Review of Xiaomi Mi Band. Affordable sports bracelet. Fitness bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band: description, instructions, reviews

The Chinese company Xiaomi is known all over the world for its excellent smartphones. In fact, it produces a variety of other equipment, from televisions to drones, but most of them are not sold outside of Asia. Today we are reviewing the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 bracelet.

One of the few exceptions is the inexpensive Mi Band fitness tracker, whose price and design appealed to customers.

Fitness tracker Xiaomi Mi Band 2 - Reviews

Now Xiaomi Mi Band 2 has appeared, a worthy continuation in the line, which retains all the previous functions and adds new ones, as well as a new design. Usually such changes mean a significant increase in price, but Xiaomi did not take this route.

We tested the Mi Band 2 for several weeks to find out: did the new features make the tracker better, or deprive it of its convenient simplicity?

Design and comfort of Xiaomi Mi Band 2

Mi Band 2 is similar in many ways to the original Mi Band. The main module is inserted into a thin silicone strap, but it can be removed and inserted into another one to suit your taste. Once the module is in place, it will not go anywhere; it is more securely fixed than in the first Mi Band.

Putting the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 on your hand will be easier and faster than the Jawbone UP2, and at the same time it is much more compact than the Fitbit Charge HR, which is not inferior in functionality. Thus, Band 2 is ideal for any hand size.

You can put it on, turn it on, and then forget it, it’s so invisible on your hand. The fitness bracelet is designed to be worn comfortably 24 hours a day, monitoring activity and heart rate, so it will not cause discomfort day or night.

Mi Band 2 protection class is IP67, i.e. The bracelet is completely resistant to dust and you can even dive underwater in it, not to mention going to the shower or getting caught in the rain.

Overall, the size and lightness make the Xiaomi gadget one of the most convenient fitness bracelets. To use all the functions of a fitness tracker, it is advisable to wear it constantly, so comfort and lightness mean a lot here.

Display and heart rate monitor

The most notable new feature of the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is the display. Despite its small size, the screen is quite bright, and the image from it is easily visible both in a dark room and in bright sun.

The information visible on the display can be customized using the official Mi app. Thanks to this, you can quickly find out the number of steps, heart rate, calories lost, distance traveled and battery status.

The screen is protected by a panel that is resistant to scratches and fingerprints. During the entire testing period, Band 2, which was worn on the wrist, was never significantly stained or scratched. By comparison, the Fitbit Charge's display was much more worn out after just a week of use.

Mi app

The official app is compatible with Android and iOS, so you can use Mi Band 2 with most smartphones.

Mi collects data and collates it into graphs, one for the number of steps and other physical activity, the other for sleep. Statistics for the day, week or month are also available.

Separately, you can view training data: time spent, distance traveled, calories burned, and so on. In addition, through the Mi application you can find out how much you slept in general and the separate time of the deep and shallow sleep phases.

You can create tasks every day. So you can set yourself a goal to walk a certain number of steps, but there is no way to track the effectiveness of a specific exercise or workout as a whole.

The positive side is the minimalism and convenience of the application. It is easy to use and provides useful information. But Mi completely lacks conclusions or recommendations that would come from the collected data. In this regard, this fitness tracker is significantly inferior to competitors that have such functions.

If you only need sleep and heart rate indicators, it is enough, but still, many fitness bracelets help you achieve your goal, recommend and motivate. Xiaomi Mi Band 2 only gives you part of the data for independent analysis and motivation.

Accuracy measurement and battery charge of Xiaomi Mi Band

When testing the accuracy of determining the number of steps taken, Mi Band 2 was worn simultaneously with Fitbit Charge for several days. The difference in indicators was huge: Fitbit showed 14,500 steps, Mi Band - 9,600. Between the Jawbone UP2 and the Xiaomi gadget, the difference was no more than 100 steps.

The heart rate sensor always showed almost the same as the Apple Watch, the differences were a few beats per minute.

One of the best things about the first Mi Band was its long-lasting battery, and although the Mi Band 2 is technologically much more sophisticated, its battery is rated to last 20 days on a single charge. Moreover, our testing showed that after 20 days of using this fitness tracker, the battery charge was 49%. This is an excellent result for any gadget.

