On September 3rd, Redmi India revealed that they are bringing a new smart band named Redmi Smart Band on 8th September. Redmi Smart Band is the Indian version of Redmi Band which is available in China from last April.
The fitness band was up for sale for the first time in India on 9th September. I ordered it on the launch day from Amazon for Rs 1,599 and got it delivered by Amazon really quick on the morning of 10th September.
I have been using it since yesterday and now I would like to share my experience.
In the box
The box contains 1 Redmi Smart Band along with a user manual.
Specifications
- Direct USB Charging with in-built USB connector
- 1.08″ (2.74 cm) Full touch colour display
- Adjustable screen brightness and dynamic display
- Standby time of up to 14 days
- 24 x7 Heart Rate Monitoring
- 5ATM Water Resistant
- 50+ Watch Faces
- 5 Professional Sports mode to suit your exercise regime – Outdoor running, Cycling, Treadmill, Power Walking, Freestyle exercise
- Sleep monitoring
- 30 + Smart Features App Notifications, Music Control, Alarm, Call Silence/Reject, Weather forecasts, Idle alert etc.
Connectivity
In order to connect the Redmi Smart Band to your phone, you need to first download the ‘Xiaomi Wear’ app from the play store. Then you need to keep the device near your’s Bluetooth range and add the Redmi Smart Band on your phone’s Xiaomi Wear app. You will get a prompt message on the band whether you want to pair the decide. Select ‘Yes’ and you’re good to go.
From the Xiaomi Wear app you can customise the Redmi Smart Band. It comes pre-installed with two watch faces. But in the online store, you’ll get 50+ watch faces for free, just waiting for you to download. You can manage the type of notifications you want on your band and set alarms along with many other options to customise your band.
Design and build quality
The design is quite simple yet attractive. There’s no button on the side as well which gives it a clean look. The band fits almost perfectly on the wrist (unless you have very small ones then it would seem to fit awkwardly). On the downside, it features a heart rate sensor.
The build quality also feels premium. The two rubber straps don’t feel to be of cheap quality and you won’t run any risk of having skin allergies by wearing this band for prolonged hours. The band weighs as less as 13 grams so it won’t be a burden on your wrist as well.
The two straps can be disassembled very easily. It features a Direct USB charging under the strap. You can also easily change the strap and wear the various colours according to your mood.
Display
The Redmi Smart Band comes with a 1.08″ rectangular display. It features a full touch colour display with 120 x 220 pixels resolution whose brightness can be adjusted accordingly.
The touch experience is average as often a single touch won’t be enough to wake up the screen and sometimes when you navigate through the menus it misses a swipe. Although the brightness could be adjusted, it isn’t much vibrant even in full brightness.
But overall, in this price range you can’t complain much and the display is above average.
Functions
Xiaomi has put in a lot of features in the Redmi Smart Band. You just have to swipe up the left screen to get the menus.
The options you’ll get are:
- Status: It will display the steps and distance covered. I tested it by walking 50 steps. It showed 43 steps so it’s near about accurate.
- Heart rate: You can measure your heart rate by selecting this option.
- Workout: Under this section, you’ll get five options – Outdoor running, Treadmill, Cycling, Walking, Freestyle. I check out the freestyle mode and it showed the time duration you’re working out, calories burnt and the heart rate in bpm.
- Weather: It displays the current weather and also the weather forecast for the next four days.
- Notifications: You can enable this to get your phone’s notification here.
- More: Under this section, you will get the options to set DND mode, alarms, stopwatch, timer, find your phone, settings, etc.
Charging and battery backup
This is a unique feature which Xiaomi has introduced. The Redmi Smart Band features direct USB charging. So you don’t need to carry the charger and directly put the USB connector of the band into any USB Type-A port and it will start charging.
Xiaomi claims it to have a 14 days standby time. I’ve been using it for the last 24 hours, I started at 40% charge and it is now on 31% charge. So, I guess this band is good enough to last 7-10 days of normal usage.
Pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Good connectivity using Xiaomi Wear | Display could have been better |
| Standby time of 14 days | Touch is average |
| Direct USB charging | |
| Sensors are near about perfect |
Verdict
Personally, I feel that the Redmi Smart Band is one of the best fitness band in this price range. Xiaomi has set the price very much affordable at just Rs 1,599.
If you’re looking for a fitness band at an affordable price, which has great functionality, then this is the perfect one to buy. Order it right away from Amazon:
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