Nothing attracts the attention of buyers in the electronics market like inexpensive gadgets endowed with rich functionality. The reader will get acquainted with one of these devices in this article: the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet is designed to diversify the leisure of a person who prefers an active lifestyle. Reviews, instructions, reviews and recommendations of professionals will allow the buyer to understand that it is simply impossible to live without such a device at the present time.
Interesting Gadget
Before proceeding to the review and the technical characteristics of the device, you need to understand what, in fact, is a Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet, what it is. At first glance, the gadget looks very much like a Power Balance silicone bracelet worn on the arm instead of a watch. It is this similarity that repels many potential buyers from the device at the first meeting.
In fact, the silicone bracelet plays the role of a wrist strap, and is responsible for the functionality of small dimensionsa device that has an embedded computer and many sensors. The gadget is positioned on the market as a pedometer capable of measuring the distance traveled and mathematically calculating calories burned.
First meeting
Chinese miracle, to the surprise of many buyers, comes in decent cardboard packaging. True, the description on the reverse side is unlikely to help the user learn about the content, since all the inscriptions consist of hieroglyphs. The package bundle is standard for all devices of this type: Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet, setup instructions in the form of pictures, a silicone bracelet and a USB cable for charging.
Many users will definitely have questions about the instruction manual, because even a child can handle the button clasp on the bracelet (almost all the attention is paid to it in the instructions). But about how to set up the gadget, there is not a word in the book. True, there is a QR code that occupies one page. So the Chinese are hinting that all explanations are available in encrypted form somewhere on the Internet.
Gadget assembly and first impressions
The silicone strap is very pleasant to the touch and will definitely not cause irritation when touched, even for people with allergies, as cheap plastic watches brought from the Land of the Rising Sun do. There are no complaints about the metal case of the computer. It is made of brushed metal and has no sharp corners (it looks like a flat pill from the side).
Assembling the Xiaomi Mi Band Black smart bracelet is quite simple. On the strap itself there is a special groove in the form of a frame into which you need to insert a metal gadget. For ease of installation, you can stretch the edges of the silicone case to the sides. Many buyers are confused by the process of constant assembly and disassembly of the bracelet (after all, in order to recharge the gadget, it must be removed from the silicone case). But many owners in their reviews assure that the elastic bracelet is very durable and does not spontaneously stretch during operation.
Device specifications
The external attractiveness of Chinese products sometimes does not meet the technical specifications for many devices, since the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet does not have this negative. An overview of the functionality of the gadget will delight even the most demanding customer.
- The device is equipped with an economical ADXL362 3-axis accelerometer, which is installed in all expensive Android smartphones.
- Built-in 41 mAh lithium polymer battery provides up to 30 days guaranteed battery life.
- The weight of the gadget itself is 5 grams (plus the strap weighs 8 grams).
- The device supports Bluetooth 4.0 and 4.1
- IP67 moisture protection allows you not to remove the gadget from your hand during water procedures.
Tethered to smartphone
The gadget is controlled and configured via Bluetooth using a special Mi Fit application,which does not contain a smart bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band in its configuration on an optical disc. How to connect a gadget to a smartphone is the most popular question among potential buyers. It's better to start with the fact that the control software is only available for two operating systems: iOS and Android 4.3.
Immediately after launch, the application will ask the owner for data on he alth and age. For the full operation of the program, the user needs to create an account on the Xiaomi website and go through authorization (menu in English). At the end of all actions, the smartphone will independently contact the smart bracelet. The blinking of all indicators on the gadget will indicate an authorization request. The user needs to touch the surface of the device with their finger to confirm.
Pedometer functionality
The built-in accelerometer in a mobile device no longer surprises anyone. However, not every gadget is able to distinguish walking from running. Differentiation of the speed of movement, measurement of the distance traveled, calculation of calories burned - the smart bracelet Xiaomi Mi Band has all the useful functions for the user. Feedback from the owners of the gadget boils down to the fact that the device can measure the pulse, however, no one managed to get data on the heartbeat.
In addition to the informative table and graphs on the smartphone display, the owner of the gadget can receive data directly from the gadget itself. The three LED indicators are controlled by the phone software and showto the owner of the device, the percentage of the distance traveled (one-third, two-thirds, completion of the path). It looks rather strange at first, but later the owner quickly gets used to such a decision, because putting a hand to your eyes is much easier than removing a smartphone from your pocket.
Sleep phases
Another function of the smart bracelet clearly leads the owners to believe that the gadget has a heart rate monitor, but the manufacturer claims that the accelerometer monitors sleep functions in the device. As conceived by the developer, it is by the position of the hand during sleep that the Xiaomi Mi Band smart fitness bracelet monitors the state of the body. The user does not need to press any buttons, the sensor independently determines the body's falling asleep and waking up.