To charge, the main module must be removed from the belt and connected to the network via a special USB cable. The fact that the device cannot be charged using any other cable is quite inconvenient, but given the endurance of the battery, this is unlikely to be a serious problem.

Bottom line

The requirements for fitness trackers are changing. Now, in addition to simply measuring heart rate and the number of steps taken, it is desirable that they systematize information, guide the user, and provide many other features.

The first version of Mi Band showed only basic data, the second is a more multifunctional gadget, which means the company made the right conclusions. Unfortunately, this is still not enough.

pros

• bright screen;
• lightness and compactness;
• heart rate monitor;
• Android and iOS support;
• long lasting battery.

Minuses

• lack of conclusions from the collected data;
• Charges only from a branded device.

Since the Mi Band 2 costs less than $40, it doesn't have much competition. Misfit Flash, but it doesn't have a dedicated heart rate screen. And if you're willing to spend more and want more advanced fitness tracker features, we recommend purchasing the Garmin Vivosmart.

The Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is an ideal choice for those who only care about steps taken and time spent sleeping, but it will likely disappoint avid fitness fans who won't get much motivation from their fitness tracker.

Fitness bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band 2 – video review

If you find an error, the video does not work, please select a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

In recent years, the number of different accessories for smartphones has been increasing, and many manufacturers have already introduced new fitness bracelets to the general public. Xiaomi is no exception - over the years they have released two hits - Xiaomi Mi Band 1S Pulse and Xiaomi Mi Band 2. The advantages of each of the above bracelets are practicality, pleasant appearance, maximum functionality with many settings and a very affordable competitive price. Customize the gadget to your taste and use it with maximum comfort, because besides the clock, there are many other cool features that you will definitely include in your use!

By tradition, Xiaomi takes its bracelets very seriously, and especially their delivery set. When purchasing, you receive a neat gray cardboard box, after opening which you will see the “capsule” - the core of the device. Under the bracelet itself there is a rubber strap made of high-quality material, a USB cord for charging the bracelet (there is no cube included) and instructions for the fitness tracker. This is the kit that the Xiaomi Mi Band fitness bracelet comes with.

When you start the Xiaomi Mi Band 1S bracelet for the first time, we recommend that you recharge it, since most often the device comes to the buyer completely discharged, and only then fully launch it. To do this, remove the bracelet capsule and insert it into the charger with two shiny contacts inward. After this, connect the charger to the outlet through the “cube” from the smartphone or connect it to a laptop/PC - if everything is turned on correctly, the diodes on the bracelet will start blinking. In the future, it will be enough to charge the gadget approximately once a month - this is quite enough, because it can be turned on for quite a long time.

In the meantime, your mi band bracelet is charging, download and install the application for Android Mi Fit on your smartphone (if you need Russian, download and install) or for iOS (iPhone, iPad) https://itunes.apple.com/ru/app /mi-fit/id938688461?mt=8 – through it you will further interact with your fitness tracker. The user manual that was in the box will not be useful to you - configure the bracelet using these instructions.

Registration

An important point in setting up Mi Band is that if you have not set up Mi accounts before, you can do this through a browser or mobile application. In the first case, go to the official website and fill out the forms there, indicating your email address, date of birth and your country. And we recommend unchecking the box for sending messages from the Mi Store. Plus, some instructions write that you can use your mobile number instead of an e-mail address - to do this, click on the special item at the bottom of the page. After all the above steps have been completed, you will be prompted to enter your password twice and also enter a verification code. You can log into the system through the settings using your login and password.

But when launching the application and registering through it, it is better to use an email address rather than a phone number - for users from the CIS countries, registration through a mobile number has not yet been configured properly.

