Xiaomi SmartBand 8 – REVIEW
One of the most awaited products by lovers of low-cost wearables, we certainly find the Xiaomi SmartBand 8 albeit called Mi Band 8 by many. We have already seen for some time that the generations that are born do not revolutionize themselves but are enriched in functions, accuracy of the data collected and often also in the hardware used and the new fitness tracker of the Asian brand does it also in the completely new strap system in this panorama. So let's discover the Mi Band 8 together, with its strengths and weaknesses to then answer the question of whether it is worth making the generational leap from the 6/7 version or not.
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DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND DISPLAY
It is now from the fourth generation of the band that the design is more or less the same, although there are always small changes and improvements, which in the case of the Xiaomi SmartBand 8 do not immediately appear to the eye. For example, the thickness of the heart rate sensor has been reduced, always adhering to the skin, but with less discomfort in exerting contact pressure on the skin.
An improvement that in my personal case I didn't appreciate, not so much for the modification itself but for the fact that probably savings were made on the materials used, which are less skin-friendly, in fact it is the first time I have suffered a fit rash, but maybe mine is an isolated case.
Having said that, Xiaomi Mi Band 8 is proposed with the classic pill-shaped lines, however applying a much more refined and shiny frame, so much so that it looks like metal, which gives a premium look to the entire product. Then we find the display, of AMOLED nature from 1.62 ″, resolution 490 x 162 pixels, 326 PPI of density and a brightness that in this case reaches up to 600 nits (100 nits more than the previous model).
And here we find an important novelty compared to the past, as the company has finally integrated the brightness sensor, thus being able to automatically adjust the brightness of the screen. And here I must say that Xiaomi has done an excellent job, as in every situation in which I tested the Band 8, the brightness of the display was adjusted perfectly and quickly based on the context. Of course, due to the AMOLED technology, you can also benefit from the Always On Display functionality, which always follows the lines of the installed watchface, but in this case the brightness with which it is activated disappoints, sometimes resulting in poco readable even indoors. Instead, the readability of the contents on the screen in direct sunlight is really excellent.
NEW STRAPS AND COMPACT SIZE
Another novelty of Xiaomi SmartBand 8 is represented by the new straps, therefore I announce that if you have plenty of previous generations, these will be incompatible with the new model. In fact, the fitness tracker relies on straps that integrate a quick release hooking system, by means of a button on each side, which when pressed releases the strap part. In this regard, the new mechanism provides a series of accessories that allow you to transform the band into a pendant, making it elegant without renouncing the smart functions, or you can anchor it, using the appropriate accessory, to the shoes in order to trace even more precisely sports activities such as running.
The dimensions of the band are always contained, i.e. 48 x 22,5 x 10,99 mm and a weight of only 27 grams. Then there is the certification that guarantees resistance to immersion in water up to 5 ATM, making the wearable usable even for sports activities such as swimming, as well as being able to wear it without problems in the shower.
APPLICATIONS
All the data collected will be conveyed to the Mi Fitness app (available for Android and iOS), with stable connectivity thanks to the use of a Bluetooth 5.0 BLE module, but here we must make a clarification as well as warn you about general operation, in when we are talking about the Chinese version of the Band 8, as the Global version is not yet known when it will be released. Xiaomi SmartBand 8 currently only supports the Chinese and English language, but to use the latter language you will necessarily have to set your smartphone in English, otherwise the band will always use only the Chinese language. At least this is true for Android devices, since on iOS there is the possibility of configuring the only language of the app in English while keeping the system language in Italian. Naturally at the first association of the Mi Band 8, from the application you will have to select China as the region, otherwise you will not be able to pair the device. Also as regards the possibility of receiving notifications from the phone apps, in order not to run into problems of any kind you will have to enable all but all apps to be notified, otherwise you risk losing some notifications, considering that we are working with Chinese servers and not Europeans.
We can also receive notifications for calls, but of course we couldn't answer them, but instead we could send pre-set and customizable answers via the app. For the rest of the notifications, however, we could not respond but only view the content, even emojis, but the good thing is the correct synchronization with the phone, as having read the notification on one or the other device, the notification will be deleted.
