The name Xiaomi is probably already known to everyone as a manufacturer of excellent value for money technology. Exactly one product of this manufacturer in our today's review is the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro. Second generation Pro (after Smart Band 7 Pro) smart bracelet - watch.

We tested this bracelet while sleeping, cycling, walking, observing its functions in everyday activities and simply living with it for practically a month. We compared our observations with the first generation Smart Band 7 Pro and present them for your verdict.

Unboxing

Two-color smart bracelets arrived to us, as usual, in a minimal package, in a compact box. Inside the box - a bracelet, a watch (the "body" of the bracelet), a charging cable and a short user manual. Everything is packed neatly and smartly, so if the box is thrown around during shipping, there is little chance of damaging this smart bracelet.

First impressions

The included bracelet is rubber. In terms of feel, the material is the same as the Xiaomi Smart Band 8, which visually looked like new after our tests. The "body" of the bracelet is made of several materials - the front is glass, the edges are metal, and the back (except for the position of the sensors) is made of hard plastic.

The device does not have any physical buttons. At first sight and feel, it is a very solid and high-quality device. In terms of design, the Smart Band 8 Pro looks more like a smart watch than a smart bracelet (sports tracker).

Visually, the difference between the 7 Pro and 8 Pro is obvious. The 8 Pro's screen is much bigger and it's straight - the 7 Pro's screen is curved. The bracelet connection mechanisms are also different between the two models. The 7 Pro has plastic protrusions to which we attach the wristbands, while the 8 Pro wristband is already pressed inside. 

The principle of changing bracelets remains the same and simple, but if you already have a 7 Pro and are going to buy an 8 Pro, you will no longer use the old bracelets.

Mi Fitness APP

The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro is paired and controlled via the Mi Fitness app on the phone. Connection is simple and clear following the instructions in the app. In it you can set your data (height, weight, etc.) and this data will be used to evaluate your achievements.

In the app, you will see all the data collected by the smart bracelet. These are data about your sleep, sports, heart rate, steps, blood oxygen level, and countless other useful things.

Smart bracelet

We were impressed with the screen only after starting to use the 8 Pro smart bracelet. The size turned out to be adequate, the brightness is high enough even in sunlight, and the 60 Hz refresh rate makes it smooth and pleasant to use. The previous models, both Smart Band 7 and Smart Band 7 Pro had 30 Hz screens and the smoothness of operation between them is felt from the first moments of use.

If you've used a smart bracelet or watch, you'll get through the menu very quickly. Swiping from top to bottom opens notifications. In them you will see (you can change the settings in the Mi Fitness app) messages, emails. letters and other messages. The only slight drawback is that emojis are displayed as squares.

Swiping to either side will reveal widgets. Controls are a quick and convenient way of control, after adjusting them to yourself in the Mi Fitness app, you will rarely go to the main menu. Unlike the 7 Pro model, this smartwatch takes you back to the main watch window after going through all the controls without having to swipe back.

The main menu is accessed from the bottom of the main window by swiping up. You'll find all of the 8 Pro's features in this menu, but there are so many individual apps and settings (24 of them) that you'll need to take your time to understand what's where. 

The layout of the icons can be changed from a grid to a list, which can be more convenient to use. In addition to sports and health data, the menu also includes breathing exercises, the ability to use the bracelet as a shutter button for the phone's camera, and the agenda.

GPS and health data accuracy

One of the biggest benefits of tracking your sports data is GPS. Unlike the Smart Band 8, this Pro version lets you track your distance. You don't even need to have your phone with you for this - after choosing a sport on the bracelet and waiting a few seconds until the connection with GPS is established, you will click the GO button and you can start doing sports.

Different sports collect slightly different data, e.g. walking will show your steps taken, pace, steps per minute etc., while cycling will show you average speed and a graph of time and speed. You will see all these recordings after syncing with the Mi Fitness app. Google Maps is used for the map, and it shows the trajectory of the movement.

With the Smart Band 7 Pro and 8 Pro, it seems that all the sensors have remained the same in the new version. The number of steps of bracelets placed on the same arm after ~700 steps differs only by a few. Heart rate and other data are also measured in practically the same way. It should be remembered that this bracelet is not a medical device, so you should not trust the data 100 percent.

Battery and charging

With most features enabled, sleep tracking and some sports tracking (with GPS), this smart bracelet has a battery life of 7 days. After enabling continuous health data tracking and always-on display, we reached an average of 5 days.

And while it's not the manufacturer's claimed 14-day battery life, it's still impressive, especially after smartwatches that we usually charge every 1-3 days. Charging from 0 to 100 percent takes about an hour and a half.

What did we like?

The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro has practically everything we expect from a smart watch, but in a much smaller and lighter form factor than a regular watch. There are no complaints about the quality of the device, and the clasp of the included bracelet is more convenient than the Smart Band 7 Pro.

It is clear that the developers of Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro have spent time organizing and decorating the menu, text format and layout. It is more comfortable and more beautiful than the bracelet of the previous generation. The smoothness of the control and the brightness of the screen ensure simple and pleasant daily use. Even in bright sunlight, everything is visible and understandable.

What we didn't like?

One of the most annoying things about all Xiaomi bracelets is charging them. It is not just a magnetic cable that you can only connect on one side, and usually it will only work the second time. Each generation of bracelets has different cables and although visually they look the same, the position of the pins is different and you will not be able to use the cables from the older generation.

GPS is a huge plus for tracking your sports performance, but unfortunately this bracelet doesn't always get it right. During tests, while riding a bicycle or simply walking in the residential districts of Vilnius, a message is often received on the bracelet that the GPS signal is unstable. It is then that the data becomes distorted and you will see inaccurate information on the map (passing through houses, inaccurate location).

The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro has an automatic sports prediction with a message that says “it looks like you are cycling, do you want to enable tracking?”. When it works, this prediction is pretty accurate, and you'll practically never see it if you're not exercising (only happened when I was driving a roller coaster, the smart band thought I was cycling).

For those who exercise and track their achievements, this feature will come in handy if you forget to turn on tracking, but it could still be improved. The prediction occurs a few minutes after the start of exercise (if it occurs at all, it requires enough active movements), and the notification that appears does not disappear until you dismiss it.

So if you started exercising and you don't want to follow the exercise that time, you will have to stop and cancel it after receiving the message in order to use other functions of the bracelet. This feature can be turned off in the settings. 

Xiaomi bracelets

We also received some original bracelets in different materials for additional review. It is leather, fabric and metal. I liked the quality of the materials of all the bracelets - they are pleasant, the clasps hold firmly, and their colors add uniqueness to the overall design. Unfortunately, the fabric wristband arrived damaged because it does not properly lock onto the "body" of the Smart Band 8 Pro, which is most likely not a transportation error, but a manufacturing error.

Verdict

The new generation of Pro bracelets is a collection of excellent work done by Xiaomi. Apparently, attention was drawn to all the shortcomings that the previous Pro generation had and with improvements it hit the top ten. 

In terms of design, this model falls between a smartwatch and a smart bracelet, and thanks to the easy-to-change straps, it should be suitable for all occasions. Although it has its downsides, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro has finally forced its longtime companion, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3, to give way.