Xiaomi Mi Band: setup

And yet, the main question for users who have just bought a brand new Xiaomi accessory is the question “how to set up a fitness bracelet.” Setting it up is very simple:

1. We activate the application using the registered login and password. The app will ask you to enter your gender, nickname, weight, height, date of birth and desired minimum number of steps per day. If you wish, you can change your personal data later.
2. Connect the bracelet. Everything is very simple here - you need to connect and configure via Bluetooth wireless technology (turn it on on your smartphone), you just need to follow the recommendations specified in the application. First, select the device type, after which the application will ask you to press the bracelet - tap it lightly, this will be enough. If this manipulation has correctly configured the bracelet and everything is done correctly, a message will appear on the screen indicating that the device binding has been successfully completed.
3. After successful connection, the bracelet's firmware will be updated, and for this operation to go smoothly, keep the tracker next to your smartphone. Once the firmware update is complete, you will see the open application interface on the phone display - now you can delve into the settings and activate the most interesting functions.

Mi Band Gestures

In the Mi Fit app itself, you can see three tabs called "Profile", "Activity" And "Notifications". In statistics you can view:

• Number of steps taken and activity per day;
• Statistics for any past period;
• Grouping information by different time periods (day, week, month) and for the entire training course;
• Information about the sleep of the bracelet owner: phases, duration of deep sleep, REM sleep, when there was awakening and much more;
• Dynamics of changes in weight and differences in weight over different periods;
• Body mass index, physique.

You can create several accounts, launch them at different times and view the data of several users. In the achievement bar, you can see the number of steps taken per day and whether the initially set goal was achieved. Sort information by date, share achievements on social networks or send them via instant messengers.

Function "Run" in Mi Bend you can activate it when you turn on the GPS - wait until the icon for the number of active satellites turns green and start your activity. While you're running, Mi Fit will show basic information about your workout - if this feature is turned on, you'll see your speed, average pace and distance covered, calories burned, as well as your running trajectory. You can stop the countdown by long pressing "Pause".

In addition to viewing statistics through a smartphone, you can find out the statistics you are interested in with a special movement - as if you were looking at a wristwatch. This gesture will make the indicators flicker - if two of the three diodes are blinking, then you have already completed 2/3 of the daily norm, one - more than 30% has been completed, the bracelet does not light up at all - you have not yet completed even a third of the number of steps planned for the day.

When the set goal is reached, the vibration will turn on, and the bracelet will flash at this time. When you check the distance traveled with a gesture "viewing the time on the clock" and the two outermost diodes light up, which means you have reached the goal, and if all three are flashing, the goal has been exceeded.

Other functions

• The included incoming call notification function is very convenient;
• Alarm clock (activates even when the phone is discharged);
• Alerts about notifications in applications on a smartphone or about SMS messages - even the most ignorant user can easily activate the function in the settings;
• Dust- and partially waterproof (you can shower with the bracelet or briefly dive with it to a depth of one meter);
• Pulse measurement.

The first version of the bracelet became famous for the poor quality of the strap, but more modern models now use the most durable alloy, and this significantly increases the wear resistance of the device.

Have you noticed how popular sports have become? Especially in order to engage in it, people buy special clothes, shoes, and accessories. Some are even looking for phones and media players that make the exercise run more enjoyable and comfortable. And there are many such examples. It has even gotten to the point that there is a special fitness bracelet that allows you to check how much physical exercise a person has done and how many calories he has burned.

The arrival of Xiaomi

In general, these bracelets became very popular at one time, winning a huge number of fans. However, due to their rarity (and, probably, for marketing effect), these gadgets were not so cheap - about 100-150 dollars per copy. Although the cost is low relative to other gadgets, not everyone can afford to buy such a “toy”. Especially if you take into account the residents of “third world” countries. What about those who also want to watch their calories?

The innovative Chinese gadget developer Xiaomi offered a solution. It launched its Xiaomi Mi Band fitness tracker at a revolutionary price of $25. This move undoubtedly became a landmark for the tracker market - and the company had massive sales around the world. It even got to the point that the bracelet was bought back before new batches of it were in the store. And all this is due to the high quality and low price of the new product.

Concept

In fact, the entire concept of the model is built on the basis of the accessibility and wide functionality of the device. After all, Xiaomi Mi Band (the review will prove this) can not only track the number of steps a person takes per day. In fact, we have a multi-purpose assistant that also “monitors” your mobile - synchronizing with it, receives alerts and signals about them; allows you to wake you up in the morning with vibrations that are invisible to others; monitors the quality and duration of sleep based on your hand movements. A small device that fits easily on your wrist and costs $25 can do all this!

