Xiaomi's fitness trackers have long been praised for their battery life, though this new model offers slightly less impressive performance than its predecessor. It does seem that at least for the time being, Xiaomi has left out some of the more high profile branded faces it announced at launch, including the SpongeBob SquarePants faces we were very much looking forward to trying out. You also have more control over what health and fitness data is displayed on those faces, which can be changed on the device itself. The bump in screen quality on the Mi Band 4 meant Xiaomi could be a bit more playful and adventurous with faces, and with the Mi Smart Band 5 it’s added a number of animated faces that need to be synced over from the Mi Fit companion app. We shouldn’t forget to talk about the Band faces you have to pick from on that main screen.
Smart band app software#
Music playback controls and weather forecasts are well optimized, but notifications still feel a little cramped.įeatures like setting alarms and accessing the camera remote require digging into the Band’s settings, but thankfully it’s software that’s easy to get to grips with and navigate once you know where things live. Bottom line: it crams in a lot.Īs far as the smartwatch experience goes, it’s a bit of a mix bag, simply because of the limited amount of space at your disposal.
Smart band app android#
It’s compatible with Android phones and iPhones, bringing you features like the ability to view phone notifications, view weather forecasts, control music playback on your phone and taking smartphone photos remotely. With every new Mi Band, Xiaomi has sought to improve its uses outside of fitness and sports tracking and that doesn’t change with the Mi Smart Band 5. Like its predecessor, the Mi Smart Band 5 has a 5ATM waterproof rating, which does make it suitable for jumping in the shower with it or putting its pool swim tracking features to good use. The new magnetic charging cable plugs directly into the back of the tracker, which means you no longer need to separate the tracker from the band. Previously, you had to pull the tracker module out of the strap to plug it into its charging cradle. Xiaomi also seems to have increased the size of its icons, making it easier to glance at your information during the day.īelow that touchscreen display is a capacitive button, which is primarily used to wake the display up while around the back you’ll find the onboard heart rate monitor.Ī more important detail to highlight around back is the change in the way the Mi Band is charged. That extra screen real estate is also welcome because it means more information can be displayed at once, which is most noticeable on the watch screen. The Mi Smart Band 5's screen is bright, colorful, responsive and crucially, easy to view in bright sunlight. The result is a display that pretty much wipes the floor with the competition.Ĭompare it to what you get on Fitbit or Samsung’s cheapest fitness trackers, and there’s no contest. Xiaomi has also upped things in the brightness department, cranking up the max to 450 nits. Xiaomi uses a 1.1-inch, 126 x 294 resolution AMOLED touchscreen, which is a bump up in size and resolution on the 0.95, 120 x 240 resolution screen on the Mi Band 4. It’s the display that really elevates this tracker above the competition, though. It’s a bit of plain in terms of design, and less stylish than Fitbit's trackers, but it feels well built and nowhere as 'cheap' as some trackers at this price point. It still pairs up a similar-looking tracker module with a TPU plastic strap that comes in six different colors (compared to eight for the Chinese version). DesignĪt first glance, the Mi Smart Band 5 at first glance doesn’t look all that different from the Xiaomi Mi Band 4. The price excludes delivery and any import fees or taxes.
Smart band app install#
You will get the Chinese version but if you install the Mi Fit application, update the firmware and sync the band, you will be able to change the language from Chinese to English. If you are not fussed about using it only in English, then it can be had for as little as $29.99 from Gearbest.
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 launched on July 16 2020, and is priced at $50 / £29.99 / AU$99.95. Xiaomi’s goal is to offer the kind of features you’d expect to find on pricier trackers, and it’s fair to say it successfully achieves that on the whole.