Xiaomi Mi Band 6 overview: The king is useless, lengthy stay the king!

Xiaomi Mi Band 6: The conclusion

At first look, the Mi Band 6 appears to be like confusingly much like its predecessor. In truth, it’s virtually an identical in measurement to the Mi Band 5, but it provides a considerably bigger 1.56-inch show. At 152 x 486 pixels, Xiaomi has additionally elevated the decision AND pixel density whereas sustaining the panel’s nice brightness.

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 review

In any other case, the Chinese language producer has improved the health tracker very coyly, however sensibly. For instance, Xiaomi added the SpO2 monitoring function that many wished, but additionally raised the value barely to only below 50 US-{Dollars}. Those that favored the Mi Band 5 would possibly miss the gentle button under the show, which is not on board.

That lacking button is as a lot of a tribute to the bigger show because the shrunken battery life. 14 days with out an outlet are solely attainable with very, very economical use, however you may nonetheless simply recover from per week. Additionally a pity: GPS remains to be not included.

For those who’re at the moment utilizing the Mi Band 5, you do not essentially have to modify to the Mi Band 6 – until you actually really need the bigger display. For everybody else who needs to enter the world of health trackers for little cash, the Mi Band 6 is totally beneficial – the very best finances health tracker has develop into higher than ever within the sixth era!

Design & Show: Greater is all the time higher, proper?

I am nonetheless impressed: Xiaomi managed to extend the show by 50 p.c with out making the entire gadget extra cumbersome. Kudos, Xiaomi!

What I favored:

• bigger show
• greater decision
• nice construct high quality

White I disliked:

There wasn’t a lot we may significantly criticize in regards to the outdated Mi Band 5. The factor most definitely to hassle me was the considerably poorly readable show. This wasn’t as a result of AMOLED expertise, nor the brightness of as much as 450 nits, however as a result of small 1.1-inch display and the small textual content.

For those who maintain each generations – the Mi Band 5 and Mi Band 6 – aspect by aspect when switched off, they may very well be twins, each when it comes to form and measurement. Nonetheless, for those who flip the panels on, the most important benefit of the Mi Band 6 turns into clearly seen: the show has grown to 1.56 inches, which makes an enormous distinction.

Xiaomi has achieved the feat of virtually sustaining the predecessor’s dimensions by making the display spherical. Sure, the show follows the curvature of the health tracker’s entrance, which provides the Mi Band 6 a very trendy look. The brightness stays at 450 nits, and Xiaomi has elevated the decision from 126 x 294 within the Mi Band 5 to 152 x 486 pixels within the Mi Band 6.

I haven’t got many complaints in regards to the new display, however there may be nonetheless a small “however”: You possibly can nonetheless solely roughly regulate the brightness in 5 steps – and solely manually. I’d love an ambient gentle sensor that robotically adjusts the brightness. How’s that for the Mi Band 7, Xiaomi?

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If you realize the Mi Band 5 effectively, you may discover that Xiaomi additionally needed to pay a fairly excessive value for extra display actual property by reducing out the capacitive button under the show. In testing, I discovered myself usually tapping on the decrease portion of the display.

Thus, Xiaomi deprives us of a management perform, working now completely with swipe gestures and tapping the show. It is most likely a matter of private style – however for me personally, some great benefits of the now a lot simpler to learn show are extra decisive. In my view, you get used to the marginally completely different controls in a short time.

Total, Xiaomi makes it clear once more with the Mi Band 6, why this collection is so extremely widespread. At about 24 grams, the gadget is hardly noticeable on the arm and really comfy to put on. That is additionally as a result of well-made silicone wristband, which may be opened and closed simply as comfortably as its predecessor’s.

Usually, the workmanship of the Mi Band 6 is once more glorious. Because of a water-resistant ranking of as much as 5 ATM, you’ll be able to put on the gadget whereas washing your palms or within the bathe. If you wish to take it for a swim, nonetheless, a tool with a ten ATM ranking could be beneficial.

By way of charging the gadget, nothing has modified compared to the predecessor. The magnetic contacts are situated on the within and sure, the included cable is once more indecently quick.

Hats off: Contemplating the Mi Band 6’s value, Xiaomi delivers an important tracker with good construct quiality and a good nicer display. After a few hours, I not missed the button and will totally benefit from the bigger, higher-resolution show.