Moreover, do not forget about the classic approach of Xiaomi, expressed in products like the Mi4 smartphone or the Mi Pad tablet - to make beautiful and high-quality devices that people will like. The same principle is 100% preserved in the fitness tracker, as evidenced by the design of the device. About him - further in the text.

Appearance

It would seem, how can you surprise a user with a bracelet? What should be present in the ergonomics of a device so that it “hooks” and makes working with it pleasant and comfortable?

Having developed the Xiaomi Mi Band fitness tracker, the manufacturing company resorted to several interesting solutions, making it truly interesting in every sense. The “mind” of the bracelet is placed in a special metal core that has protection, which we will talk about in more detail a little later. This “electronic brain” is attached to a special strap made of material that is especially resistant to mechanical damage. Of course, it is adapted for long-term wear and has additional protection against sudden opening due to a special locking mechanism.

The strap can be changed if you want your Xiaomi Mi Band fitness tracker to look different - there are several color combinations on sale.

Assembly and kit

When purchasing a device, you receive it in a Xiaomi branded box. If you have already had a product from this company, then you know that the box is made of simple cardboard with the developer’s logo in the form of two letters - Mi.

Once you open the package, you will find the core, strap, charging cord and instructions. Of course, the charging cable is also suitable for connecting to a PC to monitor information from the tracker, set settings and reset data. At one end the cord has a USB output, while at the other there is a connector for connecting the core by placing it inside a special slot. In order to understand what we are talking about, we recommend looking at the photo.

There are no problems in starting to work with the gadget immediately after opening the box. As reviews describing the Xiaomi Mi Band fitness tracker show, in some cases the model turns out to be discharged - so you need to put it on recharge. Read more about how the gadget consumes energy a little further.

Software

The “mind” of the bracelet is controlled using special software installed on your PC, as well as a smartphone or tablet. In the last two cases, this can be a mobile application on Android or iOS, through which the connection and further synchronization of the device will take place. In general, interaction between gadgets is possible thanks to Bluetooth technology.

The software has a user-friendly interface that even a child can understand. Here everything is arranged in the form of tabs that perform different tasks. Firstly, here you should indicate your physiological data - your gender, height, weight, etc. - so the bracelet can more accurately calculate your needs and characteristics during physical activity. Secondly, in the specified application you can view detailed statistics. This will show the number of steps you have taken and the distance you have moved during the day. This means that a person, using the Xiaomi Mi Band fitness tracker, can set his own goals and “minimums” for physical labor. The gadget will “monitor” that you complete your tasks every day.

Nutrition

The energy source for the small metal box (the so-called “core” of the bracelet) is a miniature battery installed inside. You can't remove it - it's completely closed from the outside.

The small battery size does not mean that you will have to constantly charge your bracelet - no, nothing like that. In fact, the device is very economical - it consumes very little for all its functions.

As customer reviews describing the Xiaomi Mi Band fitness tracker show, on average the device runs out of charge every 1-1.5 months. You can find out that the bracelet needs to be connected to power through the corresponding light signals - three indicators are lit on the gadget, which can glow in different colors.

Protection

The developers of Xiaomi Mi Band (Black) claim that the bracelet can resist moisture and dust at a level that makes it comfortable to use in everyday life. In particular, if you wash your hands and a little moisture gets on your device, nothing will happen. But we do not recommend swimming with the tracker - with longer contact with water, the gadget may fail.

The core is reliably protected from falls and mechanical shocks by the massive strap surrounding it. It contains a special recess in order to place the previously described box with filling into it.

When the Xiaomi Mi Band 1S (or version 1) is assembled, its connection to the rubber base looks very organic and pleasant - the best sign that the designers from China did their best.

Generations

It should be said that the gadget is supplied to the market in various versions, of which at the time of publication of the article there are two - the first generation of the tracker and the second (Xiaomi Mi Band 1S). The difference between them, of course, is in their functions. A newer version of the gadget can also read the heart rate of the person wearing the bracelet, and can also be used as a key to access a smartphone (valid only on Xiaomi models).

