Formula for success: the cult series of Xiaomi Mi Band fitness trackers
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The Xiaomi Mi Band series of trackers has established itself as the most popular in the world of wearable gadgets and remains that way even today. But it all started with a small thing.
First generations
The lineup debuted at the peak of summer 2014. The first generation of Mi Band started with a laconic and minimalistic design, which was supported by the high quality of the product's manufacturing. The main character of the first model was a sealed capsule with three LED lights on the front panel. Yes, there was no display in the debut edition of Xiaomi Mi Band.
The color of the light indicators could be customized for different events from four proposed options — blue, orange, green and red (in addition to the traditional white). The model was able to track the distance traveled, analyze the quality of sleep and unobtrusively wake up the owner with vibration at the right moment thanks to the smart alarm clock function. Due to the lack of a display, the wearable gadget worked without recharging for up to 30 days.
The same neutral appearance is retained in the 1S version, also known as Xiaomi Mi Band Pulse. The key innovation in this modification was an optical heart rate monitor that counts the number of contractions of the heart muscle. The only difference between the updated revision of the tracker and the debutant of the line is the LEDs of only one white color on the front panel, which somewhat diminished the usefulness of the visual indication of notifications.
Second
Xiaomi's cheapness has worked very well. However, technology has not been standing at one place and the second generation of Mi Band fitness tracker has acquired the long-awaited display. A miniature OLED display with a diagonal of 0.42 inches in the capsule design showed the current time, the number of steps taken per day and calories burned, the distance covered, and displayed the results of heart rate measurements. Interaction with the interface of the fitness tracker was done by swipes and taps on the touch button in the area below the display.
The stated operating time of Xiaomi Mi Band 2 was 20 days, and the built-in battery had a capacity of 70 mAh. Full charging from the USB port was provided in about an hour and a half. The second generation model retained all the advantages of its predecessors (standard operating time and low cost) and became much more convenient in terms of information perception.
Third
With the third version, the hit tracker from Xiaomi has received noticeable improvements in all aspects. The OLED display has been most dramatically redesigned in the model, increasing to a diagonal of 0.78 inches. Mi Band 3 got a more streamlined and glossy design, and the fitness tracker's display managed to recognize touch controls by swiping up and down to navigate menu items ( the under-screen touch button didn't disappear). Thanks to the increased display size, there was enough space for displaying the time, date and number of steps in standby mode.
Xiaomi Mi Band 3 could count steps, measure heart rate, show time, track sleep quality and duplicate notifications. New additions to the menu include a stopwatch and weather forecast. The autonomy of the model remained at the same level — about 20 days of operation without recharging. In parallel with the classic version, a modification of the tracker with an NFC chip was released for the Chinese market, but it was impossible to use this interface for contactless payments outside China.
Fourth
The fourth generation of Xiaomi Mi Band is still available today. It has even larger screen diagonal (up to 0.95 inches), along with which the display managed to display color images. The AMOLED display is covered with tempered glass, and the branded app adds the ability to install custom dials for every preference and color.
The success formula of Xiaomi Mi Band 4 is that the gadget has absorbed the most practical functions that simplify everyday life. On the device's display, you can read small messages in full, see the name of the calling contact, view heart rate information, check the weather, search for your phone, and even control your music player. The device is also useful for active lifestyle users, as it has 18 types of activities available along with the ability to receive fitness data in the form of heart rate, jogging pace or maximum speed.
Fifth
The fifth generation of the hit fitness tracker has been extended even more (to a screen size of 1.1 inches diagonally) and many new dials have been added. The expanded functionality of the device includes the ability to measure the body's stress level, track the female cycle, and remotely control the smartphone camera. Breathing training was also introduced into the model as an innovation.
The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 tracker is equipped with magnetic charging, so you no longer need to remove the device from the strap. However, the straps themselves and the charger will have to be purchased new — they are not backward compatible with previous generations of the wearable gadget. The autonomy of the tracker remained at approximately the same level, and the price of the device did not change.
Sixth
The successor to the fifth Mi Band got rid of the frames around the AMOLED screen. As a result, the display diagonal of the device has increased to 1.56 inches — more useful information can be placed on it. Xiaomi Mi Band 6 supports 30 sports training modes, and 6 of them are automatically recognized.
Related functions of the device include collecting information about the user’s activity, measuring the level of blood oxygen saturation, determining the level of stress in the body, monitoring sleep, and tracking individual female cycles. As before, the sixth edition of the fitness tracker is sold on store shelves in a version with an NFS chip and in a modification without an NFC module. The model also includes a PAI health assessment system.
Seventh
In this generation, the line of legendary fitness trackers from Xiaomi was divided into two branches. In its basic version, the Mi Band 7 tracker is a good old oblong device with electronic hardware. The size of its AMOLED screen was increased to 1.62 inches diagonally, and the display can also operate in the Always On mode (for constant time display). The fitness tracker was equipped with an improved pulse oximeter to more accurately determine the level of blood oxygen saturation during the day. Another innovation is that the model now has the ability to track cardio endurance and prevent the user from overexerting during sports. The version of the tracker with an NFC chip also supports voice control.
The second branch in the seventh generatin is already something between a fitness tracker and a smart watch. Xiaomi Mi Band 7 Pro is equipped with a 1.64-inch diagonal rectangular AMOLED screen with support for Always On mode. At the same time, Pro model acquired satellite navigation for all common systems: GPS, Galileo, Beidou and QZSS, thanks to which the wearable gadget can be fully used apart from the smartphone. In terms of autonomy, the performance of the tracker watch has dropped a little compared to previous generations: on average, the device will need to be charged once every 12 days, and for active sports – once every 6 or 7 days. Xiaomi Mi Band 7 Pro blurs the fine line between fitness trackers and smart watches.
Eighth
The classic tracker Mi Band 8 is not far from the previous seventh one in terms of characteristics and set of functions. However, Xiaomi engineers have radically redesigned the strap fixation system for the new model — henceforth they are attached to the capsule using miniature clips in the manner of a smart watch. The straps themselves are no longer a solid piece, but are made up of two halves.
As for other innovations, the refresh rate of the screen has been increased (from 30 Hz to 60 Hz) and its peak brightness has been raised slightly (from 500 nits to 600 nits). Also, the model has added support for a larger list of sports modes — now there are as many as 150 of them. And Mi Band 8 provides professional tracking of cadence, pushing force, pace and other metrics for jogging monitoring, but for this purpose the capsule will need to be attached to the laces of sneakers by means of a special clip.
The Pro version of the tracker entered the global market at the very end of winter 2024 — six months after the announcement in China. It is still a cross between a fitness tracker and a smart watch, but it gravitates more toward the second category. Xiaomi Mi Band 8 Pro has a 1.74-inch AMOLED screen with Always On function and automatic brightness adjustment. There is a GPS module inside the wearable device with support for cartography directly on the display. The model understands voice control commands, is equipped with an NFC chip, and has 150 training modes for sports fans. The autonomy of the gadget has been increased from 12 to 14 days, however, when using the Always On function, you should expect about 6 days of device operation without recharging.
Mobile app
For many years in a row, control of Xiaomi fitness trackers has been implemented through the Mi Fit mobile application. In the spring of 2022, the program was rebranded — now it is called Zepp Life. Note that the application interface has not undergone fundamental changes. On the main screen, it displays the number of steps taken, sleep quality score and heart rate. Separate tabs provide access to sports training, interactions with friends, and detailed settings (including smart alarm functions and notification settings).
Zepp is the new name of the Amazfit brand, which produces smart watches and fitness trackers. This division belongs to Huami, which is behind the development of the cult Mi Band series.
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