Xiaomi is known for it’s Mi Band, which is a highly popular and affordable smart tracker. Recently they released another smart tracker which is very affordable, under the familiar name, Redmi Band. This band is bigger and looks different then what we are used too in the Mi Band series. How good is this Xiaomi Redmi Band? Can this be an alternative for the popular Mi Band series?

Introduction & Specifications

Creating a more affordable (if that is even possible?) smart tracker then the Xiaomi Mi Band series would be a great idea since large portions of the world are living in poverty. The Xiaomi Redmi Band is introduced at an even lower price than the Xiaomi Mi Band 4, which is currently the latest model. Looking at the specifications, I’m really excited to see what this cheaper smart tracker can do and how it will perform. Is the heart rate accurate? Is the battery life good? Are there multiple watch faces available? Let’s dive in and look at everything this cheap smart tracker has to offer.

Specifications
Brand:	Xiaomi
Model:	Redmi Band
Screen Size:	1.08"
Screen Resolution:	128x220 RGB
Numbers of Colors:	16 bit
Touch Screen:	Yes, key button and touch screen
Flash Memory:	8MB + 512KB
Bluetooth:	BT5.0 BLE
Sensors:	Triaxial Acceleration Sensor, PPG Heart Rate Sensor
Battery:	130 mAh
Charging Time:	Up to 2 hours
Charging Mode:	USB
Battery Life:	Up to 14 days
Software:	Xiaomi Wear
Software Support:	Android 4.4+, iOS (Only Chinese!)
Waterproof:	5ATM
Weight:	13g
Package Content:	1x Xiaomi Redmi Band, 1x Manual (Chinese)

Unboxing

During the shipment, my package was a bit damaged, but still OK. It comes in a bright red color with an image of the Xiaomi Redmi Band on it. On the sides, we find the features in Chinese. On the back, we find the specifications, also in Chinese. I don’t think there is a European version now, as the Xiaomi Wear application is also not available in the Netherlands yet.

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Inside, we just have the Xiaomi Redmi Band and the manual. There is no charger, as it is on the Xiaomi Redmi Band itself. Besides the manual, there is nothing else in the box. Environmental friendly!

Hardware & Design

For this price, I did not expect the best quality. On the other hand, it is from Xiaomi and they are known for creating great products for a fraction of the price we see at the other big brands like Samsung. The band is made from TPU, as we see in many other smart bands, including the Xiaomi Mi Band series.

The Xiaomi Redmi Band itself is slightly thicker and bulkier than the Xiaomi Mi Band series, but that is fine by me. Hopefully, we have a longer battery life since the casing is bigger. The heart rate sensor at the back is located where we expect it, and it uses 2 LED’s to make it more accurate.

Taking off the band to charge it, is a bit of struggle. It takes some force and practice to get it off and charge the Xiaomi Redmi Band. Luckily, it is waterproof and you can safely swim with your Xiaomi Redmi Band. Take the band off and plug it into a USB charger and within 2 hours you are set and 100% charged.

How To Operate?

Controlling the Xiaomi Redmi Band is easy and works intuitively. There is a “home button” on the Xiaomi Redmi Band and the main screen is reacting to your touch. Clicking on the home button brings you back to the previous menu or back to the main screen. On the screen itself, you can swipe using your touch. Up and down switches between menus and left to right and right to left will bring up AliPay and music control. If you selected a menu, like Notifications, you can just click on the menu one to enter it.

Battery Life

Inside the Xiaomi Redmi Band, there is a 130 mAh battery. That might not look like a big battery, but you can last around 14 days with the Xiaomi Redmi Band on a single charge! A good score, if you ask me. I personally think that a smartwatch/smart tracker should be online for at least 7 days on a single charge. Luckily, Xiaomi knows what they are doing and have the experience with the Xiaomi Mi Band. The results in the Xiaomi Redmi Band are good.

Charging takes up to 2 hours, but it is more like 1.5 hours to be completely charged. Again, that is a good score compared to the usage time of up to 14 days.

Start your healthy life now with the Xiaomi Redmi Band! CLICK HERE to order yours now.

Software

In order to use the Xiaomi Redmi Band, you need the Xiaomi Wear software. Unfortunately, this is not available in Europe (yet). You have to download the APK in order to get it working, and that is for some a bit hard. Below I tried to describe it as best as possible.

The software itself works well and it looks OK. All the functionalities that I wish to have in an application for a smart tracker are there, but they were also already available in the Mi Fit software. Personally, I rather have 1 or 2 very well developed applications for health tracking, instead of using a lot of different apps for different brands. For example, I’ve had to install Da Fit, Mi Fit, Xiaomi Wear, Wearfit, Healthmate, Garmin Connect, and Google Fit! Some are better than others, but Xiaomi Wear looks good, to be honest.

For now, you can only use the English Xiaomi Wear application on Android. If you are on an iPhone, you can only use Xiaomi Wear in Chinese. All the download links shared below, are for Android only.

How To Install In Europe

Before we start, you must make sure that you are able and allowed to install APK’s from outside the Google App Store. In the settings of your Android smartphone, you can enable this. It should be called something like: “Install from Unknown Sources”. Once that is enabled, please go to the link below and download the APK. This will automatically ask you to install it once it is downloaded.

