Xiaomi MI band review, after 83 days of continuous usage
The Xiaomi MI band is one of the cheapest fitness trackers out there. That being said it doesn’t feel cheap in any way. The build quality is good enough and we are coming out with our MI band review only after finally breaking the device by daily usage! It took us 83 days of 24×7 continuous wearing of the band in order to finally damage it through normal wear and tear. The tracker is still ok but the strap broke down after 83 days of usage. We even found out why our specific band gave in so easily. Will share that in later part of our review. The band was good enough at what it did i.e. steps tracking and sleep tracking but apart from that one shouldn’t expect too much from the band as it’s a very basic piece of technology. But yeah there are some features which come in really hand and once you start using the band you start wondering how you ever managed your schedule without them!
Xiaomi MI band review: Features and specifications
The MI band features a military grade sensor and a silicone finish band which is anti allergic and will suit even the most sensitive skin types. It used low power consumption Bluetooth communication standard to stay connected to any mobile device. As I myself used it over 83 days so I never found it to cause itching or any other cosmetic issues.
Here’s our initial Xiaomi MI band review video done by us a long time ago:
The technical specifications of the MI Band are as follows:
1. Design and features:
The MI Band consists of two things; one the band and second the Bluetooth capsule. The capsule comes separately so you may have to make a few attempts to fit it into the band. Along with that, there are 3 LED indicators that help you keep a track as to how near you are to achieve your goal. The product has no screen and the band is elastic, but then there is nothing to complain, thanks to such an affordable price. The capsule tracks your sleep patterns, unlocks your phone when you are near it and vibrate to give notifications about incoming calls and alarms. The look of MI Band is pretty basic, without a screen or flashy LED lights etc. The design and features totally cover the cost that you will pay to buy this band.
The elastic material of the band is not of an extremely high superior quality. It starts getting dirty within a week and may even start showing scratches too. In normal usage we wore our bands to the shower too so this made sure it stayed clean but I guess it also made the life of the strap of the band lesser. We would have expected that it would have looked new for at least a month or so but then you can’t do much about it.
2. Tracking and accuracy:
Due to lack of screen, the band is totally dependent on MI Fit app for Android and iOS. When it comes to app, it’s well designed and sometimes you may face issues if trying to login in one go. But then after several attempts, you may overcome this issue. Once logged in, the app will run smoothly. It will count your steps and calories from time to time and will also keep a track of your sleeping patterns. As compared to android, iPhone has a better compatibility with the band due to it’s own motion co-processor. The app will be accurate enough in calculating your deep sleep patterns, but then if you get up to grab a book to read and come back to bed, it will be counted in sleep only sometimes which is a little odd. But sometimes it worked pretty well as it showed some 15-20 minutes of awake time if I got up. If you take a shower while wearing MI Band, sometimes it might counted in tracking because the hand is moving constantly. Habits like tapping your foot, moving your hands etc. will provide little inaccurate results about your daily steps. But apart from these minor glitches it works as it should.
3. Other features:
The battery life of the MI band is pretty decent as there is no screen to consume battery. During 83 days, charging was done only 1 time as it managed to last upto 2-3 weeks on initial 30% charge it had. It sustained for over 60 days after a full charge. LED’s on the band light up when you flip your wrist, like to check time. If one of the LED lights is up, it means that you have achieved 1/3 of your goal. When all three light up, it means that you have finished your goal for the day. Though it would have been better with a screen as a person would have to take out their phone all the time to check their numbers of progress.
Once a person finishes their fitness goal of the day then the band vibrates few times and all lights blink to remind them of the goal completion.
Here’s our conclusion review video for the Xiaomi MI band.
The only product which seems to offer these functionalities in an even better way is the Micromax YU Fit band which has not yet been launched in India. You can see our comparison video of both the bands below.
From my experiences I can tell that this band or any fitness band would last longer if you keep in mind the following tips:
- Always wear the band semi-loose or little tight. Wearing it too loose while sleeping or during the day will accelerate the rate of wear and tear.
- Don’t expose much to water, only use little water to wipe it when necessary.
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Wow nice gadget…I’ll buy this on 20th July …I liked it very much. After the user experience of MI band. It is awesome technology.