Xiaomi Mi Band 7: Everything you need to know

First things first: let's talk about the name. It might have caused some confusion already, so let's clarify.

Is the Xiaomi Mi Band 7 and the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 the same smartwatch? The answer is yes. The series of products are sometimes also known as the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band or, simply, just the Mi Smart Band. For simplicity, in this article, we will call it the Xiaomi Band 7 and the Mi Band.

Our goal with this article is to briefly introduce the Mi Band fitness tracker and to explain and contextualize some of its wonderful features, such as sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, and fitness assistance.

In the massive marketplace for wearable technology, the Xiaomi Mi Band is often overlooked which is a shame, in our opinion, since it's a great fitness tracker with good features, for a much lower price.

One quick thing to consider before getting into the world of Xiaomi smartwatches and fitness trackers is regionality. Xiaomi may sometimes have a local model, such as a Chinese version, and then also a Global Mi Smart Band which can be found everywhere else. There might sometimes be a difference between the two versions but there usually isn't, unless you have bought your fitness tracker while traveling.

Xiaomi and their fitness trackers

Xiaomi is a Chinese company that has quickly risen to become one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world. Known for their high-quality, affordable devices, Xiaomi has built a reputation for delivering cutting-edge technology to the masses. Founded in 2010, Xiaomi has since expanded into a wide range of product categories, including smart home devices, electric scooters, and even rice cookers.

In recent years, Xiaomi has also made a name for itself in the world of wearables, with a range of smartwatches and fitness trackers that offer impressive features at a fraction of the price of some of their competitors. In this blog, we'll take a closer look at Xiaomi's Band 7, a fitness tracker, exploring its features, and what sets it apart from the competition.

Benefits and functions of Xiaomi Band 7

So why chose a Xiaomi Band out of all the smartwatches on the market? What does it provide, aside from being an affordable fitness tracker? That's what we're here to figure out.

As we mentioned above, the marketplace for wearable technology is massive and growing bigger by the day with both already-established brands growing into it, and completely new companies popping up.

Therefore, if you're interested in purchasing your first smartwatch or fitness tracker, then it might seem smarter to go with a more established brand, such as the Apple Watch, one of the many Fitbits, or a Garmin - and if that's the way you want to go, there's certainly nothing wrong with that.

As consumers, we have a tendency to be brand loyal when we are satisfied and in that sense, other brands have a head start. For instance, you might have a Samsung TV that you are very satisfied with, and you also have one of the great Samsung smartphones so when it's time to invest in a smartwatch, what brand are you going to stick with? You're likely to prefer to known over the unknown, and for good reason - you're spending your hard-earned money.

But with that all taken into consideration, there is still something to be said for Xiaomi and their Xiaomi Mi Smart Band. It's not just because it's a cheap fitness tracker (although, that is also a good thing) but it's also because, even with the price in mind, Xiaomi manages to produce some of the best fitness tech around with an incredibly accurate and holistic approach towards health data and fitness tracking features.

So let's jump into it.

Fitness tracking features

We don't think it's too bold to call the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band the perfect fitness tracker, and we'll explain why.

We have all been there. Whether it is at the start of an attempt to get fit, in the middle of a journey to remain fit, or trying to achieve a very specific fitness goal, you almost always reach a point where you find yourself asking: is any of this working? Am I getting closer to where I want to be? Fitness, exercise, and sports aren't all about laboring toward a specific goal, of course. Working with your body is fun and great for both your physical and mental well-being. Still, even though you might enjoy it, it never hurts to be able to track your progress and all the hard work you have been doing.

If this is something you're interested in, then the Xiaomi Mi Band is a great tool.

To start things off: the Mi Band has 120 sports settings, which means it can pretty much account for anything physical you will be doing. Not only is this great when it comes to versatility and making sure your data is accurate, but it also helps to account for more forms of exercise.

So if you want to know the number of calories burned from a session of jump rope or an hour or two of pool swimming, the Mi Band has your back.

But it's not just niche activities that it tracks, of course. Among the fitness settings and health features you'll find ones for long-distance running, indoor cycling, outdoor running, tennis, the rowing machine, and many more.

Additionally, Xiaomi's own personal activity intelligence (PAI) is a next-level way of tracking your fitness and goals. The personal activity intelligence accounts for things about you, such as your sex, age, heart rate, and other data, and issues you a score. Your Mi Band then accounts for everything you do throughout the day, affecting your PAI score.

Overall health

Health, of course, is not just about working out, and health can be defined, measured, and understood in many different ways. Health is both physical and mental, and the optimal solution is finding a balance between the two.

So what does good health mean to you? Is putting in the hours at the gym, sweating it out and feeling your stamina grow? Is it strengthening your core and heightening your flexibility with yoga? Or, is it managing your diet to get the most amount of energy out of everything you eat? Is it maybe getting into the best headspace to tackle your daily life using yoga, breathing exercises, or mindfulness?

Believe it or not, Xiaomi Mi Band can help you there as well.

