Xiaomi Mi Band 4 ‘leaks’: Should Fitbit and the Apple Watch be worried?
These latest ‘leaks’ have given us a good impression of what we can expect from the display of Xiaomi’s upcoming budget fitness tracker.
The below image seems to show that the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 will have a 0.95-inch full colour OLED display, with a tempered glass cover rather than plastic.
This is a big improvement from the monochrome display of previous devices in the range, and should make it far more attractive to use — but we don’t know yet if it will translate into a price rise for this low-budget device.
Credit: Gizchina.it
AndroidPit says that there will be two models in the Band 4 range, with Bluetooth 5 common to both, and the pricier variant receiving NFC abilities too. These tweaks should increase the versatility of the device, a significant upgrade from previous bare-bones models. Packing NFC also means it could work with some sort of mobile payments service, a feature that we absolutely love on the Apple Watch 4.
We reviewed its predecessor, the Xiaomi Mi Band 3, to which we gave 3/5 stars. While it’s inexpensive, water-resistant, and has good battery life, we were very disappointed by its inaccurate heart-rate tracking, which is a fundamental feature of any fitness tracker. So we’re hoping for big improvements from the Mi Band 4, and not just a visual makeover.
Related: Best Fitness Trackers
A key rival to the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 will be the Fitbit Charge 3, which received a 5-star review. We were very impressed with its design and display, battery life, and the app. The only criticisms we made were the removal of in-built GPS, and lack of SpO2 sensor at the time of review.
Related: Best Fitbits
Samsung has also released a new competitor onto the market, the Galaxy Fit. Occupying a similar price range, this device also has a 0.95-inch OLED screen. This device is also expected to be released by the summer, and has impressive software functions such as stress management, sleep tracking, and a quick reply option for incoming notifications.
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Editorial independence
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.