There are rumors that Xiaomi Mi Band 2, an even newer version, will also be available for sale. True, no one knows what capabilities this modification will have. Of course, when it enters the market, an incredible stir will arise around the gadget, which will again make the company famous.

True, for success, together with the new Xiaomi Mi Band 2, you will need to offer something truly worthy of the attention of all fans of electronic devices. This is also not easy to do.

It's time to talk about the hottest fitness bracelet. They called it everything – from market killer to Chinese miracle! Small, but remote, and at the same time almost the cheapest. Only Xiaomi could do this.

Market picture

In modern society, fitness bracelets have become an integral part of the life of every person who more or less tries to monitor their physical condition - despite sedentary work or simply an unwillingness to play sports. Therefore, new devices in this category appear like mushrooms after rain, while most of them are functionally no different.

Most fitness bracelets have a common feature - a relatively high cost, which makes you seriously think about purchasing this type of device. The official price of one of the most popular fitness bracelets, Jawbone UP24, in the USA is $129.99. In Russia it will be about 6-7 thousand rubles.

The legendary Chinese company Xiaomi decided to play on this. At an ultra-low price, the new Mi Band can do almost everything that its more expensive counterparts can do. How did the Chinese company manage to reduce the price of such devices so sharply? How is it worse than expensive competitors? And is it worse?

Technical characteristics of Xiaomi Mi Band:

• Screen: absent.
• Water and dust protection: standard IP67.
• Strap: Detachable, multiple colors and types available to choose from.
• Connection: Bluetooth 4.0 L.E.
• Sensors: accelerometer, pedometer.
• Microphone, speaker: no.
• Indication: 3 single-color LED indicators, vibration signal.
• Battery: 41 mAh.
• Weight: 13g.

Equipment

The fitness bracelet, like many products from Xiaomi, comes in an “eco-friendly” box with a company logo. The active module is inserted into the cutout and when you open the box, only it is visible.

Hidden underneath is a bracelet, a strap, a charging cable and instructions in Chinese.

That's all, this completes the package. What else could you expect from a $15 bracelet?

Design

A cheap Chinese bracelet is a good example of an inexpressive design. However, even here Mi Band was able to surpass many more famous competitors!

The appearance of the bracelet does not cause rejection. On the contrary, it attracts attention and at first makes you look at your hand. The bracelet itself consists of a silicone strap and a small oval active block, which attracts attention in the first place.

The active unit is a small plastic capsule weighing 5 grams with an aluminum top cover. The case is waterproof and certified according to IP67 standard. The lower part of the module is made of matte black plastic with the company logo on the reverse side. On one of the faces of the block there are contacts for charging.

There are no buttons, connectors or touch zones on the main unit. Under the top cover there are three LEDs. The blinking color of the LEDs can be selected in the proprietary application. They allow you to visually track your progress directly on the bracelet. To do this, you need to raise your hand as if you were looking at a watch.

One lit LED means that less than a third of the set steps have been completed, two – more than 2/3, and all three LEDs symbolize the completion of the specified daily number of steps. When connected to charging, the LEDs clearly show how much longer the device needs to be charged (the logic repeats the tracking of current progress).

The module is inserted into a tight silicone strap. It provides a tight fit and keeps the active unit inside, so the likelihood of the unit popping out of the strap is minimal.

The bracelet is fixed on the hand using a simple fastening - a plastic pin made in the style of the top cover of the active unit. Thanks to the large number of holes for fastening, the bracelet can be worn on hands of any size and thickness. The mount itself is reliable and does not take up much space on the bracelet.

Due to this fastening, the bracelet does not remind you of itself while being worn. This is especially true for those who want to wear this bracelet around the clock and track their sleep phases. The modular design of the bracelet allows replace the strap, if you have lost it, damaged it, or are simply tired of it.

For these cases, the manufacturer offers multi-colored silicone straps and also promises to release stylish leather ones.

Proprietary application and indication

Branded application Mi Fit Available for both Android and iOS. After installing the application, the user is prompted to make basic settings for his profile.

