Xiaomi Mi Band 2 Smart Fitness Bracelet watch Wristband Review

PROS

• Attractive waterproof layout
• Great OLED screen
• Battery life

CONS

• Charging cable easily lost
• Weak third-party program support
• Deficiency guidance and advice

KEY ATTRIBUTES

• Step counter, slumber tracker and heart rate monitor
• OLED display
• IP67 certification
• Google Fit compatible
• IOS and Android programs
• Producer: Xiaomi
• Price: £35.00
• The Mi Band 2 is the latest wearable fitness tracker from Chinese hardware giant Xiaomi. It follows the affordable but feature-rich Mi Band 1S and Mi Band and introduces a display for the very first time in the scope, too as improved pedometer tech, which Xiaomi promises is kinder to the battery.
• The Mi Band 2 is powered by a 70mAh cell that provides approximately 20 days of use on a single charge and can monitor your steps, pulse and sleep patterns, along with display rudimentary notifications for calls, chosen applications and text messages. Oh, and it only costs around £35.
• Connected: Best fitness trackers

XIAOMI MI BAND 2 – DESIGN AND SET UP

As with preceding Mi Groups, the Mi Band 2 comes in two distinct parts – the module itself and the wrist strap it slots into. Assembling these two parts is the first thing you’ll need to do when opening the packaging, and you’re going to need to duplicate the trick each time you want to charge it, as the proprietary USB cable can not be joined when the chief module is fixed to the strap.

On the underside of the unit – the bit that touches your skin – there’s an optical heart-rate sensor. The underside edge is home to two charging pins that link to the charging above cable.

The silicone strap is apparently made from a breathable, anti-sweat material that is comfier than the one seen on the original Mi Band. It feels like rubber but is tougher and should hopefully stand up to more punishment. Even if it does become damaged over time, you can buy a replacement in blue, orange, green and black. An easy popper mechanism is used to fix the watch all around your wrist.

XIAOMI MI BAND 2 APPLICATIONS AND – TRACKING

The focus here is still very much on fitness, although the debut of a screen might lead you to assume that Xiaomi is dipping its toe into smartwatch land with the Mi Band 2. Out of the box the very first thing shown on the screen, after the time of day, is your complete measures taken. Putting this info within immediate reach is much the Mi Band 2’s raison d’etre. It’s possible for you to configure as you harness through the menu using your finger, what information is revealed, plus it is potential to additionally show calories burned, your last recorded heart rate and distance travelled.

Xiaomi Mi Band 2

Inside the main unit, there is a vibrating motor that allows it to notify you of occasions. Passing a certain target triggers a notification, as does sitting idle for the Mi Band reminds you to walk around for a bit and to get up from your seat. You may also set an alarm that will vibrate to awaken you from your slumber – very convenient if you are eager not to bother other people in the home with a conventional sound alarm. Wearing the Mi Band 2 in bed isn’t an issue because it is not as bulky as your typical smartwatch, and you can tell the apparatus to track your sleep routines to ensure you’re getting a good night’s kip.

Finally, it’s possible to use the lock display security of your cell phone to be bypassed by the Mi Band 2. You can inform the phone to disable the lock when it senses the device is nearby, which is a significant time-saver, but might not be of much use in case you utilise fingerprint security, which merely takes a touch anyway.

To use the Mi Band 2, you will have to install Xiaomi’s Mi Fit companion program on your phone. Despite the truth that the Mi Band 2 – Xiaomi ‘s products – like all is not formally sold in Europe and the UK, Mi Fit is freely accessible on the Google Play and iOS app stores. Itis a pretty slick download which allows you to control which notifications are sent to the Mi Band 2, what advice it shows when you exploit through the main menu utilising the single button, and which third-party programs are allowed to send alarms to the device. There are loads of alternatives to fiddle around with, also.


Mi Fit trails and collates all of the information captured by the Mi Band 2 and presents it in a fashion that makes it simple to see the way you can enhance your general fitness regime. The app is not as great for giving health and fitness facts you get from the likes of the Smart Trainer feature of Jawbone, guidance. You will want the program as there’s no way of doing this with the device on its own in case you would like the Mi Band 2 to track your heart rate. Mi Fit can maintain a record of your weight, but you’ll obviously need to measure this yourself with scales and input the info manually.

You can share this info with your Google Fit profile to avoid duplication while Mi Fit stores your fitness advice under a Xiaomi user account – which, unless you’re already a fan of the brand, you’ll have to create.

It’s possible for you to set personal targets, such as some measures taken in a single day to yourself, and it’s possible to compare your performance with that of your buddies as is true with other wearable devices. This is one area where the Mi Band 2’s Chinese origins let it down somewhat: the only social networks it currently supports are Sina and WeChat Weibo enormous in China, but relatively unknown in the West.

There are no means of sharing and linking data with Twitter and Facebook, two networks which – for Western users, at least – would be infinitely more useful as it pertains to finding friends who also possess a Mi Band 2. As Xiaomi has made no secret of the fact it wishes to expand its global company, this could change over time.

XIAOMI MI BAND 2 – BATTERY AND CHARGING

Naturally, the more tellings you’ve empowered, the faster the battery will drain. Needing to remove the actual sensor from its group to charge is a bit inconvenient but no worse than competing fitness trackers, such as the Fitbit Flex.

At just £35, the Mi Band 2 represents incredible value when set against some of the recognised fitness wearables, offering more functionality than many of its rivals at a portion of the cost. The companion smartphone app is, also, outstanding, although third-party app support would be welcome. Having the ability to share Mi Band 2 info with Google Fit means that for monitoring their general well-being veteran Android users will not have the problem of doubling up on advice or need to use multiple accounts.

While the Mi Band 2 provides a lot of data, the program may be more powerful in presenting this information in actionable ways beyond simply seeing historic patterns. However, considering the price; tellings that are useful, superb battery life and an eyecatching layout – finish with replaceable straps – make the package more appealing.



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