SMART FUNCTIONS
Having made this necessary clarification, we can say of Xiaomi SmartBand 8 that it is more reactive and fluid than in the past, thanks also to the 60Hz of the display which make the user experience in general much more pleasant. The menus are therefore super responsive and navigation is pleasant even though it is not a very large screen. We can count on the sensor for monitoring heart activity, which can also monitor blood oxygen levels (SpO2), as well as breath analysis, stress levels and sleep. The measurements obtained are precise and accurate and from the point of view of monitoring sports activities, we can track up to 150, divided by category, many of which have dedicated metrics. I'm not a professional athlete, but I can report that tracked activities benefit from detailed data, even for uncommon sports, such as boxing for example. Unfortunately I have to point out, maybe it's just my problem, that in some days the data collected was lost, finding me in fact with a discontinuity or rather holes in relation to the monitoring of health and daily activity, despite having always kept Xiaomi's wearable smart wrist.
In sports monitoring mode, the AOD function is activated on the display, always keeping the main data of the activity in progress in the background, but as I mentioned before for a correct vision you will still have to awaken the display, perhaps with the wrist gesture. The succession of data visible on the display cannot be customized, something I didn't like so much: for example, for a walk I would have preferred the data of the steps taken to be on the first screen but this is not the case. Furthermore, there is no GPS, therefore for greater accuracy of the data and to have a track of the route, you will necessarily have to use your smartphone.
NEW WATCHFACES WITH GAMES
Instead, the customization is excellent as regards the watchfaces available free of charge directly from the Mi Fitness app, many of which also offer the possibility of spending time in fun, literally being able to play, although it must be said that in some cases you will have to remove it from your wrist the Xiaomi SmartBand 8. Other watchfaces have been specifically designed for the use of leather straps or with the "pendant" accessory, while for others it should be noted that although you have accepted the compromise of having the English language on your smartphone, some languages remain in Chinese.
AUTONOMY
Xiaomi SmartBand 8 entrusts its autonomy to a 190 mAh battery which is recharged by means of a proprietary cable with magnetic PIN connection. I found the cable less cured than the previous generation and less resistant in the adhesion of the magnets, in addition to the fact that I would have preferred a cable matching the black color of the band and not white. The "bedside alarm clock" function once the recharge starts is nice. The autonomy declared by the company is 16 days, but this value refers to use practically alone as a watch, while if used properly, i.e. with sports monitoring and automatic measurements (heart rate, SpO2 and stress) as well as reception of notifications, the real battery life drops to 5 days, a value destined to drop to a maximum of 3 days if we also enable the Always-on Display. The charging cycle requires poco less than an hour.
There is no shortage of many extra features, such as the ability to control music and the camera remotely, enjoy a timer/stopwatch, an alarm function that can be adjusted directly from the band, respiratory relaxation and much more. Theoretically we could also pay from the wrist using the integrated NFC sensor, but in this Chinese version, absolutely unusable. Who knows if in the Global variant we could use it for payments on Mastercard and Visa circuits.
PROJECTED IMPACT
Let's get to the point for this Xiaomi Mi Band 8, which should be the best ever produced by the company, but unfortunately this response does not belong to me. First of all because we are talking about a Chinese firmware, which offers for example the possibility of payments via NFC but only on Alipay, not available in our latitudes, but which basically forces you to make some compromises such as the use of the English language on your smartphone. Personally, I suffered an outburst at the wrist where I wore the fitness tracker, but in essence I haven't noticed any major changes other than the insertion of the automatic brightness sensor.
Apart from that, without a doubt if you come from the 6 or 7 version of Mi Band, the advice is to hold onto it, because the generational change, even in view of an increase in the list price, is not worth it. If instead for you Mi Band 8 would be the first purchase, then wait for the release of the Global version. At the moment the price to take it home is around 50 euros maximum, which if it is also confirmed for the Global variant, I find it high, being able to guarantee you a more complete smartwatch for the same amount. If you are really passionate about this product, perhaps having a collection that goes from the first model to today and you don't want to wait, then you can proceed considering that the transition to global firmware will be quick and painless.
