Activity trackers are on the rise, but not all of them offer the same level of quality and services. With the Smart Band 8, Xiaomi is playing the low price card without sacrificing functions and endurance.
Activity bracelet or connected watch? A difficult choice for those who want to wear an accessory on their wrist capable of tracking them throughout the day to measure their physical activity but also stay informed of messages, emails and other notifications received on their mobile. Initially intended for athletes, the bracelets are now aimed at a wider audience. Most of the time, they cost much less than a watch while providing, more or less, the same services. And Xiaomi is a master at this little game. With the Smart Band 8, the brand’s latest bracelet, the Chinese giant has created a quality, efficient and durable accessory which, this year, is playing the customization card to the fullest with a host of dials available and bracelets for every taste. Enough to appeal to both women and men, athletes or not. We were able to test the Smart Band 8 for several weeks. Here is our verdict.
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Xiaomi Smart Band 8: a discreet design tailored to vary styles
For this new iteration of its connected bracelet, Xiaomi is retaining its achievements. We are still dealing with a very elongated oval-shaped case with a rather discreet look and which can accommodate most wrists, even narrow ones, with its 48 mm long and 22.5 mm wide. And, no matter how hard you look, no physical button is flush with the metal-finish edges. All operations must therefore be carried out by manipulating the small screen, which is not always easy when you have wet fingers, for example.
Likewise, the bracelet does not have a microphone or speaker. A small regret since we would have appreciated getting sound notifications during an exercise for example. Too bad, we’ll have to do without it. For the rest, it’s all good. This year introduces a push button system to easily remove the bracelet and change styles in the blink of an eye.
The brand also offers a nice variety on its site, from classic silicone to vegan leather, fabric or metal, there really is something for everyone. But the prices remain quite high (sometimes half the price of the device). It’s a bit excessive.
Fortunately, on large online stores, it is possible to find compatible bracelets at much more reasonable prices. Enough to add style to one of the many dials offered from the application, all free. In this area Xiaomi is doing very well and that is very appreciable. Another new feature, Xiaomi also offers to wear the Smart Band 8 as a pendant (why not) or to attach it to shoe laces using a clip (9.90 euros) designed for this purpose. The idea is to measure more precisely the length of strides, the force of the impact of the foot on the ground during a running session, etc.
Finally, the Smart Band 8 displays 5ATM waterproofing. It can therefore accompany you during your swimming sessions, as long as you do not move too far from the surface.
Xiaomi Smart Band 8: a top screen for very good readability
With its 1.62 inch diagonal, the Smart Band 8 screen is of course narrower than that of a connected watch. But that doesn’t stop it from being very readable. It therefore has a definition of 490 x 192 pixels for a resolution of 325 ppi. This is perfect for displaying the details of dials or small print without getting that bleed-through text print.
Like last year, Xiaomi has opted for an Amoled panel. It delivers beautiful colors and very appreciable deep blacks. Its presence also allows an Always On Display to keep the time on the screen even when the bracelet is in standby. The brightness is also there. We had no difficulty reading the information displayed even in direct sunlight.
Xiaomi Smart Band 8: well-thought-out ergonomics but some shortcomings
The Smart Band 8 is a pleasant everyday companion. Navigation in the interface does not revolutionize the genre with its widgets that you scroll with a swipe of your finger to the left of the screen and access to notifications with a horizontal swipe. It is possible to define the order of widgets to display, add or remove them, etc. However, it is impossible to add other applications. You will have to be content to use those provided by Xiaomi.
Small disappointment regarding interactions with messages however. While it is possible to view SMS messages and other missives that arrive in WhatsApp, it is however impossible to respond to them, even if only with predefined responses. You will therefore have to take the smartphone out of your pocket. Damage.
Xiaomi Smart Band 8: measurements that lack precision
The Smart Band 8 remains above all an activity bracelet. It accompanies you in all your sports sessions to measure your performance. To lower its cost, Xiaomi has chosen not to integrate a GPS module. Consequently, the bracelet takes advantage of the smartphone’s GPS to establish the tracks and measure the distances traveled. So you should always consider taking your smartphone with you during your jogging sessions to keep a precise record of your activity. And the result is not so bad. During our tests, the Smart Band 8 proved to be quite well synchronized with an Apple Watch Ultra (only 5 meters difference). Not bad.
On the other hand, when measuring heart rate, it is a little less satisfactory. When the pace picks up, calms down and then picks up again, the Smart band 8 struggles to keep up. The measurements taken are not fanciful but generally prove to be below reality (this time again compared to an Apple Watch Ultra).
Finally, the Xiaomi bracelet also allows you to measure sleep quality. In this exercise either he does not completely agree with the measurements recorded by the Apple Watch. Some moments of awakening are not identified (or, in any case, not indicated) even though they did indeed take place.
Xiaomi Smart Band 8: exemplary autonomy
If there is one area where the Smart Band 8 brings everyone in agreement, it is that of autonomy. The bracelet indeed seems tireless. The brand advertises up to 16 days, we got closer with 13 days and 12 nights. It’s quite impressive and this energy reserve puts a damper on a good number of connected watches capable of only keeping up the pace for a few days at most. It is possible to obtain a little more by depriving yourself of the Always On Display mode or to limit the number of heart rate readings.
For recharging, it’s also quite fast. Allow around an hour to refuel to 100% using the small magnetic charging dock provided (no charger however).
Xiaomi Smart Band 8: should you go for Xiaomi’s low-cost bracelet?
Xiaomi has mastered the subject of connected bracelets for several years. The Smart Band 8 confirms its know-how. The device is very comfortable to wear and manages to escape from the shackles of all-plastic and relatively ugly activity bracelets. It is helped in this by the numerous dials available and the change of bracelet made easier by the adoption of the push button. We wouldn’t have been against a physical button to avoid having to slide your finger across the screen for all operations. Likewise, if the microphone is not essential on this type of device, a small speaker would also have simplified receiving notifications.
These small faults aside, we also appreciate its very good autonomy which avoids having to keep an eye on the energy gauge and go through days and nights peacefully.
Finally, although the Smart Band 8 can deliver numerous measurements, it will not be suitable for demanding athletes who follow the evolution of their practice very closely. The measurements, particularly of the heart rate, are not the most reliable. The fact remains that with such a low price, less than 50 euros, the Smart Band 8 offers excellent value for money.