Nothing attracts the attention of buyers in the electronics market like inexpensive gadgets endowed with rich functionality. The reader will be introduced to one of these devices in this article: the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet is designed to diversify the leisure of a person who prefers an active lifestyle. Reviews, instructions, a review and recommendations of professionals will allow the buyer to understand that it is simply impossible to live without such a device at this time.
Entertaining gadget
Before you start the review and the technical characteristics of the device, you need to understand what, in fact, is the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet, what it is. At first glance, the gadget looks like a Power Balance silicone bracelet worn on the hand instead of a watch. It is this similarity that repels many potential buyers from the device at the first acquaintance.
In fact, the silicone bracelet plays the role of a wrist strap, and the device, which has an integrated computer and many sensors, is responsible for the functionality. The gadget is positioned on the market as a pedometer that can measure the distance traveled and mathematically calculate calories burned.
First meeting
To the surprise of many buyers, the Chinese miracle comes in decent packaging made of thick cardboard. True, the description on the back is unlikely to help the user find out about the contents, since all the inscriptions are made up of hieroglyphs. The package is standard for all devices of this type: Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet, setup instructions in the form of pictures, a silicone bracelet and a USB cable for charging.
Many users will definitely have questions about the operation manual, because even a child will cope with the button fastener on the bracelet (almost all attention is paid to it in the instructions). But there’s not a word about how to set up the gadget in the book. True, there is a QR code that takes up one page. So the Chinese are hinting that all clarifications are available in encrypted form somewhere on the Internet.
Gadget assembly and first impressions
The tactile-based silicone strap is very pleasant and definitely will not cause irritation when touched even by people with allergies, as cheap plastic watches brought from the Land of the Rising Sun do. There are no complaints about the metal case of the computer. It is made of brushed metal and does not have sharp corners (looks like a flat tablet from the side).
Assembling a smart bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band Black is quite simple. On the strap itself there is a special groove in the form of a frame into which you need to insert a metal gadget. For ease of installation, you can stretch the edges of the silicone case to the sides. Many buyers are confused by the process of constant assembly-disassembly of the bracelet itself (after all, in order to recharge the gadget, it must be removed from the silicone case). But many owners in their reviews claim that the elastic bracelet is very durable and does not spontaneously stretch during operation.
Product Specifications
The external appeal of Chinese products sometimes does not meet the technical specifications for many devices, since the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet does not have this negative. A review of the functionality of the gadget will delight even the most demanding buyer.
- The device has an economical 3-axis accelerometer ADXL362, which is installed in all expensive Android smartphones.
- The built-in lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 41 mAh ensures guaranteed operation without recharging up to 30 days.
- The weight of the gadget itself is 5 grams (plus the strap weighs 8 grams).
- The device supports Bluetooth 4.0 and 4.1
- Protection against moisture according to the IP67 standard allows you to not remove the gadget from your hand during water procedures.
Snap to smartphone
The gadget is controlled and configured via Bluetooth using the special Mi Fit application, which does not contain the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet on its optical disc. How to connect a gadget to a smartphone is the most popular question among potential buyers. Here it is better to start with the fact that the management software is available for only two operating systems: iOS and Android 4.3.
Immediately after launch, the application will request information about the health and age from the owner. For the program to work fully, the user needs to create an account on the Xiaomi website and go through authorization (menu in English). At the end of all the actions, the smartphone itself will contact the smart bracelet. The flashing of all indicators on the gadget will indicate an authorization request. To confirm, the user needs to touch the surface of the device with his finger.
Pedometer functionality
The built-in accelerometer in a mobile device does not surprise anyone. However, not every gadget is able to distinguish walking from running. Differentiation of speed, measuring the distance traveled, calculating calories burned - all the functions that are useful to the user are provided by the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet. Reviews of the owners of the gadget boil down to the fact that the device is able to measure the pulse, however, no one succeeded in obtaining data on the heartbeat.
In addition to the informative table and graphing on the smartphone display, the gadget owner can receive data directly from the gadget itself. Three LED indicators are controlled by the phone software and show the percentage of the distance traveled (one third, two thirds, end of the way) to the device owner. This at first looks rather strange, but later the owner quickly gets used to such a decision, because bringing a hand to your eyes is much easier than removing a smartphone from your pocket.
Sleep phases
Another function of the smart bracelet clearly suggests that the gadget has a heart rate monitor, but the manufacturer claims that the accelerometer monitors the sleep functions in the device. According to the developer's idea, it is precisely by the position of the hand during sleep that the Xiaomi Mi Band smart fitness bracelet tracks the state of the body. The user does not need to press any buttons, the sensor independently determines the falling asleep and the awakening of the body.
