Jun 13, 2016 12:28 PM
5361 Views
The Mi Band 2 introduces a screen for the first time in Xiaomi history, and also debuts smartwatch style notifications. Xiaomi shifted over 10 million Mi Band fitness trackers in the first nine months of 2015 and sits in third place to only Apple and Fitbit in the wearable tech space.
With Xiaomi's super competitive pricing enabling it to take on the likes of Apple and Fitbit, it's set to be one of the most anticipated devices of 2016. Read on for everything you need to know.
Xiaomi Mi Band 2: Design
The 24/7 activity tracker features a 0.42-inch OLED screen that's covered by scratch resistant glass and an anti-fingerprint coating for that extra layer of protection.
That's joined by a single physical button just below the display, which enables you scroll through three different screens. Those are time, steps and heart rate information, for the record. The only missing metric is that there's no screen dedicated to distance.
Xiaomi claims the silicone strap holding the screen in place is made from a more breathable, anti-sweat material and will be available in black, orange, green and blue colors.
Xiaomi Mi Band 2: Features
The Mi Band 2 has been slapped with an IP67 water and dust-resistance certification, which means you can wear it in the shower and it's okay to get a little splash of water when you're washing the dishes or your hands.
As far as tracking goes, you still get an optical heart rate monitor that Xiaomi claims will offer improved accuracy over the previous Mi Band Pulse. A new pedometer algorithm coupled with ultra low power accelerometers is also designed to deliver improvements to step tracking.
Of course, sleep tracking is still a key feature, breaking down your deep sleep and light sleep patterns.
A built-in vibration motor also means the introduction of inactivity alerts, giving you buzz when you've been sitting too long at your desk.
With the addition of a display, you do get some smartphone notification love here as well. The Mi Band 2 will vibrate for incoming calls and texts. It's pretty basic, but that's no real surprise here. Like its predecessor, the Mi Band 2 can be used to unlock a selection of Android smartphones.
The Mi Fit app has been given a makeover introducing a new-look user interface, and adding more ways to drill into your data. It'll work with Android phones running 4.4 or later and iPhones running iOS 7.0 and above.
Xiaomi Mi Band 2: Battery life
In terms of battery life, the Mi Band 2 packs a 70mAh battery that can deliver up to 20 days on standby. That sounds an impressive number, but as we found testing the Mi Band Pulse, we'll reserve judgment until we've had some time to try it out.
