Xiaomi Smart Band 7 reviewed.

Xiaomi recently launched it’s latest fitness and health tracker, the Xiaomi Smart Band 7! We at The Technovore have the honor to get our hands on a review unit. For a product to be able to last seven generations, says a lot about it’s reputation. So what makes the Xiaomi Smart Band tick? Let’s dive in to find out!

What is the Xiaomi Smart Band 7?

The smart band 7 is the latest upgrade to Xiaomi‘s flagship health and fitness tracker series. Boasting a larger 1.62 inch AMOLED display which is a 25% increased from the Mi Smart Band 6. The Smart Band 7 also supports more than 110+ sports modes now. The Xiaomi Smart Band 7 is priced at SGD 69 and is now available on shopee.

Design.

On first look, the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 look just like any other fitness tracker that you will find in the thrift shops or as a free gift. That was the perception that I had when I first took it out of the box. However, everything changed when I laid my hand on it.

The 1.62 inch AMOLED display jumped right up at me, the bright and vibrant colors of the Smart Band 7 brought life into the simple looking device. The face of the display can be changed by tapping and holding down on the screen. A total of 6 preset designs can be chosen and many more on the Mi App.

The touchscreen display feels solid and smooth. Likewise with the navigation, swiping up/down or left/right allows you to access the various functions within the device. I tried to play around with the different functions to see if there will be a lag in the response time, but to my surprise the transition from functions to functions is a breeze.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 7 offers a resolution of 192 x 490 pixels (326 PPI). The wordings on the screen is clear and sharp, which is an important factor for me. With so many functions being offered on this device, the last thing you need is a pixelated or small font to squirm at.

The strap is made out of thermoplastic elastomer (TPU), which is lightweight, flexible and highly durable. It is available in 6 colors (Ivory, Olive, Orange, Blue, Black and Pink). At only 13.5g, the smart band 7 feels comfortable on my wrist and after awhile it does not even feel like I am wearing it. Although I did fumble to get the Smart Band 7 onto my wrist the first couple of time, due to the loop design. But it gets better when I am used to it, I actually seldom takes it off.

Overall the design is simple and sleek, the larger 1.62 inch AMOLED display with 326 PPI and smooth navigation allows for effortless transition from function to function.

Specifications.

Dimensions	46.5mm x 20.7mm x 12.25mm
Weight	13.5g
Band Strap (Material)	160mm – 224mm (TPU)
Display	1.62 inch AMOLED Touch Display 192 x 490 pixels (326 PPI)
Sensors	High precision 6-axis sensor and PPG heart rate sensor 6-axis sensor: Low power-consumption 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope PPG heart rate sensor
Battery	180mAh magnetic charging 2hr Charge time
Water resistance	5ATM Water resistant
Bluetooth	5.2BLE
Compatible Operating system	Android 6.0 or higher, iOS 10 or higher

One of the key specification upgrade is the extended battery life. A full charge which takes around 2 hours will last the user from 9 days to 14 days according to Xiaomi. On average during the test period, I am using about 5% to 8% of the battery daily. I had turned on the “wake on wrist raise” to sensitive mode and screen-on for 10s. I find that the normal “wake on wrist raise” mode to be a tad bit slow for me with 2s of wait time. Charging is via the USB – 2 pin magnetic charger which is connected to the back of the device.

The Xiaomi smart band 7 also features a 5ATM water resistance, wearing the device to shower and even swimming up to 50m depth was no issue.

Functions.

Functions

110+ fitness modes

Fitness Auto detection mode

VO2 Max

Training effect

Training Load

Recovery Duration

Heart Rate monitoring

SpO2 tracking

Sleep tracking

Sleep breathing quality tracking

Female health tracking

Stress monitoring

Breathing exercise

PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence)

Music player

Sync calls and messages

Packed with a myriad of functions, the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 seems like the swiss army knife of the health and fitness tracker world with over 110 of preloaded sport activities. It also comes with a GPS function which tracks your route if you set on the running mode, however you are still required to bring and link your Smart Band 7 to your phone for this feature to work.

The main function of the smart band 7 will be the heart rate monitor and the SpO2 monitor. Both allows continuous monitoring which will continuously measure and update the Mi App on your vitals. The heart rate monitor works well even when I am jogging or driving. For the SpO2 monitor, it is more sensitive. I have to remain still for the device to even start doing the reading. The VO2 monitor is a relative new sensor that measures the users max oxygen intake during exercise.

The Smart Band 7 comes with stress monitoring and also a sleep tracking which tracks your sleep breathing score(Beta). Not only that, it also comes with breathing exercise mode which teaches you breathing methods to relieve stress or even helps you to track your (or your spouse’s) menstrual cycle to give you some heads up. The personal activity index is some sort of a personal assistance that lets you know about your daily exercise output, allows you to set goals and nudges you to get moving when you are idle.

The Smart Band 7 not only is a fitness and health tracker, but also works as a smart watch. It is able to sync with your smartphone to read messages and WeChat messages. Shows incoming calls, set alarms and also controls the music player. In the event that you misplaced your smartphone, it is able to “call” and locate the phone (It has to be connected via Bluetooth).

The Bottom Line.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 7 is a great health and fitness tracker with loads of functions and monitors that almost allows users to replace their smartwatch. For the price of SGD 69, it is the best in it’s class in terms of functions and quality. A reliable and tough workhorse, this product will fulfill most of your needs in a fitness tracker.

TLDR:

Great functions and usability with reliable monitor. Simple and sleek design, which could have seemed cheap initially. However, the large screen and vibrant colors makes it shine.