To start with, using its pulse oximeter, the Mi Band can measure your blood oxygen saturation. It also has advanced heart rate monitoring, which provides you with accurate heart rate data which, for obvious reasons, is very important for maintaining your health.

One of the coolest features, as far as we are concerned, is stress monitoring. This feature can you give you real-time statistics on your stress levels throughout the day, and can also show you your stress levels over time, which might help you identify - and prevent - stressful moments and situations.

Sleep tracking

You might not find yourself thinking too much about sleep, and when you do think about it, it might be because you haven't had enough. But sleep is very important for your both physical and mental well-being.

In a global sleep survey, 62% of adults said that they do not sleep as well as they'd like and more than 20% of the adult population of North America have experienced insomnia. For reference, a healthy adult should sleep somewhere between 7 and 9 hours per night.

Let's face it, sleeping can be easier said than done - especially in the modern world. Technology, entertainment, and communication have never been easier to access or closer at hand, and instead of being bored, we now find ourselves unable to tune out and be out of reach. But what if we could use this technology for our benefit?

There is certainly not a lack of sleep technology on the market. There are lights for the bedroom that dim at night and light up in the morning to replicate the natural flow of the sun. There are machines that produce white noise, which will help you relax and drown out other, more annoying sounds in your environment, such as a busy street or more energetic neighbors. There are also blackout curtains and special comforters that will help you regulate your temperature while you sleeping. But what do all of these have in common? They are either designed to help you go to sleep - or stay asleep.

What Xiaomi Mi Smart Band offers is more intricate than that, and all the more interesting: sleep analysis technology. So what is that?

To put it simply, this technology focuses not only on whether or not you are sleeping but the sleep quality. Have you ever woken up from sleeping several hours, only to not feel rested at all? That has something to do with the quality of your sleep.

You can think of your Mi Band as a sleep assistant, which will function as a sleep monitor and issue you a sleep score, based on the night you were having. The sleep score will look at the amount of light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep your getting during the night, and take that into account. This is a much more in-depth approach than some competitors who will simply tell you that you slept for 8 hours, and leave you to figure out why you're still tired.

As anyone who has had issues with sleep will tell you, sleep is about more than just the hours you have been laying in bed.

Women's Health

Aside from sleep tracking, fitness, and overall health, the Mi Band also has special features that focus on things specific to Women's health.

With Xiaomi's dedication to comprehensive health and fitness tracking, this makes sense. Different people might want to focus on different things when it comes to their health, and working toward addressing those needs and areas of focus is the only way to guarantee exhaustive health coverage.

But in this case, what does that actually mean? Well, aside from tracking and providing analytics regarding things like sleep quality and heart rate data, the Xiaomi Mi Band also has menstrual cycle tracking and data on ovulation phases.

Using its powerful sensors the Mi Smart band can then give you reminders before a new menstrual cycle is about to begin, and fairly accurate notifications on ovulation - something that is not as easy to track technologically as other things.

Integration with the Mi Fit app

Just as we did at the start of the article, we need to start this paragraph with some clarification regarding the Mi Fit app (not to be confused with the Fitbit app). So why the need for this clarification? Because the Mi Fit app is actually not called the Mi Fit anymore - it's called Zepp Life.

We have discussed all the fantastic data the Mi Band collects, and how it can be used to improve your health and in the Mi Fit app (currently Zepp) is where all this data can be viewed, analyzed, and put into graphs, which is great considering the larger display on your phone. The app can also be integrated with other apps for advanced functionality and analytics, which lets you keep all the data on anything from your heart rate to your REM sleep right in your phone.

The Mi Fit app is compatible with both iOS and Android phones, making it an essential tool for the fitness band.

Basic features

Above we have listed some of the features of Xiaomi Mi Band that we feel make it uniquely great and powerful. We feel this is a helpful way to view the device before making a decision - but there are, of course, more things to consider.

For example, when a new smartphone is launched, the brand tends to focus on the unique features that they have developed specifically for that phone during the launch. You will be able to read about the incredible camera, the vividness of the larger screen, or some other selling point that makes that phone different from all the other phones. And while there is nothing wrong with that, it's still important to not forget the basics such as the phone's GPS, battery life, and call functions. In other words: the daily functions you take for granted - but that can be a dealbreaker if they don't work as you need them to.

Below, we have therefore listed some of the more basic features of Mi Band and how they work, so that you have all the information that you need.

Battery life

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 has a great battery life. The magnetic charging only takes two hours, and the battery will last for up to 14 days in normal use. You read that right: a battery life of 14 days.

For comparison, the latest Apple Watch has a battery life of around 36 hours, and the previous iteration of the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band, the Mi Smart Band 5, had a little bit less.

A battery life of that length means that you do not have to worry about the Mi Band running out of juice, no matter where you are or what you are doing.

Companion app

As we mentioned before, the Zepp Life app is not the only app that can be integrated and used for your Mi Band. While Zepp Life is a great analytics tool, there are other options out there for those with a preference, or who just like a little variety. Such as:

Google Fit: Much like Zepp Life, Google Fit is a way to organize, track and analyze your fitness goals. Google Fit can be downloaded on any smartphone and has some very cool functions, such as a coaching feature with weekly targets and journals - so that you can see how your fitness journey has progressed over time.

