Affordable $30 Fitness Tracker Shows You Can Skip the $300 Smartwatch
Back in my high school days, I acquired the original Xiaomi Mi Band for merely $10. It lacked a screen and fitness modes, but it reshaped my perspective on wearables and ignited my interest in smartwatches. Fast forward eight years, and the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 has undergone remarkable advancements, compelling me to consider replacing my Apple Watch with it—all for just $30.
Build and Design: My Shift from a Smartwatch
I have been using smartwatches frequently since the Moto 360 era. In fact, I relied so heavily on my smartwatch that not wearing one would leave me uneasy. Since I primarily used my smartwatch for notifications, the constant influx of information became overwhelming. Consequently, I decided to transition back to a traditional watch.
However, I still sought a device to monitor my daily steps and alert me to significant notifications. Thus, I opted for the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 for my other wrist, desiring to avoid wearing a full-sized watch and appearing out of place.
Sleek and Minimalistic Design
The lightweight feel of the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 struck me immediately. It was a refreshing shift from my bulkier Apple Watch. Besides being lighter, its compact form factor made it considerably more comfortable for overnight wear compared to larger smartwatches.
Xiaomi has not compromised on the materials used for the Smart Band 9’s construction. It features a robust full-metal chassis adorned with chamfered edges. The device is crowned with a 2.5D curved display that gives it a premium look.
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 appears exceptionally stylish for a fitness tracker priced at just $30. My girlfriend, with a significantly keener sense of fashion, also admired how it looked on my wrist.
Comfort for All-Day Wear
Beyond the tracker itself, the silicone band provides an incredibly soft and comfortable wearing experience. In comparison to the sport band of my Apple Watch, the only noticeable difference is that the Xiaomi band is slightly more rigid. Overall, the Band 9 excels in aesthetics, design, and build quality, earning a stellar 10/10 in this category.
Key Features of the Xiaomi Smart Band 9
Now, let’s explore the crucial aspect of any fitness tracker: its performance. Having used the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 for over a month, I can confidently say it exceeds expectations in functionality. From tracking essential metrics like steps and calories burned, to controlling music or snapping photos from your phone, the Smart Band 9 is packed with features.
Health and Fitness Monitoring
The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 encompasses nearly all the essential features you would anticipate from a fitness tracker. These include tracking steps, distance covered, calories expended, sleep analysis, and heart rate monitoring. Throughout my experience, all of these metrics were recorded accurately and aligned with my Apple Watch data.
My findings were impressive but not shocking, given that previous Xiaomi Bands have consistently performed exceptionally well.
In addition to these fundamental metrics, the band can also monitor SpO2 levels, track stress, and compute your vitality score. Furthermore, it supports workout tracking across a wide range of sports and activities. Xiaomi has ensured comprehensive coverage for almost every activity imaginable, including walking (both indoor and outdoor), running, swimming, cycling, football, badminton, rowing, squash, and tennis, to name a few.
The Smart Band 9 also features automatic workout detection. If it detects that you’ve been jogging for a while but haven’t activated the workout mode, it will automatically initiate it. This capability is often found in higher-end smartwatches and fitness trackers, making it a commendable addition for just $30.
Informative Display
Xiaomi fully utilizes the available space on the Smart Band 9. The curved OLED display provides a variety of watch face options that range from playful cartoon designs to data-focused displays. With a mere flick of your wrist, you can quickly view your steps and heart rate alongside the time.
Moreover, you don’t even have to flick your wrist to check the time, as the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 incorporates an always-on display. This feature is truly remarkable for a fitness tracker within this price range. Additionally, the display can reach brightness levels of up to 1,000 nits, which ensures visibility outdoors, even in bright sunlight.
A subtler yet significant enhancement is the display’s refresh rate. While many small displays refresh at 30Hz for cost-effectiveness, Xiaomi has equipped the Smart Band 9 with a 60Hz display. This results in remarkably smooth navigation and scrolling through menus—great job, Xiaomi.
Battery Life: Lasting Endurance
A standout feature of Xiaomi’s fitness trackers has always been their impressive battery life. Fortunately, despite its feature-rich offerings, the Band 9 upholds this reputation. My experience showed that the device lasted 20 days on a single charge with the always-on display deactivated, and over a week with it enabled. In contrast to contemporary smartwatches that require daily charging, this is profoundly advantageous.
One clear benefit after moving to the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 from my Apple Watch has been the relief from battery anxiety. There’s a gratifying peace of mind knowing your wrist accessory won’t die unexpectedly.
Mi Fitness: The Essential Companion App
Just when you think the advantages of the band end with its functionality, Xiaomi impresses with the Mi Fitness companion app. This user-friendly app displays all the metrics you require in a clear format and provides easy access to settings like changing watch faces and managing notifications.
While the app generally performs well and has an intuitive interface, I encountered a slight inconvenience: it needed to run in the background continuously to receive notifications on the smartwatch.
Moreover, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is officially available only in selected regions. Thus, to ensure the app functions optimally, you might need to use a VPN to configure your location to a supported country. However, these minor issues are quite manageable compared to the benefits the band brings.
Lacking Features
As expected, a fitness band that costs a fraction of an Apple Watch can’t encompass every feature found in pricier smartwatches. Naturally, some compromises have been made to keep costs low, though these are relatively minor and won’t detract from the overall user experience.
Absence of Integrated GPS
If you prefer to run without your phone, the built-in GPS in many smartwatches can be very useful. However, the Smart Band 9 relies on your phone’s GPS, meaning you’ll need to take your phone along for runs.
Limited Notification Functionality
I initially mentioned that my main use for a smartwatch is to receive notifications easily. While the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 does fulfill this function, it lacks the interactive capabilities inherent to dedicated smartwatches. For example, an Apple Watch or Wear OS device allows users to respond to notifications directly from their wrist.
The Xiaomi band can inform you of incoming calls, but it doesn’t extend this capability further. Most smartwatches come equipped with speakers and microphones, facilitating direct call handling. Depending on your personal usage, this may not be crucial for you. Personally, I don’t often answer calls via my watch, but being able to reply to notifications is indeed a valuable feature.
Lack of Third-Party App Support
With the Xiaomi Smart Band 9, you’re limited to the preloaded apps it comes with. Owning a fully developed smartwatch OS allows access to an app store where you can download additional applications. For instance, you can acquire apps to utilize third-party watch faces on your Apple Watch, or even play games during a dull meeting.
Smartwatch or Smart Band: Which to Choose?
At just $30, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is an unbeatable option. I would confidently assert that it stands as one of the most exceptional value propositions available for tech gadgets today. The capabilities it offers are unparalleled at such a price.
Additionally, the differences between this and a smartwatch that costs ten times more cannot simply be justified by a lack of features. Unless you are a dedicated fitness enthusiast seeking in-depth data, there’s little rationale behind spending on higher-end smartwatches. For everyone else, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is a remarkable piece of technology that delivers premium quality at an accessible price.
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