Xiaomi Mi Band 7 review

Xiaomi has made a reputation for itself with its ultra-affordable, feature-packed Mi Band sequence, and the most recent Xiaomi Mi Band 7 appears to proceed that development with a larger show, progressed all-day monitoring features and new workout size metrics, all in a somewhat costlier package deal.

But, regardless of the slight value hike, the Mi Band 7 continues to be an impressively succesful health tracker preferrred for people that wish to get extra perception into their well being, sleep and health – simply don’t be expecting smartwatch-level smarts.

Design & construct

• Large 1.62in always-on show is an advantage
• Improved charger design
• Compact, graceful design that doesn’t draw consideration

At a look, it’s possible you’ll now not see a lot of a distinction between the Xiaomi Mi Band 7 and its predecessor, the Xiaomi Mi Band 6, however there’s one a very powerful distinction: the scale of the show.

While remaining yr’s health tracker measured in at 1.56in, the Mi Band 7 sports activities a bigger 1.62in AMOLED show that Xiaomi claims will increase the viewing house through 25%. It’s additionally brighter this time round at 500nits, and the rise makes it a lot more straightforward to make use of outside in shiny daylight.

One thrilling new addition is the creation of always-on show tech. As the title suggests, the show can keep on at low brightness to supply consistent entry to the time, health monitoring bars and every other widgets you have got in your selected watchface – regardless that at an enormous value to battery, however extra on that during a bit of.

Flip the health tracker over and also you’ll in finding the standard suite of sensors and Xiaomi’s proprietary charging connection issues. The excellent information is that, in contrast to earlier generations, the tweaked charger design manner you not wish to take away the tracker from the strap to height it up.

All that apart, it’s very a lot trade as same old with the Mi Band 7, carrying the similar pill-shape tracker design we’ve come to understand and love over time. It’s rather compact at the wrist, with a rather flush construct serving to you put out of your mind that it’s even there.

As with earlier generations, there’s numerous versatile silicone straps to be had to assist inject a bit of of color into lawsuits, however total, it’s an understated health tracker that doesn’t draw an excessive amount of consideration to itself – until you go for a daring, shiny watch face this is!

Software & options

• No third-party apps, bills or sensible assistant beef up
• Basic purposes like climate, calendar and song keep an eye on paintings nice
• Plenty of watchfaces to choose between

The Xiaomi Mi Band 7 is a health tracker at the beginning, and that implies it’s now not rather as sensible or succesful as devoted smartwatches in the marketplace.

The Mi Band 7 lacks key smarts together with the facility to utilise the integrated NFC for bills (out of doors of China, anyway!), voice assistant beef up and third-party apps. However, for people that need extra of a smartphone ‘significant other’ than a full-blown smartphone at the wrist, the affordable wearable ticks numerous bins.

That comes within the type of notification mirroring, to be had on each iOS and Android, at the side of the facility to accomplish fundamental duties like checking the elements, reviewing upcoming calendar occasions or even controlling song playback out of your smartphone – a in particular to hand characteristic, regardless that on no account unique to Xiaomi’s wearable.

The gesture-based UI is usually simple to grasp, intently mirroring the fundamental purposes of Wear OS smartwatches with customisable quick-access tiles to the left and proper of the watchface, regardless that with a swipe down for notifications and a swipe up for entry to apps.

There are a handful of colorful watch faces that assist show off that enormous shiny AMOLED show with extra to be had to obtain by means of the significant other app, however there isn’t a lot in the best way of customisation and, with out third-party apps, there aren’t many beneficial headaches so as to add both.

But whilst the smarts are fairly fundamental, the Mi Band 7 unquestionably makes up for it within the health monitoring division. 

Health & health monitoring

• Impressive well being and health monitoring for this kind of affordable wearable
• New steady blood oxygen tracking and SpO2 signals
• Sleep monitoring can also be hit-and-miss

While it’s trade as same old in maximum departments, the Mi Band 7 additional bolsters its budget-focused health monitoring features.

One house of focal point is the SpO2 track, which is now able to steady blood oxygen tracking and occasional SpO2 signals. The latter may well be to hand for alerting customers to possible sleep apnoea at evening, however as with maximum consumer-level wearables, it shouldn’t be trusted as a clinical software.

Still, it’s to hand to get a heads-up on probably low blood oxygen ranges, particularly from such an within your means health tracker.

Blood oxygen monitoring apart, the Mi Band 7 boasts the similar all-day middle price and rigidity tracking, sleep monitoring and basic health monitoring features as its predecessor. The latter is displayed in distinctly Apple Watch-like style, tracking steps, lively hours and energy burnt, regardless that the trademark rings had been changed through a rainbow in Xiaomi’s wearable.

Sleep monitoring isn’t rather as dependable as different health trackers regardless that. While it’ll supply all of the usual metrics – time wakeful, REM, mild and deep sleep, overall time in mattress and time asleep – I’ve discovered that it’s now not rather as sensible in terms of mechanically finishing the sleep tracking.

On multiple instance in checking out, a handy guide a rough go back and forth to the john in the course of the evening has upfront ended that evening’s sleep monitoring, and that intended dropping out on a couple of hours’ value of knowledge. It’s now not the be-all-and-end-all, however for people that love to dive into sleep metrics as I do, it may be quite irritating.