The result of determining the phases of sleep for the user will be a graph with a time division and indication of periods of deep sleep. Having made several measurements and comparing the obtained graphs, we can find out the favorable time for awakening. This topic has recently been given a lot of attention, because scientists have established that it is the right way out of the sleep phase that determines the mood of a person for the whole day.
Notification system
The Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet is equipped with a vibration alert system. Judging by the reviews of the owners, this function is the most popular in this gadget. Firstly, the alarm about incoming calls and messages is very convenient when setting the smartphone to silent mode. It is impossible to miss an important call with certain program settings. Naturally, vibration on the wrist is able to get out of sleep, which is very convenient in the mornings, when there is no desire to raise the whole house with the sound of an alarm clock. And if you take into account that the function of controlling the phases of sleep is interconnected with the warning system, then rising in the morning has a better effect on the health of the body as a whole.
A nice addition is the large number of reminder programs that sync with the Mi Fit app. No important event will be missed. The only negative that the gadget owners report in their reviews is the inoperability of popular communication programs (Skype, Viber, WhatsAp) with a smart bracelet on the smartphone’s native firmware.
Statistics and graphing
The Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet is interesting to many buyers for the ability to synchronize with a mobile device (smartphone or tablet). Naturally, this relationship attracts the attention of fans to report and observe their own training results. The proprietary software is able not only to give a report on the workout, but also keeps class books and builds charts to visualize the effectiveness.
However, for those who want to lose weight, many fitness trainers recommend using combination software (available on the Internet only for the Android platform), which, in addition to physical activity, takes into account the intake of calories in the body. This decision will allow you to see firsthand the full picture of human metabolism. To understand all the nuances of the program, it is recommended to first study the recommendations and instructions of software developers.
Marketing move?
The manufacturer claims that training and losing weight are the priority functions that the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet is positioning on the market. The reviews of many owners claim that the gadget is doing great with this. After all, the menu of the Mi Fit software provides for several training programs (walking, running, squats and abs). The accelerometer counts, and the smart program calculates the calories burned. Visually, everything looks workable.
However, the owners have many questions for the manufacturer regarding the calculations themselves, because, logically, energy consumption directly depends on body temperature and heart rate. In this connection, many trainers believe that this gadget has nothing to do with sports. The only useful feature in the fitness device is the alert system. You can set a stopwatch, Tabat counter or a reminder that will notify the user by vibration of the gadget on the wrist.
Positive feedback from owners
First of all, the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet attracts buyers with its appearance. The beautiful gadget of the 21st century is the admiration of everyone around. Call alert system and an effective wrist alarm have been enjoyed by all users. At first, many owners could not get used to the LED display (the lack of a display on a smart bracelet is still embarrassing). But, having dealt with the device, users found on the Internet a lot of software to configure and manage this wonderful gadget.
It turns out that the indication of three LEDs can be customized at the request of the user, up to individual notifications of incoming calls in the form of Morse code (we are talking about applications for Android). An important factor for many buyers is the cost of the device in the domestic market (1500 rubles). As many owners note, they got the gadget as a gift from loved ones.
Product weaknesses
You can find fault with any device on the mobile market, for example, many potential buyers are not happy that the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet is black. It doesn’t look like a white smartphone, the manufacturer had to think about it before presenting it on the market. There are complaints about the function of determining the phases of sleep - accidental waking up to the time the alarm goes off is regarded by the gadget as being awake, and it no longer wants to monitor sleep.
As many professionals note in their reviews, the device does not correctly calculate calories burned. When comparing with a professional heart rate monitor, the discrepancy is about 10-15%. Naturally, such an indicator is unacceptable for many people who want to lose weight. The brightness of the LED display can not be reduced, it is annoying for some owners (in the reviews, many users advise painting the bulbs with black nail polish).
Finally
Many potential buyers will certainly wonder when they see the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet on the market: “What is it - a toy, an alarm clock or a fitness trainer?” Definitely difficult to say, because it all depends only on the needs of the user. We need a beautiful and modern gadget - it means that the bracelet is designed for entertainment. The need for an effective sleep and a timely rise in the morning will give the device the status of an alarm clock. A monitoring of training will definitely make a great fitness trainer out of the gadget. Each buyer independently decides what he needs in the end result. The main thing is that the manufacturer pleased everyone by introducing a universal device on the market.