Proceed with the installation, which will take just a minute. Now, you can find and open Xiaomi Wear as a normal application on your smartphone. When opening it for the first time, most of the text seen is still in Chinese. You have to set up your profile (without creating a separate account for it). That should be it! Now it is installed and you are ready to connect your Xiaomi Redmi Band.

A little extra information. It will tell you straight away that there are updates. If you want it in English completely, you have to install those updates. Once the first update is done, there will be a second and maybe even a third. All of these updates will add English text and other exercise activities. I highly recommend installing the updates.

Looking for the APK? BE AWARE, THIS CAN BE RISKY. DOWNLOADING AND INSTALLING THE APK IS AT YOUR OWN RISK!
CLICK HERE to download the Xiaomi Wear application.

How To Connect?

Right after you start the Xiaomi Wear application, you will see a big “ADD DEVICE” button, which you can not miss. Once clicked that, you have to pick the right device (Mi Watch Revolve, Mi Watch, and Redmi Band). When clicking on the last, the application will automatically search for the device and find it within a few seconds. Click on the Redmi band and connecting will take less than a minute. That’s it!

Start your healthy life now with the Xiaomi Redmi Band! CLICK HERE to order yours now.

Watch Faces

I love to play around with watch faces. On the Xiaomi Mi Band 4, there are numerous available watch faces and I have not seen that many available on other smart trackers. Luckily, the Xiaomi Redmi Band has a similar approach and a lot of available watch faces. There are 2 defaults, see the first picture and many more in an app store like environment.

Features

Features are important. Just showing the time or showing the notifications are not good enough. There must be a list of activities, the heart rate must work, and sleep must be tracked. What more can the Xiaomi Redmi Band offer? Can this be a competitor for the Xiaomi Mi Band series? Let’s have a look at the different features!

Activities

Having a big list of activities is super handy. This makes it more usable by more people. On the Xiaomi Redmi Band, we have the following activities available:

Outdoor Running, Indoor Running, Cycling, Walking, Idle Time

It is not a very big list, but it got the activities in it that most people use, like walking, outdoor running, and cycling.

Sleep Tracking

Getting insights into your sleep is essential and can get you a lot more energy throughout your day. With the Xiaomi Redmi Band, you get a clear overview of your sleep with a lot of information.

You get to see you Deep Sleep, Light Sleep, and Awake time. Unfortunately, there is no REM sleep, which is also important. However, on the Deep Sleep, Light Sleep, and Awake Time, you get to see what is normal, good, or a lot. Besides that, you can also find out more about sleep and get information on what the different stages of sleep are.

Heart Rate Sensor

This is a must on a smart tracker. When you start an activity, you need to be able to track your heart rate and track your progress. Luckily, Xiaomi placed a heart rate sensor on the Xiaomi Redmi Band. During an activity, I tested this heart rate compared to my Garmin Instinct and it was remarkably accurate! It was just off by 2 to 5 BPM, which is amazing if you ask me. this smart tracker is less than 20 euro’s compared to a smartwatch which costs over 250 euro’s and gets almost the same heart rate reading. Very well done Xiaomi!

There were some times were it shortly lost the reading and was lower, but it picked it up within a minute or two. I was genuinely surprised by the performance of the heart rate sensor.

Waterproof

With a 5ATM rating (or 50 meters waterproof) is just great. You can swim or even dive with the Xiaomi Redmi Band. Don’t bother to take it off while taking a shower or doing the dishes, the Xiaomi Redmi Band can handle it all. I like to see smart trackers that are fully waterproof so you don’t have to worry when you go to the beach, take a shower, or jump into the pool.

Start your healthy life now with the Xiaomi Redmi Band! CLICK HERE to order yours now.

AliPay

If you are in Mainland China, you can actually use the Xiaomi Redmi Band to pay your groceries with AliPay from your wrist! There is no NFC in the Xiaomi Redmi Band, but with AliPay, you can scan a QR code to complete the payment. The QR code is shown on the Xiaomi Redmi Band and the QR code needs to be scanned to complete the payment. Super easy and no expensive technology is used, which makes the purchase price lower. Lovely feature, but unfortunately, we are unable to use AliPay in Europe or the Netherlands.

Music Control

Don’t take your phone out of your pocket when you want to control the music that you are listening too. If you scroll from left to right, you get the music control. From here, you can change the volume, pause/play it, and skip or go to the previous number. Controlling your music from your wrist is easy and minimizes the times that you need to take out your smartphone, which is a good time nowadays.

Conclusion

The Xiaomi Redmi Band. A cheaper version of the Xiaomi Mi Band series, but it works just as good! There are some downsides if we compare those two together, like the battery life, but overall the Xiaomi Redmi Band is an amazing smart tracker by itself.

With a battery life of over 14 days, I can not complain at all. This is an amazing score. Charging goes quickly, but removing the band might be a struggle. All the most popular sports, like walking, running, and cycling is available on the Xiaomi Redmi Band and it is shown clearly in the Xiaomi Wear app. This application is not widely supported yet, but once installed it works well. You can navigate between the menus easily and do find the information you are looking for easily.

With an introductory price of just €30, this is a very affordable option for people who are looking for a cheap but well working smart tracker. I definitely will recommend this to people who ask me about recommendations.