Xiaomi Band 8 (CN)
Assessment:
What did we like?
What didn't we like?
Unboxing
We received two Xiaomi Smart Band 8 for review. They arrived packaged in a bubble wrap. Both boxes with minimal defects, barely dented corners. Inside the box, wrapped in a bag, the bracelets were placed closer to the middle and remained intact during transportation.
In the box, you will only find the essentials, which are the smart bracelet, the charging cable and the user guide. Our models are for the Chinese market, so the description on the box and the user manual are in Chinese.
Quality
The first time you hold it in your hands, this bracelet feels solid and high-quality, and this feeling is helped by the metal that surrounds the case, which, in addition to durability, also contributes to an aesthetic image that is pleasing to the eye. The metal part of the case can be in two colors - graphite black or champagne gold. The lower part is made of hard plastic.
Without the straps, the body of the smart bracelet resembles a pill. This shape does not have any sharp corners and this helps to avoid discomfort when using, for example, a sweater whose sleeves do not catch. The included strap is rubber and unlike the older versions of the Xiaomi Smart Band, it does not surround the body from all sides.
On each side of the bracelet body, there are separate strap release buttons (the latter were used on the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro), which are pressed to easily remove the strap part. It's a convenient enough way to swap straps, but if you already have straps from older models, they won't fit the new one.
The bracelet has enough buckle holes for wrists of various sizes, the buckle itself is made of hard plastic and the bracelet holds firmly when locked.
Functionality
Xiaomi smart band 8 does not have any physical buttons for control. All control is done through the touch screen. The main functionality of this bracelet is focused on exactly what it is intended for - tracking your health and physical achievements.
By swiping your finger sideways, you can navigate between widgets and arrange them according to your preferences in the Mi Fitness app. By swiping from the top, you'll see notifications, view them, and mark them as viewed.
Although the tested version of the bracelet is intended for the Chinese market and only English and Chinese can be selected from the language selection, the Lithuanian language is displayed in messages without errors. True, emoticons ("emoji") are displayed as squares.
When traveling from the bottom, the main options open - statistics, choosing a sport before exercising, measuring SpO2, settings, etc. After selecting a sport (for example, walking), the bracelet synchronizes with the Mi Fitness app, notifies you that it has successfully determined your location and starts recording your walking Once done, you will see a map in the app with the route taken, distance traveled, steps, heart rate, etc.
Perhaps the most important and most used feature is the step measurement which is quite accurate. After counting 1000 steps several times and comparing with the available Samsung Galaxy watch 3, the average error was around 20 steps.
What did we like?
This smart bracelet is very light, weighing only 27 grams, it fits perfectly on the wrist and is almost imperceptible. Unlike a regular watch, it does not cause fatigue after wearing it all day or sleeping. Sleep measurement is sufficiently detailed and accurate. You can monitor how long you slept deeply, how many times you woke up, average heart rate and blood oxygen level during sleep.
I compared it with the existing Samsung Galaxy Watch3 - the difference in sleep time is only a few minutes. Both the latter and the Smart Band 8 provide very similar information about REM or light sleep phases.
True deep sleep information varies - which device is more accurate is anyone's guess. The advantage of Xiaomi is that it shows how many times you got out of bed, what was the average heart rate or SpO2 during the entire sleep.
The bright AMOLED screen is visible even in bright light, and the 60 Hz screen refresh rate allows you to enjoy smooth operation. 60Hz could not boast of previous Xiaomi bracelets, including the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro we tested. The always-on display function can be set with automatic shutdown after sunset.
Band 8 vs Band 7 Pro (60Hz vs 30Hz / slow-motion)
The Xiaomi Band 8 has most of the features we've come to expect: weather, alarm clock, notifications, alerts, music control, timer, etc. This wristband has a selection of over 150 sports. Favorites can be added to widgets and accessed in just a few clicks.
With a wide selection of sports, continuous heart rate measurement, blood oxygen level, detailed sleep measurement, this bracelet met almost all my expectations.
What we didn't like?
Charging is not the most convenient. The end of the charger that connects to the bracelet has magnets and attaches to the bracelet. However, polarity is important here - you can only connect one side and there is a good chance that you will not be able to hit the first time.
The built-in magnets are also not the strongest - if the bracelet is not charged on a flat surface, there is a good chance that it will disconnect as soon as you move the cable. Although this charging method is simpler than plugging in a cable, a more convenient charging method is a magnetic pad that attaches to either side (such as the Samsung Galaxy watch series).
Charging takes about an hour and the battery lasted me 6 days with all the features on. If you turn off the always-on display, it's likely to add at least a few more days.
A GPS receiver may not be relevant for everyone, but this bracelet lacks one. While exercising, you don't always want to have your phone with you, but without it, you won't be able to track your distance or see your achievements on the map. It would also be great if this bracelet had an altimeter to count stairs.
Messages are a convenient feature, but if the message is long or there are more than one, the bracelet starts to freeze trying to process them. This might just be a software issue that might be fixed in the future. It would also be convenient to have at least a few pre-set reply texts, with the option to reply to a message directly from the bracelet.
The alarm clock function is convenient, with the additional option of starting an alarm when the bracelet decides that it is the best time to do so within a maximum of 10 minutes. However, the vibration of the bracelet itself is not pleasant. It seems that the individual parts inside vibrate more than the bracelet itself. It is the sound of the vibration that wakes you up from your morning sleep more quickly than the vibration itself.
Global version vs CN
The Chinese model has NFC, but you won't be able to use it anywhere outside of China. Also, the CN version has some pre-recorded apps (Alipay, Weixin Pay) not suitable for the European region. Unfortunately, these icons cannot be removed from the main menu. The global version also has a silent mode, which the CN version does not have.
Bracelet wallpapers - a significant part of the backgrounds in the Mi Fitness application are with Chinese language inscriptions, while the global ones are mainly in English. Perhaps the biggest difference is in the available languages, the CN version has Chinese and English, while the global version has more. However, neither version has the Lithuanian language.
Verdict
Overall, the Xiaomi Mi Band 8 is an amazing device for its price. This is a great choice for those who are looking for an inexpensive, but high-quality and reliable smart bracelet. If you are considering whether to choose between the CN and the global version, we recommend choosing the global version. Even though it doesn't have NFC, you still won't be able to use the NFC in the CN version.
If you are looking for a device that has a built-in GPS receiver that can track changes in altitude (climbing mountains), the ability to answer calls, respond to messages quickly, then you should look elsewhere. Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro has a built-in GPS receiver (Xiaomi Smart Band 8 pro global version is not yet released), and FitBit Charge 6 has a GPS receiver, NFC and quick reply to messages, but the price of the latter is much higher.
