Gym newbie? Forget the Apple Watch, the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4 just went on sale
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4 fitness tracker has just gone on sale in the UK for a meagre £34.99 RRP, making it an on paper perfect choice for gym newbies and casual joggers.
The Mi Smart Band 4 is an ultra affordable fitness tracker from the Chinese tech giant behind the stellar Xiaomi Mi 9 smartphone. You cna buy it in the UK from today on the via mi.com/uk webstore. Further retailers haven’t been announced.
We haven’t reviewed the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4 yet, so we can’t personally attest to its sleep, health or exercise tracking chops. But on paper it’s a pretty solid piece of kit considering the price.
Highlights include a “full” colour 0.95-inch AMOLED screen, 5ATM (50m) water resistance and staggering 20 day quoted battery life.
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The photoplethysmography (PPG) / heart rate, tri-axis accelerometer + tri-axis gyro and capacitive wear monitoring sensors should also cover most basic exercise and sleep tracking.
The only obvious omission is the lack of a built in GPS, though considering the price this is hardly surprising. Traditionally we’ve only seen integrated GPS connectivity on more expensive trackers, like the Garmin Vivosport.
The Bluetooth connectivity and connect GPS support will also let you get accurate distance data, so long as the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4 is connected to your phone. When connected it’ll also offer basic notification services.
The combined package make it a seemingly great, and affordable option, that could be a better fit for people that just want basic fitness tracking, not the full smartwatch experience.
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The news follows widespread rumours Apple plans to radically improve its fabled next generation Apple Watch Series 5’s fitness and health tracking chops, when it launches later this year.
Apple’s been working to bolster its wearable’s health and fitness tracking chops with every new generation. The Apple Watch Series 4 debuted a custom “fall” sensor that is designed to help elderly or less mobile people get help during an accident.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.