The result of determining the sleep phases for the user will be a graph with time division and indication of periods of deep sleep. After making several measurements and comparing the resulting graphs, you can find out the auspicious time to wake up. Much attention has been paid to this topic lately, because scientists have found that it is the correct exit from the sleep phase that determines a person’s mood for the whole day.
Alert system
The Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet is equipped with a vibration alert system. Judging by the reviews of the owners, it is this function that is most in demand in this gadget. Firstly, the alarm for incoming calls and messages is very convenient when you set your smartphone to silent mode. It is impossible to miss an important call with certain program settings. Naturally, vibration on the wrist can wake you up from sleep, which is very convenient in the morning when you don't want to wake up the whole house with alarm sounds. And if you consider that the function of managing sleep phases is interconnected with the notification system, then getting up in the morning has a more favorable effect on the he alth of the body as a whole.
A nice addition is a large number of reminder programs that are synchronized with the Mi Fit application. No important event will be missed. The only negative reported by the owners of the gadget in their reviews is the inoperability of popular communication programs (Skype, Viber, WhatsAp) with a smart bracelet on the smartphone's native firmware.
Statistics and charting
The Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet is of interest to many buyers with the ability to synchronize with a mobile device (smartphone or tablet). Naturally, such a relationship attracts the attention of those who like to keep records and observe their own training results. Proprietary software can not only issue a report on the completed workout, but also keeps activity logs and builds graphs to visualize efficiency.
However, for those who want to lose weight, many fitness trainers recommend using a combined software (available on the Internet only for the Android platform), which, in addition to physical activity, takes into account the intake of calories in the body. Such a solution will allow you to see with your own eyes a complete picture of human metabolism. To understand all the nuances of the program, it is recommended that you first study the recommendations and instructions of the software developers.
Marketing ploy?
The manufacturer claims that training and weight loss are priority functions that the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet positions on the market. Reviews of many owners assure that the gadget copes with this perfectly. After all, the Mi Fit software menu provides for several training programs (walking, running, squats and abs). The accelerometer counts, and the smart program calculates the calories burned. Visually, everything looks functional.
However, the owners have many questions to the manufacturer regarding the calculations themselves, because, logically, energy consumption directly depends on body temperature and heart rate. In this connection, many coaches believe that this gadget has nothing to do with sports. The only useful feature in the fitness device is the alert system. You can set up a stopwatch, tabata counter or reminder that will notify the user by vibration of the gadget on the wrist.
Positive feedback from owners
First of all, the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet attracts buyers with its appearance. A beautiful gadget of the 21st century is admired by everyone around. The call notification system and effective alarm clock on the wrist have appealed to all users. At first, many owners could not get used to the LED indication (the lack of a display on a smart bracelet is still embarrassing). But, having de alt withdevice, users have found a lot of software on the Internet to configure and manage this wonderful gadget.
It turns out that the indication of the three LEDs can be configured at the request of the user, up to individual notifications of incoming calls in the form of Morse code (we are talking about applications for Android). An important factor for many buyers is the cost of the device in the domestic market (1500 rubles). As many owners note, they got the gadget as a gift from loved ones.
Product weaknesses
You can find fault with any device on the mobile market, for example, many potential buyers are not satisfied that the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet is black. With a white smartphone, it does not look at all, the manufacturer needed to think about this before the presentation on the market. There are complaints about the function of determining the phases of sleep - an accidental awakening before the alarm time is regarded by the gadget as wakefulness, and it no longer wants to monitor sleep.
As many professionals note in their reviews, the device incorrectly calculates calories burned. When compared with a professional heart rate monitor, the discrepancies are about 10-15%. Naturally, such an indicator is unacceptable for many people who want to get rid of excess weight. The brightness of the LED indication cannot be reduced, which annoys some owners (in the reviews, many users advise painting over the bulbs with black nail polish).
In conclusion
Many potential buyers will certainly wonder when they see the Xiaomi Mi Band smart bracelet on the market: "What is it - a toy, an alarm clock or a fitness trainer?" It’s hard to say for sure, because it all depends on the needs of the user himself. You need a beautiful and modern gadget - it means that the bracelet is designed for entertainment. The need for effective sleep and timely rise in the morning will assign the device the status of an alarm clock. And monitoring the conduct of training will definitely make a wonderful fitness trainer out of the gadget. Each buyer independently decides what he needs in the end result. The main thing is that the manufacturer pleased everyone by introducing a universal device on the market.