Watch Faces: Watch faces is a cool and functional app when it comes to customization. This feature lets you change the watch face in the display area of your Mi Band to something more fitting for your personal taste, or maybe more appropriate for your current activity.

Control music

An essential function of any fitness tracker is the ability to control music. Whether you are running, lifting weights, participating in bike rides, or rowing - there are few things as good as keeping your motivation up as listening to your favorite playlist. And being able to change the song, raise the volume, or pause for incoming calls is one of the many great benefits of a smartwatch.

So how does it work on the Mi Band?

Unsurprisingly, it works great! The Mi Smart Band can be integrated with any music streaming service you prefer, such as Spotify or Apple Music, and is easily controlled from your wrist by tapping the dynamic color display.

Built-in GPS

In today's world, having a finely tuned GPS is more important than ever before. Whether you're driving to a new destination, hiking through an unfamiliar trail, or simply trying to navigate the busy streets of a big city, having an accurate GPS can mean the difference between getting to your destination safely and efficiently or getting lost and frustrated. That's why it's crucial to invest in a smartwatch with a high-quality GPS that you can rely on.

One such GPS that stands out in the market is, in fact, the Xiaomi Mi Band. With its advanced GPS technology, the Xiaomi Mi Band offers unparalleled accuracy and precision, making it the perfect companion for all your navigation needs. Whether you're tracking your daily steps, monitoring your heart rate, or simply trying to find your way around, the Xiaomi Mi Band has got you covered.

So, why settle for a subpar GPS when you can have the best? Invest in the Xiaomi Mi Band today and experience the peace of mind that comes with having a finely tuned, reliable GPS at your fingertips.

How does the Xiaomi Mi Band measure up?

As we have discussed before, the marketplace for wearable technology and smartwatches is massive. When writing an entire article about the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band, we, therefore, feel that it's necessary to discuss how it compares to other models, both from Xiaomi and other brands. Below, you will therefore find an in-depth comparison between the Smart Band 7 and the Mi Band 5, as well as the Apple Watch Series 8.

A past iteration: Xiaomi Mi Band 5

Xiaomi has recently released two new smart bands, the Band 7 and the Mi Band 5. Both of these bands are excellent options for fitness enthusiasts, but the Xiaomi Band 7 comes with a few more advanced features compared to the Mi Band 5.

In terms of technical capabilities, the Xiaomi Band 7 is a clear winner. It has a higher-resolution display, which makes it easier to read notifications and track your fitness progress. Additionally, the Band 7 comes with new features such as monitoring your blood oxygenation levels, which is a feature that the Mi Band 5 lacks. This is especially important for those who are into fitness and want to keep an eye on their oxygen levels during workouts. The Band 7 also comes with a larger battery compared to the Mi Band 5, with a 180mAh battery compared to the 125mAh battery in the Mi Band 5. This means that you can use the Band 7 for a longer period without the need for frequent charging.

When it comes to design, both bands have a similar look and feel, with a sleek and lightweight design. However, the Xiaomi Band 7 has a larger screen compared to the Mi Band 5, making it more visually appealing. The Band 7 also has a more refined and polished look, with a more premium feel to it.

Overall, the Xiaomi Band 7 is the better option for fitness enthusiasts who want a smart band with advanced technical features and a sleek design. With its new features such as blood oxygenation monitoring, higher resolution display, and larger battery, the Band 7 is a great investment for anyone who wants to take their fitness to the next level.

A competitor: Apple Watch Series 8

Xiaomi's Mi Band and Apple's Watch 8 are two of the most popular smart bands available in the market. While both devices offer a multitude of features, the Mi Band has a few advantages over the Apple Watch 8, especially when it comes to technical features.

Firstly, the Xiaomi Mi Band has a higher resolution display compared to the Apple Watch 8, making it easier to read notifications and track your fitness progress. Additionally, the Mi Band comes with new features such as monitoring your blood oxygenation levels, which is not available in the Apple Watch 8. This feature is important for fitness enthusiasts who want to keep an eye on their oxygen levels during workouts. The Mi Band also has a larger battery compared to the Apple Watch 8, with a 180mAh battery compared to the 303.8mAh battery in the Apple Watch 8. This means that you can use the Mi Band for a longer period of time without the need for frequent charging.

When it comes to design, both devices have their own unique features. The Apple Watch 8 has a sleek and premium design, while the Mi Band has a more simplistic and lightweight design. The Apple Watch 8 also has a larger and more customizable screen compared to the Mi Band. However, the Mi Band is more affordable compared to the Apple Watch 8, making it a more budget-friendly option for those who are looking for a smart band.

Overall, the Xiaomi Mi Band is an excellent option for fitness enthusiasts who want a smart band with advanced technical features and a sleek design. While the Apple Watch 8 has a few advantages in terms of design and customizability, the Mi Band offers more value for money with its advanced features such as blood oxygenation monitoring and longer battery life.