After this, you are asked to pair the bracelet with your smartphone. The bracelet itself always on(if charged), so to connect, just turn on Bluetooth on your smartphone and search for the bracelet in the application.

There is also a running assistant that requires GPS to be turned on - and a smartphone in your pocket or backpack.

However, if we compare this program with analogues for more expensive models of sports trackers, its capabilities are not impressive in variety.

In addition to simple statistics tracking, the bracelet can perform smart alarm functions, vibrating on the hand. The bracelet can also vibrate during the day to notify you of incoming calls or new messages. Undoubtedly, this is a convenient feature, because at any time you can switch your smartphone to silent mode and not be afraid of missing important calls.

Autonomy

With daily active use, the bracelet (pedometer, smart alarm clock, display of all notifications, running assistant) can last 20-25 days on a single battery charge. If the Mi Band works in step counting mode for several hours a day, it can work more than 30 days! With my fairly active use, the bracelet worked without recharging for about a month.

Charging the bracelet occurs using a special charger and takes approximately 1.5 hours.

conclusions

A cheap Chinese pedometer turned out to be high quality a device that successfully copes with its functions. Mi Band is inferior in functionality to some analogues, but only in terms of software. The lack of "chips" is more than compensated by the low cost of the device, as well as excellent battery life (No votes)

Sports, fitness, health - this is a trend today, so it is not surprising why a smart fitness bracelet has gained such popularity, barely having time to hit the shelves of online stores. Let us take a look at this miracle of Chinese industry and figure it out for ourselves, is this really, if not irreplaceable, then at least a useful thing, or just another fashionable toy?

Appearance of the Xiaomi Mi Band fitness bracelet

The box is made in the corporate minimalist style - rough gray cardboard that is indestructible during delivery with a logo on the top cover

and technical specifications on the back insert

We have no interest in looking at hieroglyphs, so I immediately opened the treasured box and appeared before my eyes...

The packaging of the device is very interesting. The product itself is immediately presented in that form. how it will look later inserted into the bracelet. Let's open the box further

and take out the contents. The kit includes:

• Smart bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band - has a waterproof case (IP67)
• Black silicone strap with metal rivet
• Charger
• Instructions

Everything is very pleasant to the touch, including the fitness tracker itself, covered in matte metal. When worn, it inevitably touches various pieces of furniture, but these contacts do not affect its appearance in any way. The strap is made of soft-touch silicone. There are enough holes to fit even the skinniest hand. The fastening is made in the form of a regular metal “rivet” made of the same material as the smart part of the gadget.

The slot for the head unit on the strap fits very tightly, so to insert it into place you need to put some effort into stretching the strap - the device fits like a glove.

In order to charge, you need to remove the device from the strap and insert the contacts into the included charging dock - unfortunately, it is impossible to charge the bracelet without removing it. There is also no power supply included - you will have to use the one from your mobile phone.

In general, as far as appearance is concerned, everything is done very well and gives the impression of a high-quality device that you won’t have to hide under your shirt from your friends. At the same time, the device is very light and does not remind you of itself when worn.

How to connect Xiaomi Mi Band

Now let's figure out how to connect this Xiaomi Band to your phone and make it work. First of all, you need to download an application called “Mi Fit” - you can get it either from a search in the mobile application store, or by scanning the QR code from the instructions. There is a version of Mi Fit iOS and Android.

After installation, the program will immediately ask you for permission to receive data about your health and activities.

We give it these permissions and launch the program. Before you get started, you need to create a Xiaomi account or log in to an existing one. If you are the owner of a phone from this company or MIUI firmware for Android, most likely you already have it - remember and log in.

And finally, the last stage of connection is to select Mi Band from the Xiaomi device menu and wait until the smartphone connects to the bracelet - Bluetooth must be turned on on the phone.

If detection is successful, the LEDs on your fitness tracker will blink - touch them with your finger to confirm the connection.

But that’s not all - later, when setting up call alerts, the device will once again ask you to “pair” with the phone.

