Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4 unveiled and it could be a Fitbit Charge killer
Xiaomi’s latest budget-friendly activity tracker has been launched, and it boasts a host of all-new features to rival what FitBit has to offer.
The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4 will have a 0.95-inch colour AMOLED display, voice assistant, and water resistance up to 50 metres, making it a considerable upgrade to its very popular predecessor. The wearable will go on sale in Europe on June 26, starting from €35 (~£31/$40) — the UK launch date and price hasn’t yet been confirmed. Packing all these impressive features at such a low price raises the question of whether Xiaomi will finally knock Fitbit off its perch.
Related: Best Fitness Trackers
Here is the full list of specifications, as reported by FoneArena:
- 0.95-inch (120 x 240 pixels) AMOLED colour touchscreen display with up to 400 nits brightness, 2.5D scratch-resistant glass
- Shows time, steps, heart rate, activities, weather, notifications from apps, calls and more
- Microphone for voice assistant (NFC Edition only)
- Photoplethysmography (PPG) / Heart rate sensor
- Monitors your fitness and tracks your sleep, Sedentary reminder
- Tri-axis Accelerometer + Tri-axis Gyro, Capacitive Wear Monitoring Sensor
- 22.1g / 22.2g (NFC) ultra light body
- 5ATM (50 metres) water resistant
- Bluetooth 5.0 LE, NFC (Optional)
- 135mAh / 125mAh (NFC) Li Ion polymer battery with up to 20 days / 15 days (NFC) of usage
There’s also a Marvel special edition of the Mi Smart Band 4, which includes different interchangeable bands for Iron Man, Captain America, and the Avengers. This will no doubt be a highly sought-after gadget for fans of the comic book movies.
Image Credit: FoneArena
In our review of the Xiaomi Mi Band 3, we described it as a bare-bones fitness tracker and even given its budget price (£27/~$35) we were not impressed by its highly inaccurate heart rate monitor and very basic sleep tracking. However the battery life, build quality, and water-resistance were somewhat redeeming features. We’ll have to see significant improvements in the performance of the Mi Smart Band 4 before we can recommend it.
By contrast, the rival Fitbit Charge 3 scored 4.5 stars out of 5 in our in-depth review and received praise for the quality of its companion app, large sharp display, and strong battery life. At £120 ($120), it’s much more expensive than the Mi Band 3 — but in this case, you get what you pay for. Remember to check out our review of the Mi Smart Band 4 after to launch to see if it really can offer a cut-price but reliable alternative to Fitbit.
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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.