When it comes to affordable, high-quality tech, Xiaomi is a brand we know we can rely on. We’ve all been witness to their great value tech across a range of categories from smart home appliances to smartphones to electric scooters! They also have a super impressive range of smart bands and smart watches too, including options that offer all the bells and whistles at a fraction of the price of competitors. Sometimes when you’re presented with a handful of good options from a reliable brand, it can be hard deciding which is best for you. That’s why we’ve put together this Xiaomi Smart Wearables Buying Guide to help you find the right one for you! We've ordered this list from Xiaomi's most entry-level option, up towards the most premium one.
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1. Mi Smart Band 8
We’re starting the list off with the most basic wearable Xiaomi offers - the Mi Smart Band 8. This smart band is a great choice for someone who simply wants to track their steps, workouts, and basic health statistics in the easiest, most affordable way possible (it'll also receive and display notifications too). Featuring a slim, rectangular 1.62” AMOLED display, along with a durable and flexible strap, the Mi Band 8 has a simplistic and minimal appearance that takes up little space on the wrist and is extremely lightweight.
Not only will the Mi Band 8 track your steps and heart rate but it also keeps track of your workouts (supporting 150 fitness modes), monitoring things such as burned calories, heart rate changes, and workout durations. With 5ATM Water Resistance, you can even wear it while swimming. Additionally, the Mi Band 8 features Blood Oxygen Monitoring - a feature you likely won't find in other bands this cheap. Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) is a key indicator of a person's overall health, reflecting the oxygen levels in the blood. If yours is too low, the Mi Smart Band 8 band will vibrate to alert you!
Perhaps the most impressive thing about this smart band is the whopping up to 16 day battery life - the longest of them all from this list. The long battery life comes in especially handy if you’ll be using your smart band to track things like your sleep (which the Mi Band 8 also does by the way) or going on super long multi-day hikes! All-in-all, the Mi Band 8 is a great choice for those who are after basic health tracking and a long battery life, in a minimal and simplistic package.
Others in this price bracket include the Redmi Watch 3 Active (100+ fitness modes) and Redmi Smart Band 2 (30+ fitness modes). Aside from the number of fitness modes, the main notable difference to consider between the three is the form factor. All three smart bands have different face sizes ranging from the Mi Band 8 with the smallest and slimmest face, to the Redmi Watch 3 Active with the largest face.
2. Redmi Watch 2 Lite
For the next step up from the Mi Band 8, we recommend the Redmi Watch 2 Lite. Immediately, the first difference you’ll notice is the watch face. The Watch 2 Lite features a square 1.55” HD touch display with a wider strap. As the name suggests, it resembles more of a watch than a simple fitness band and if that’s the look you’re after, this might already be the better option for you.
In addition to the step count, heart-rate monitoring, sleep-monitoring, workout monitoring, and bloody oxygen monitoring that comes with the Mi Band 7, the Watch 2 Lite also offers a few extra features. The stand out one is the built-in GPS - it might be worth noting that this is probably the cheapest smart watch you’ll find with a built-in GPS in NZ. The Watch 2 Lite also supports other major global positioning systems such as GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, offering improved performance for more precise position tracking. It also includes stress monitoring, breathing training, female health tracking, and of course, 5ATM water resistance.
Another area where the Watch 2 Lite differs from the Mi Band 7 is the battery life, which is slightly shorter; but even with a bigger screen and additional sensors, it still boasts 10 days of battery life! The Watch 2 Lite is a great option if you want the most affordable option, you prefer the smart watch look and/or if you’re a runner.
3. Mi Smart Band 8 Pro
The Mi Smart Band 8 Pro is like a combination of the previous two and then enhanced across the board. It features a rectangular 1.74” AMOLED display that is both bigger and clearer; Always-On, and has adaptive display brightness. The layout of all features on the band display is similar to that of a smartphone; text and icons own more space and become much easier to tap and swipe; and it can be seen as a convenient extension of your smartphone.
It has all of the health and fitness tracking features found on the previous two, including a multi-system built-in GPS and GNSS, with support for BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS systems. It also has 10 pre-loaded on-wrist running courses that can help you take your runs further! The band can vibrate and light the screen to remind you to meet your heart rate and speed goals, making sure that you get the most out of your workout.
