Xiaomi Mi Band 6 no longer needed? Five worthy alternatives to the popular fitness tracker

Followers of the healthy lifestyle cult, who are not ready to shell out a tidy sum for advanced smartwatches, will like the first fitness tracker from OPPO with the prosaic name Band.

The model has a certain similarity with competitors under the Xiaomi brand. Structurally, the tracker consists of a capsule with sensors and a silicone strap. The front surface of the capsule with electronics is covered with a color AMOLED screen framed by visible frames with excellent readability of the picture in the sun. The caliber of the display is 1.1 inches, and its resolution is 294x126 pixels. At the user's disposal, 5 gradations of brightness of the AMOLED panel are provided. The display “lights up” when you touch it with your finger or raise your wrist.

On the “contact” side of the capsule body, which is adjacent to the “carrier’s” hand, there is an optical heart rate sensor and sensors for determining the level of blood oxygen saturation. During the day, saturation is measured "on call" by the user, at night, OPPO Band monitors SpO₂ indicators automatically, improving the accuracy of information about sleep quality. Detailed sleep phase graphs are drawn in the associated HeyTap Health mobile app.

The sports potential of the model is revealed by 12 preset training modes: running, walking, cycling, swimming, yoga and less popular ones like cricket. Tracking sports is done with the measurement of time, productivity and load on the body. At the same time , the device collects information about the user's activity and fills in the goal achievement scale on the screen. Among the shortcomings of the OPPO Band, they note the need to remove the capsule from the charging strap. Fortunately, you will need to turn this action every 10-12 days - that is how much energy reserves are enough in the cells of a 100 mAh battery.

Honor has embarked on an independent “float” from the parent Huawei towards the end of 2020. However, the close cooperation between the brands did not stop. Otherwise, how else to explain the close similarity of the Huawei Band 6 and Honor Band 6 bracelets?

The brainchild of Honor is recognizable by the red “pimp” on the side button for unlocking the screen, and on one of the faces of the body of the fitness tracker you can see the engraving with the brand name. The model's rectangular screen is based on a 1.47-inch AMOLED matrix substrate. The display supports touch control, but is not unlocked by taps. The advantage of the screen over peers is that you can see more information on it, especially in the form of sleep schedules or workouts.

The arsenal of Honor Band 6 sensors includes a heart rate sensor, a pulse oximeter for measuring blood oxygen levels, an accelerometer and a gyroscope. Programmatically, the device has the functions of weather forecast, stopwatch, timer, phone search. And most importantly, the tracker has 10 pre-installed training programs for various sports disciplines(running, walking, swimming, and others).

The body of the fitness tracker can withstand diving to a depth of 50 m. On its back, there are contacts for connecting a charging cradle with a magnetic tail. Literally in 10 min. the battery life of the wearable gadget is extended by 3 days. In total, from 10 to 14 days of autonomy are promised on a single battery charge - in practice, everything depends on the intensity of using the tracker.

Oddly enough, the Canyon CNS-SB75 smart bracelet costs more than smartwatches of the same brand. This pricing policy is determined by the extended functionality of the model. In particular, she is able to take accurate measurements of ECG and heart rate variability.

The tracker takes a cardiogram in the form of a visual graph and saves the data in the Canyon Life mobile application. Information about the user's activity during the day and the quality of his sleep are also transmitted there. Accounting is maintained for indicators of the number of steps taken, distance covered, calories burned. Based on the results obtained, recommendations are given for restoring the body after training and readiness for new loads.

The analysis of exercise planning, taking into account the load on the heart and the level of physical strength, is carried out by a virtual smart trainer. But I would like to see more sports modes on the bracelet - Canyon CNS-SB75 supports only 4 types of training (running, walking, cycling and climbing).

The model has a color screen with a diagonal size of slightly less than one inch (0.96") and a low resolution of 160x80 pixels. The dimensions of the display turned out to be small due to the fact that under it there is a platform for applying a finger when taking an ECG and a touch control button. With this On the same side of the case, a silicone strap is unfastened, hiding a USB “tail” for charging the fitness tracker battery with a capacity of 105 mAh.With active use, the battery lasts for 5-6 days of battery life of the device.

The answer to the sixth generation of the Mi Band bracelet from Xiaomi was the "huawei" fitness tracker under the same number "6". In appearance, it resembles a smartwatch “at the minimum”, however, in terms of functions too.

From the “facade” side, the model was equipped with an AMOLED touch screen with a diagonal size of 1.47 inches. Yes, it's smaller than Xiaomi's direct competitor, but thanks to its squarer form factor, the display fits more useful workout information and notifications from a paired smartphone. There is enough space on the Huawei Band 6 screen to show heart rate graphs, cadence pace and other important parameters when playing sports.

As for sports modes, the model supports 96 types of training, including exotic frisbee and laser tag. The tracker automatically determines running and walking (both outdoors and indoors), classes on elliptical and rowing machines. On a 24/7 basis, the bracelet monitors heart rate, blood oxygen saturation levels, stress levels, and tracks the menstrual cycle. During the dark night time of the day, the tracker evaluates the phases of sleep and the quality of the "carrier's" breathing.

When connected to a smartphone, the gadget duplicates incoming notifications, makes it possible to answer calls with template messages, and allows you to control the audio player and camera of the mobile phone. The last two features only work in conjunction with Huawei and Honor smartphones. In offline mode, the model is able to stay afloat for up to two weeks in a row. A magnetic cradle is used to charge the device. Huawei Band 6 can be called a fitness tracker for the youth audience, which is determined by the color palette of the case and straps, as well as the design of the dials in the appropriate style.

The "luxury" activity tracker from Fitbit was one of the first products of the famous brand after the transition under the wing of the tech giant Google. This is a stylish accessory for any outfit, be it a sports uniform or an elegant evening dress.

Actually, the bracelet is “in style” and leaves in comparison with competitors. The model is launched on the market in a steel case in black, gold or silver. And some straps to it are a work of art at all. For example, a strap made of golden Gorjana links can cost more than the fitness tracker itself (up to two hundred evergreen US dollars).

The front panel of the Fitbit Luxe capsule is occupied by a small AMOLED screen with a caliber of approximately 0.76 inches diagonally. The “look” of an optical sensor is directed to the wrist to register the number of contractions of the heart muscle and sensors to monitor the level of blood oxygen saturation. Based on the measured saturation, the general indicator of aerobic endurance of the body is calculated, and the parameter will also be useful for assessing the course of some viral diseases in the manner of COVID-19.

The model automatically recognizes and records certain types of workouts, incl. walking, running, aerobic and elliptical training, cycling. In total, the bracelet fruitfully “cooperates” with 21 sports. The tracker also tracks stress, sleep and breathing. The full potential of a wearable device is unlocked by subscribing to the Premium version of Fitbit's proprietary software, but for the first six months it is usually provided in addition to a fitness tracker.