When it involves devoted workout monitoring, the Mi Band 7 gives beef up for a whopping 120 sports activities – up 30 in comparison to its predecessor – and it covers hottest types of workout together with strolling, working, biking, mountaineering and swimming, at the side of extra area of interest choices like chess. I will be able to’t believe chess burns many energy, however hiya, what do I do know…

When it comes to conventional workout, like working and biking, Xiaomi has added new coaching metrics within the type of coaching load, coaching impact, restoration time, and (quite impressively) VO2 Max tracking, all viewable by means of the significant other app post-workout.

The information providing nonetheless isn’t rather as in-depth as high-end wearables from the likes of Garmin, however hiya, Xiaomi’s possibility prices a fragment of the $449/£399 Garmin Venu 2 Plus and it covers maximum key spaces. For working, that incorporates lap breakdowns, moderate tempo, cadence and middle price along the aforementioned new metrics.

The best actual drawback to workout monitoring at the Xiaomi Mi Band 7 is the loss of integrated GPS, that means you’ll wish to lug your phone round every time you’re exercising. It’s not unusual alongside budget-focused trackers, but it surely’s irritating nevertheless – particularly in case you’ve used a wearable with integrated GPS previously.  

If you do maximum of your workout outside and prefer the speculation of leaving your phone at house, it’s possible you’ll favor the $119.95/£129.99 Fitbit Charge 5 with integrated GPS.

Battery lifestyles

• 14-day battery lifestyles claims aren’t correct
• Big sacrifice to information assortment to strengthen battery
• Always-on show shortens battery lifestyles through greater than 50%

The Xiaomi Mi Band 7’s battery is bigger than its predecessor at 180mAh in comparison to 125mAh, however with the addition of a bigger show, there isn’t a lot distinction in total battery lifestyles.

The corporate claims that it will probably last as long as 14 days with mild use and 9 days with heavy utilization, however I’ve now not rather discovered that to be the case in checking out. With complex monitoring – Sp02 tracking, consistent middle price monitoring and extra – enabled, I discovered the Mi Band 7 would remaining nearer to 7 days sooner than it’d desire a top-up.

That best will get worse in case you permit the always-on show, a truth the smartphone signals you to while you turn on it. In truth, it says that it’ll minimize total battery lifestyles through over 50 %, and with that and complex monitoring enabled, I ran out of battery inside of simply 3 days.  

It’s additionally value noting that, as with maximum wearables, devoted exercise monitoring may even shorten total battery lifestyles.

So, whilst there’s unquestionably possible for lengthy battery lifestyles, you’ll must make some giant compromises to take action.

The excellent information is that charging by means of the touch charger doesn’t take too lengthy, with a complete rate in round an hour.

Price

Xiaomi’s Mi Band assortment has constantly been praised for its within your means nature, however that value has slowly crept up over time, with any other notable bounce this yr.

The Xiaomi Mi Band 7 will set you again £54.99/€59.99 (round $65), £15/€15 greater than its £40/€45 predecessor. There is a bigger show and progressed monitoring on be offering to justify that value hike, and it’s nonetheless some of the least expensive and maximum succesful round, it’s simply now not as affordable because it as soon as used to be.

If you’re tempted through Xiaomi’s budget-focused health tracker, you’ll be able to purchase the Mi Band 7 immediately from Xiaomi along outlets like Amazon in the United Kingdom.

As with maximum different Xiaomi tech, the Band 7 isn’t to be had in the United States, however various the trackers in our best possible health tracker chart are. We’ve additionally were given a collection of the most efficient smartwatches for the ones searching for one thing just a little smarter.  

Verdict

The Xiaomi Mi Band 7 stays some of the best possible budget-level trackers round, with a tempting price ticket and an outstanding array of sensors to trace your well being, health and devoted exercises.

The greater always-on show is a in particular great addition, serving to show off the vibrant watchfaces on be offering whilst making it more straightforward to learn textual content at a look, regardless that the always-on tech comes at a heavy value to total battery lifestyles.

Lacking any new sensible options, the actual enhancements are within the health monitoring division with all-day SpO2 tracking, new exercise metrics (together with VO2 Max) and the facility to trace extra exercises than ever sooner than.

It’s just a little pricier than its predecessor, and the loss of integrated GPS might irk health enthusiasts, but it surely’s nonetheless a really perfect little affordable tracker for maintaining a tally of your basic well being and health.  

Specs

• 1.62in 490×192 AMOLED show
  • 326ppi
  • Always-on beef up
  • Up to 500nits brightness
  • 2.5D tempered glass
• Polycarbonate frame
• 160mm to 224mm interchangeable antibacterial TPU straps
• Aluminium alloy buckle
• Vibration motor
• Optical middle price sensor
• Blood oxygen saturation tracking
• Six-axis movement sensor
• 5ATM water resistance
• 100+ watch faces
• 120 game modes
• Bluetooth 5.2 LE
• 180mAh battery
• 14-day battery lifestyles
• 2 POGO pin magnetic charging
• 46.5mm x 20.7mm x 12.25mm
• Standard band colors: White, black, mild blue, cream, darkish inexperienced, orange
• Special band colors: Camouflage blue, camouflage inexperienced, fluorescent yellow, fluorescent orange
• 13.5 grams
• Supports Android 6.0/iOS 10 and up