As with all Mi smart bands that have access to apps, you can also enjoy a new fitness feature "Competition" that has officially landed on Xiaomi Fitness APP. You can set daily exercise goals for yourself, pick and invite one of your friends to compete on workout achievements, share fitness plans, and more! The Mi Band 8 Pro has 5ATM water resistance and up to 14 days of battery life. A great choice for those who want a solid fitness watch that looks good and doesn’t break the bank!
4. Redmi Watch 4
If you prefer a square watch face - something that resembles the Apple Watch - check out the Redmi Watch 4. It features a class-leading 1.97” AMOLED display with rounded corners and a stylish metallic finish. This translates to a 26% increase in viewing area compared to the previous generation, offering a crisp and vibrant canvas for your workout data, notifications, and watch faces. With 600 nits of brightness, the screen is ultra bright, meaning you can view everything with ease, even in strong sunlight.
It features built-in GPS, precisely tracking your distance, pace, and route as you run or hike; as well as a bunch of health monitoring features, such as bloody oxygen level, sleep tracking, SPO2 and more. It also has some extra features, such as '24-hour security protection ' - in the event of an emergency, tap the side button three times to quickly call your emergency contact. One of it's biggest strengths is the whopping 20-day typical battery life, meaning you can rely on it to track your health and fitness round the clock without constantly recharging. Even features like Always-On display turned on, you can expect a solid 10 days of battery life.
The Redmi Watch 4 seamlessly connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth. This allows you to view and reject calls directly on the watch, a convenient feature for staying connected during workouts. You'll also receive notifications for messages, emails, and social media updates, keeping you informed without constantly reaching for your phone. Overall, this wearable smarts a fantastic balance between affordability and features. It's a great pick for those who want a solid fitness watch that has basic smart watch functionalities.
5. Xiaomi Watch 2
Fairly new to Xiaomi's lineup and offering the perfect balance of performance, price, and functionality, is the Xiaomi Watch 2. Available in Black or Silver, this smart watch offers a sleek and simple appearance that will look good on your wrist. It also brings the power of Google Wear OS to your wrist, enabling a host of functionalities and third-party apps including Google Maps, Google Assistant, and Google Pay!
The sleek and minimal design includes a 1.43” high-resolution AMOLED display with up to 600 nits of brightness and a lightweight body of just 36g (without the strap). It's powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ Gen1 platform, offering high performance and low power consumption. The impressive storage of 2% + 32GB is comparable to a smartphone, offering plenty of space for hi-res audio music and apps! Also included is a 5-system L1+L5 GNSS tracking, providing great accuracy, whether you're going for a run, hike, or navigating a high-rise building.
The Watch 2 has a 495mAh high-capacity battery. When combined with Qualcomm's hybrid architecture, this will take you up to 65-hours on a single charge. That means you can make the most of all the health and fitness tracking features, including sleep tracking! 5 ATM water resistance means it's perfect for every type of workout - even wet ones. Additionally, bluetooth support means you can take calls and receive messages and notifications on your wrist.
6. Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro
If you’re after a full fledged smartwatch with all of the functionality you’d expect from a premium smartwatch, the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro is for you! This watch is powered by the Snapdragon w5+ Gen 1 Platform - an ultra-fast and power-efficient 4nm processor - along with Google Wear OS, bringing the power of Google Apps directly to your wrist. While it shares many similarities with the Xiaomi Watch 2, the Watch 2 Pro offers a more premium case design.
The beautiful design offers style and functionality. It sports a 1.43” high-resolution AMOLED display with always-on-display, beautifully placed on a high-quality stainless-steel body. It has a classic rotating crown, delivering a seamless and intuitive way to navigate, along with two side buttons for added functionality and convenience. If you're looking for a smart watch with a premium look and feel, the Watch 2 Pro is your best bet from Xiaomi's lineup.
As you’d expect, when it comes to features, it has all of the features found on the other watches and more! Advanced health and working tracking brings versatile analysis of heart rate, SpO2, sleep, and more; and a 5-system dual-band GNSS accurately tracks your runs and hikes. Effortlessly connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth to take calls, receive messages and notifications, and more. With 2GB+32GB of storage and up to 65 hours of battery life, this smartwatch will easily keep up with your lifestyle.
We're pretty impressed at what these smart wearables have to offer at these price points. We hope you found this guide helpful and have picked out the best Xiaomi smart wearable for you. Head over to the Xiaomi brand store to check out more great value tech!
