronger and it's virtually impossible to ignore a notification.

The inclusion of NFC is missed to be able to pay with the device. Xiaomi has this technology in watches sold in Europe and which do not cost much more, such as the Xiaomi Watch S3, but it has not yet chosen to implement it in bracelets.

To control the bracelet, we will use the Mi Fitness application, which replaces the old Mi Fit. It is an application that works very correctly, which does not require having a permanent notification on the mobile and which, in general, allows us to see the historical data displayed by the bracelet. A disadvantage is that the system keeps notifying you about every message in a silent WhatsApp groupwith the text “Checking for new messages on WhatsApp”, which is extremely irritating.

Great autonomy

Another improvement of this bracelet is its autonomy. With normal use of notifications, sports quantization and occasionally a short route with GPS, we used 5% battery daily. This throws approximately 20 days of battery lifeclose to the three weeks promised by the company.

Obviously, if we use notifications a lot more, if we take longer routes through the mountains or if we constantly modify things in the interface, it is normal that the autonomy decreases. But still This is undoubtedly one of the key functions of this product..

Should I buy it?

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Pro is a continued evolution of its predecessor. It is clear that there is no point in changing last year's model. However, if we don't have a wearable bracelet, If we are looking for a reliable and affordable product but don't want to give up GPS or the large screen, this is a great option. It is important to highlight the absence of NFC, in case we want to pay without taking our cell phone or wallet out of our pocket.

It's not one of the cheapest bracelets we've analyzed, and Xiaomi doesn't claim to be, because that's what the other Xiaomi Smart Band 9s are for. But it is. It's the best you can buy without switching to watcheswith what this implies an increase in price and a loss of autonomy.