Software program and operation: Not a lot new

For the sake of completeness, I want to briefly focus on the software program, the companion app and the operation. Only some months have handed since we examined the Mi Band 5, and Xiaomi has solely made marginal adjustments since then.

After all, the operation has modified a bit, because the capacitive button under the show has disappeared. Earlier than, you may all the time return to the homescreen from in every single place by way of the capacitive button. Now you are able to do that by swiping to the fitting, which all the time takes you again on step.

Past that, there wasn’t a lot new – however in all equity, Xiaomi did not have to vary a lot both. As earlier than, the health tracker connects to the Mi Match app. This app is your well being house base and gathers all of the health knowledge out of your Mi Band 6 or different Xiaomi gadgets, comparable to Xiaomi’s good scale. Pairing by way of Bluetooth 5.0 was once more fast and uncomplicated.

The Mi Match app remains to be nice. It provides plenty of statistics about your exercises, you’ll be able to configure the app notifications and rather more. Visually and when it comes to construction, every part right here is acquainted, solely the “SpO2” entry catches the attention. One other attention-grabbing function is the choice to configure SMS responses for incoming calls. Within the app, you’ll be able to both choose one of many predefined replies or write your personal.

Alternatively, you can too use the Mi Wear app, which appears to be like extra like a slimmed-down Mi Match app to me. You can’t use each apps on the similar time although.

As within the predecessor, you’ll be able to once more place widgets on the left and proper of your watchface. Xiaomi has diminished the utmost quantity of widgets from ten to 6. These widgets are accessible by swiping left and proper and mean you can show the climate, management the music in your smartphone, set the alarm clock or a stopwatch and rather more.

Personally, there should not many options that I want so typically in on a regular basis life that I essentially should have them accessible as a widget. However perhaps you utilize the tracker in another way – and that is why you must remember that now, you’ll be able to solely have six widgets in your wrist as an alternative of ten.

Options and Monitoring

Xiaomi has comparatively reasonably turned the innovation screw on the features of the Mi Band 6. Monitoring the blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) is a “main” new function, and there are additionally new sports activities modes – now a complete of 30.

What I favored:

• SpO2 monitoring
• new sport modes
• Auto monitoring
• improved alarm clock

What I disliked:

• Sleep measurement nonetheless inaccurate

As for the options, Xiaomi has solely selectively, however fairly sensibly upgraded in comparison with the Mi Band 5. Every little thing that was already out there with the final mannequin comparable to sleep and stress monitoring, measuring menstrual cycles and the PAI (private exercise index), are in fact again within the sport.

As beforehand talked about, the Mi Band 6 can now additionally show the blood oxygen saturation. I personally do not suppose it is crucial function, as it is also usually not exact sufficient in any health tracker or smartwatch (additionally you, Apple Watch) to have any medical worth. However oh effectively, many individuals have been complaining in regards to the SpO2 monitoring lacking within the Mi Band 5, and right here it’s. Whereas testing the Mi Band 6, the values measured ranged between 93 and 96 p.c. Total, the Mi Band 6 can show values between 80 and 100%, with the previous which means you are in bother.

What goes for the SpO2, additionally goes for the opposite sensors: Please always remember that you’re coping with an affordable health tracker right here. This inevitably implies that you all the time should take the measured outcomes with a grain of salt, and perceive that the SpO2 values in addition to the center charge or sleep instances are fairly as a tenet than a medical grade measurement.

Nonetheless, the heart beat measurements specifically already made fairly an correct impression within the predecessor and didn’t drop noticeably in comparison with the outcomes with a extra exact chest strap. I nonetheless have issues with the sleep measurement, which sometimes reveals inaccuracies. Tense soccer watching on the sofa is usually interpreted as a nap.

Talking of sleep: There was already an alarm perform earlier than, however you may solely activate or flip off the alarm on the tracker after you configured the alarm time in your smartphone. Now, the alarm works autonomously and will also be set on the health wristband.

Whereas the Mi Band 5 featured 11 sports activities modes, Xiaomi has now bumped up the quantity to a complete of 30 sports activities modes. The brand new additions embody badminton, desk tennis, basketball and ice skating, additionally Zumba, road dance, health and HIIT to call a number of.

A handful of actions comparable to strolling, operating and biking are additionally robotically detected – a function I already liked on its predecessor.

The Mi Band 6 has has seen some minor enhancements when it comes to options and monitoring – comparable to the extra sports activities modes and the blood oxygen saturation monitoring. 
Nonetheless, those that have been proud of the Mi Band 5 most likely do not need to improve to the Mi Band 6 due to the brand new options.

