If you’re looking for a fitness band or smartwatch that can track your health and fitness, keep you updated with notifications, and add a touch of style to your wrist without breaking the bank, the latest Xiaomi Smart Band should be on your list.
The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro, priced at a wallet-friendly P3,699, offers a sizable screen, built-in GNSS, up to 14 days of battery, lots of health and fitness monitoring features, and a new quick-release mechanism that allows you to easily change up the straps to suit your outfit.
Inside the box are the watch display, charging cable, user guide, and a strap. Our review unit came with the light gray TPU strap and an extra braided quick-release strap in what Xiaomi calls “rose purple” colorway. See how easy it is to switch straps in the unboxing video below:
Design and display
The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro’s case measures 46 x 33.35 mm and 9.99 mm thin with a metallic middle frame. It has rounded edges, no side buttons, and weighs a mere 22 grams (without the strap) but still feels sturdy and well-built.
The back houses the sensors, magnetic charging contacts, and quick-release button.
The 1.74-inch AMOLED display has a 336 x 480p resolution and 333ppi pixel density. Not surprisingly, it’s vibrant, sharp, and readable even under sunlight. It also boasts a 73% high screen-to-body ratio, which makes the already big display look even larger.
As there are no physical buttons whatsoever on the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro, all controls are done via the touchscreen. Thankfully, the display is responsive and the user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, allowing you to access various functions with just a light swipe or tap.
Health and fitness tracking
Pairing the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro with your smartphone is simple. Just download and install the Mi Fitness app on your phone. Turn on Bluetooth, keep the band nearby, and follow the on-screen instructions in the app to connect your devices. Once paired, you can access many features and monitor your fitness metrics with ease.
The fitness band’s easy-to-use interface simplifies navigation, offering quick access to essential features and customizable widgets. Aside from health functions, the menu includes useful tools such as weather updates, stopwatch, music and camera control, alarm clock, timer, and flashlight. You can swipe horizontally to select and customize widgets, and vertically to scroll through the menu.
You can choose a watch face in the settings app or by long-pressing from the homescreen. Additionally, you can use the Mi Fitness app to discover more watch faces ranging from simple to formal to artistic.
The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro offers a comprehensive suite of health and fitness monitoring features. There’s a built-in GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) so you can track activities without having to lug around your smartphone, continuous heart rate monitoring, SpO2 blood oxygen saturation monitoring, advanced sleep tracking, stress monitoring, and multiple workout modes.
We tested the accuracy of the band’s heart rate sensor vis-a-vis a pulse oximeter and a blood pressure monitor. The results showed a deviation of only two to three beats. Similarly, the blood oxygen saturation was within +/-1 to 2 compared to a pulse oximeter.
Furthermore, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro can track over 150 sports activities, including running, outdoor activities (trekking, rock climbing, parkour, triathlon, etc.), water sports (poo swimming, open water swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, etc.), training, dance, combat sports, and more.
Battery life and connectivity
The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro’s battery life is quite impressive. Xiaomi claims the 289mAh cell can last up to 14 days. In our experience where we had the Always-on Display feature turned on, it lasted around 6 days, which is still commendable. Charging the wearabe from 0 to 100% took about an hour and 20 minutes.
We also tried pairing the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro with Android and iOS devices using Bluetooth 5.3, and it worked seamlessly in both cases.
Speed says
With a ton of useful features and a price that won’t break the bank, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro is a compelling choice for those who want to tract their health and fitness. This wearable’s got style and functionality, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. So, if you’re on the hunt for a versatile health companion, you should definitely give the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro a serious look.
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