Super-Cheap Fitness Tracker Xiaomi Mi Band Monitors Health

A super-cheap fitness tracker called the Xiaomi Mi Band 1S promises to monitor sleep, physical exercise results, as well as heart-rate.

The manufacturer of the device has been nicknamed “the Chinese Apple”, and is the world’s second largest retailer of wearables, surpassed only by Fitbit. In the second quarter, Xiaomi has managed to ship 3.1 million fitness bands across the world, while Fitbit led this industry, by processing orders amounting to 4.4 wearable gadgets of this kind.

This recent launch follows another similar product called Mi Band, which was recently launched by the Asian company. The updated device named Mi Band Pulse uses an optical sensor based on PPG (photoplethysmography) in order to track heart rate, at an accuracy allegedly similar to that offered by Apple Watch.

Because of this new function this band is slightly larger than the previous one, measuring 37 x 13.6 x 9.9 mm. It also weighs around half a gram more, but it still remains incredibly lightweight, at just 13.5 grams.

Aside from its cardiovascular monitoring, it also keeps its wearer fully aware of other vital functions, by measuring sleep quality and by employing a sleep-cycle smart alarm. It even functions as a fitness tracker, assessing the number of calories burnt while exercising, as well as the distance covered by the user.

The wearable Mi Band Pulse has a 45 mAH battery, which lasts up to 20 days on a single charge, while the original Mi Band,with fewer features, could be used for 30 days without interruptions.

On Monday, November 9, Xiaomi has also launched a 20000 mAH Mi Power Bank, which costs $24 and can serve as an external battery or additional charger.

According to developers, the gadget is waterproof, as well as dust-resistant, having been certified to an IP67 Rating. It can also function correctly at extremely high or low temperatures, and it can be dropped from heights of 4 feet without sustaining damage.

It doesn’t have its own display, but it connects via Bluetooth 4.0 to devices powered by iOS (Apple iPhone 4S / iOS 7.0 upwards), and by Android (4.4 “KitKat” or later versions).

The gadget, which is available in several color options (blue, black, teal, orange, green, red), comes with a very affordable price tag, of just $14.99. Moreover, those who wish to purchase a more basic design can still opt for its Mi Band predecessor, which currently retails at $11.

The products are great value for money, especially when compared with other health trackers such as the Fitbit Charge HR, which costs $140, or the Jawbone Up3, which can be bought for $180.

Initially, the second generation gadget will be available in China only, during 11/11 Singles Day (Guanggun Jie), which is the largest online shopping day in the world.

Nevertheless, it is expected that international sales will also begin shortly afterwards, through Xiaomi’s Mi.com store, which already sells Mi Bands to customers located in Europe, the Unites States and India.

Image Source: MIUI