Working with a bracelet

When working with the official application, I noted the five most useful functions for myself. I focus specifically on the “official” program, since there is a custom version for Android, in which there are much more possibilities for interacting with the bracelet. So, three of them are immediately presented in the main window of the program. First of all, this is a pedometer. Based on the entered data on height, age and weight, the tracker counts steps and converts them into kilometers traveled and calories burned. At the same time, it adequately distinguishes walking from running, which is displayed in the final statistics

By and large, there is nothing new here for iPhone users, since it has a built-in similar program that measures steps. The only thing is that we don’t carry our phone with us everywhere, but the bracelet is always on our hand and won’t miss a single move. If you bring the bracelet to your face, the LEDs will light up, signaling the extent to which you have completed the step plan for the day assigned upon registration.

The second function is sleep phase tracking. This feature uses an accelerometer that monitors the position of your hand and determines when you are sleeping soundly and when you are not. At the same time, you don’t need to specifically switch it - the tracker itself recognizes when you fall asleep. All this information is displayed in a graph and paints an overall picture of your night time. It is worth noting that there are inaccuracies in the work - for example, when you woke up early in the morning and then went to bed again, the tracker thinks that you did not go to bed again and takes into account only the first part of your sleep in the statistics.

Another option that is displayed on the main screen is physical activity. Here you can track changes in your weight, for example, in combination with the use of Xiaomi smart scales.

If all the previous features are of interest only to avid losers and athletes, then more everyday functions that are useful to everyone are hidden in the settings menu. For example, an alarm clock. It has two operating modes. The first is the classic one, when you set the time to wake up, adjust its frequency, and at the appointed time you will wake up from a slight vibration on your wrist, without waking up others with a loud sound.

The second, more interesting mode is the setting to trigger during the phase of light sleep, the most favorable for awakening, which precedes the set time.

Another useful setting is notification of incoming calls to your phone. If it lies somewhere far away, or is in silent mode, then you will always know about a call by vibration. In this case, you can set the time after which the smart bracelet will vibrate after the call starts. To be honest, I really only used the alarm clock and vibration notification - the rest was just for curiosity, nothing more.

Here it’s worth remembering about a third-party application - after all, you can configure it to inform you not only about calls, but also about notifications from many different mobile applications, such as WhatsAp or Skype. We can only hope that these features will also appear in the next update of the official version.

In general, the bracelet, at its low cost, provides a lot of goodies that are not sufficient for a professional athlete, but can be useful for most users in daily monitoring of their health, while providing several more useful functions for interacting with the phone.

After a week of use

After using the smart bracelet, or as it is also called, the first-generation Xiaomi Mi Band fitness tracker for a week, I came to the conclusion that this is really just fashionable garbage. Apart from a vibration alarm clock, it does not contain any useful functions. Android owners are lucky with notifications from various applications, but I have an iPhone, and it only provides notifications about phone calls. Pedometers are found in many smartphones, so my verdict is that they are waiting for the start of sales of the second generation with a built-in heart rate monitor.

Fitness tracker:

• Accelerometer: ADXL362
• Bluetooth module: Dialog DA14580, supports Bluetooth 4.0 and 4.1
• Battery: Li-Po 41 mAh
• Weight: 5 grams
• Material: Aluminum + Plastic

Strap:

• Weight: 8.5 grams
• Material: Thermoplastic Silicone Vulcanize (TPSiV)
• Size: 230mm
• Adjustable length: 157-205mm

Functions:

• Pedometer
• Amount of distance traveled
• Number of calories burned
• Sleep tracker
• Smart Alarm Clock, wakes you up in light sleep (Non-REM/N2)
• Unlocking your phone using a bracelet (MIUI v6)
• Vibrate for incoming call (from 3 sec.)
• Setting achievements as the number of steps completed
• 30 days battery life
• Waterproof IP67

Phone requirements:

• Android 4.3+ (Bluetooth 4.0 low energy capability supported in Android 4.3 API)
• Bluetooth 4.0 (Main protocol for communication with the bracelet)

This time I ordered the Mi Band not on my beloved AliExpress, but in the GearBest store, since, unlike the trading platform, the online store guarantees the authenticity of the gadgets, and to be honest, lately I have become somehow too lazy to check the honesty sellers on Ali. If you are not an expert in ordering on the Internet, then you can buy it from us - in the Player

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