Battery life: Can it’s rather less?

The battery is strictly the identical measurement as within the predecessor. That is precisely why we’ve to speak in regards to the battery life. Greater show!

What I favored:

• Nonetheless passable battery life
• Magnetic connection of the charging cable

What I disliked:

• Charging cable nonetheless very quick

I’ve no clue if this annoys you too, however sure: For me, this charging cable is simply too quick. It is about 15 inches lengthy and ensures that I all the time have the Mi Band mendacity properly on the carpet when charging as an alternative of on the desk. You will not discover a charging adapter within the field, however that is additionally fairly typical on this product class.

Let’s discuss in regards to the elephant within the room: with a capability of 125 mAh, we’re once more precisely the place we have been with the Mi Band 5. Nonetheless, we even have 50 p.c extra show and that, in fact, comes on the expense of the runtime. Xiaomi very optimistically states that the battery life remains to be as much as 14 days.

Do I believe that is lifelike? No! Does that basically matter? Additionally no! Not less than for me, it solely performs a minor function. Additionally, the Mi Band 5 ought to final 14 days, in my check I got here to about ten days. On this check, the battery went stomach up after seven and a half days and sure, I can very a lot stay with that.

Two hours of charging a day and the factor is prepared to be used once more for per week – that ought to be sufficient for many customers.

I most likely do not have to say that the battery life is all the time a really particular person quantity and depends upon how intensively you utilize the gadget. If in case you have all notifications on, do plenty of sports activities, use the alarm clock, and so on., then additionally, you will handle to empty the battery inside 5 days. Others are extra frugal and the battery may very well final ten days or longer.

With out many phrases: The battery doesn’t final so long as the Mi Band 5 – however I do not care. With common use, you may come out at 6-8 days and I discover that completely satisfactory. Nonetheless, it’s a deterioration – however one which I can stay with in favor of the big show.

Technical knowledge and extra data

Earlier than I lastly record crucial technical knowledge right here, I’ve a number of factors that don’t actually change how I charge this health tracker now, however which I want to offer you at hand. Right here we go:

• You possibly can obtain over 100 completely different watchfaces within the store (accessible by way of the “Mi Match” app). In some instances, they embody celebrities – however primarily Chinese language celebrities.
• For those who like, you can too select your personal image as background. My makes an attempt have been all ugly sufficient to fairly not present them right here.
• You possibly can arrange completely different vibration patterns for incoming notifications. This fashion, you’ll be able to typically inform which app is notifying you by the way in which it vibrates. Useful, however in fact the vibration additionally depletes the battery.
• Emojis can now be displayed. Works positive to this point, however some are nonetheless not acknowledged.
• There’s a Pomodoro timer. If you do not know what that’s, this is the Wikipedia article.
• The scale are minimally bigger than the Mi Band 5 – however the wristbands are suitable.

Conclusion: Oops, Xiaomi did it once more!

I used to be very excited in regards to the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 and gave it 4.5 stars. The Mi Band 6, to maintain it quick, has undoubtedly earned 4.5 stars once more. The underside line is the very best finances health tracker in 2020 has made many small steps ahead in the fitting locations to once more develop into the very best finances health tracker in 2021. The primary purpose for getting the Mi Band 6 oder its predecessor is the considerably enlarged show. 

A downer for Mi Band followers could be that the button under the show has been eliminated. Nonetheless, given the added worth of the bigger show, I believe it is a good determination. As well as, you get used to the brand new operation rapidly.

Battery life is not as plentiful because it was on the final mannequin, however the between seven and eight days in my check, and the anticipated 5 days of very intensive use, I believe is sufficient that you do not have to devalue the check outcome.

I’m all the time on the go along with a smartphone and due to this fact handle effectively with out GPS on the health tracker. Nonetheless, I nonetheless keep {that a} GPS receiver on the gadget itself could be a fascinating function for the successor.

In conclusion, I can advocate the Mi Band 6 for anybody on the lookout for an reasonably priced health tracker – until you already personal a Mi Band 5 and did not put SpO2 monitoring on the Christmas wishlist.

So for those who’re not flirting with the bigger show, be happy to maintain utilizing the Mi Band 5 and await the following mannequin. Everybody else can blindly seize it as a result of the function set, the accuracy of the measurements and the nice construct high quality is unmatched at this value level.