Wearable technology was big in the year 2014, and 2015 is no different. Apple came out with the Apple Watch, Samsung with the new Gear, GoQii was another fitness band that created a lot of buzz but what has impressed us is the Xiaomi Mi Band.
Xiaomi at their global launch of the Mi 4i also introduced the Mi Band in India. At a price tag of just Rs 999, this is as cheap as it can get. Xiaomi is also giving away the Mi Band to 1000 lucky registered users for just Rs 1 on their first flash sale that will take place on May 5, 2015.
But just don’t go for the cheap pricing. The band actually works.
What’s Good?
The Mi Band is light-weight and is made up of soft rubberish plastic. It’s non intrusive, after you wear it for a couple of days you won’t even notice it on your hand.
The Mi Band is IP67 rated for water resistance. This means you can take a bath or even swim with this band on your wrist. The core of the fitness tracker has a 41 mAh battery that lasts for about 30 days easily. That is just awesome considering that most fitness trackers juice out in 3 to 4 days.
The Mi Band is capable of collecting data for the number of steps taken, distance covered, sleep patterns, deep sleep patterns, running time etc.
The core of the Mi Band is made up of plastic and comes with an aluminium top finish. The band looks stylish and is compatible with Android 4.4 Kitkat and upwards devices and even on iPhones running iOS 7.0 and above.
All you need to do is download Mi Fit app from the Google Play Store or iTunes and you are good to go as soon as you pair your smartphone with the band via Bluetooth.
The App interface is easy to navigate and it also gives you an Alarm and phone-ringing option. The vibration alerts on the bands are also gentle and not shocking.
Sony had come out with a smartband last year and even fitness bands like GoQii and Jawbone give you such features. But they cost almost five times the cost of the Mi Band.
For people looking for style, the rubber band also comes in various colour options. There is even a leather band by Xiaomi.
The band’s accuracy rate is also pretty impressive. It has an error rate of 10% give or take.
It basically does everything that you expect a FitBit, Jawbone or a GoQii to do.
What’s Bad?
The Mi Band has almost everything going for it. What seems missing at times is a small display.
GoQii Bands have a similar design and still manage a display. A display on the Mi Band would have been killer.
Why Buy it?
The Mi Band might just be the best Rs 999 you’ll ever spend on a fitness tracker. One that will not pinch your pocket and will do the job for you.
It costs less than the fitness trackers you get in the market, has a long lasting battery life and is accurate.
It’s astonishing how Xiaomi could pull out such a rabbit out of its hat. The Quint says go ahead buy it.
Grab your Xiaomi Mi Band here.
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