The Chinese giant Xiaomi just recently introduced a new fitness bracelet Xiaomi smart band 8. It offers a 1.62" AMOLED display, 16-day battery life and minor changes compared to the previous generation.
In this review, we will look at all the improvements that the new version of the bracelet brings. At first glance, there aren't many of them, so this review will be shorter than usual.
Where to buy Xiaomi Smart Band 8?
The new Xiaomi Smart Band 8 in the global version has been officially presented and you can order it at coupon prices from our partners. The menu also includes in our own Maldo.sk e-shop at a new, reduced price.
The best coupons for Xiaomi Smart Band 8
Technical specifications
In the traditional chapter where we present the product parameters, we will immediately compare the new product with last year's model, the Xiaomi Smart Band 7.
| Model | Xiaomi smart band 8 | Xiaomi smart band 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (without bracelet) | 48 x 22.5 x 10.99 mm | 46.5 x 20.7 x 12.25 mm |
| Bracelet length | 135 - 210 mm | 160 - 224 mm |
| Weight | 27 g | 13.5 g |
| Material | TPU | TPU |
| Display | 1.62 "AMOLED | 1.62 "AMOLED |
| 192 x 490 px resolution | 192 x 490 px resolution | |
| brightness up to 600 nits | brightness up to 500 nits | |
| Drums | 190 mAh | 180 mAh |
| Typical keep holding on | about 16 days | about 14 days |
| waterproof | 5 ATM | 5 ATM |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 | 5.2 |
Contents of the package
As for the packaging, there have been no changes. Xiaomi Smart Band 8 is still sold in a small white compact box. Inside we find the fitness bracelet itself wrapped in silicone, a short magnetic charging cable and a manual for use.
An unusual change is the aforementioned charging cable, which was black in all previous generations, similar to the silicone strap of the fitness bracelet, but this time it is white.
Larger dimensions and higher weight
Just by looking at the detailed parameters and presentation materials from the manufacturer, it is clear that there have been no major changes from year to year. Although Xiaomi is gradually improving this already iconic bracelet, this time the changes in functions are minimal.
This year's changes are more visible on the outside, as the bracelet has grown by a few millimeters on each side. Specifically, the dimensions of the older generation Xiaomi Smart Band 7 were 48 x 22.5 x 10.99 mm, while the eighth generation is 46.5 x 20.7 x 12.25 mm.
At the same time, the total weight of the bracelet increased, doubling from 13.5 g to 27 g. However, this is still a negligible weight, so the bracelet remains compact and light.
New straps
Perhaps the biggest change has gone through the strap itself, which has always been solid until now. If we wanted to change the strap, all we had to do was remove the Smart Band from it and insert it into the new strap.
This time, Xiaomi has chosen a two-part strap, which is more similar to the one we all know well from regular watches. From both sides, we simply unfasten the strap by pressing a small safety button.
This choice brings us wide options for connecting straps with different designs. You can already find a lot of straps on Aliexpress, be it leather, silicone or metal.
By changing the fastening system of the strap, the body of the bracelet itself became visible, which can be purchased in black or gold.
Also as a necklace or shoe clip
To make matters worse, Xiaomi also comes up with other options for using the new bracelet. Thanks to the two-part strap, we can also attach special handles here and use the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 as a necklace or shoe clip while running.
For both variants, we need a special "clip", which is sold separately. Perhaps more interesting is the attachment to the shoe while running. While we lose the measurement of vital functions by such use, new running statistics are unlocked.
Xiaomi Smart Band 8 using the so-called running clip collects statistics such as length of steps or time of contact with the ground.
Monitoring of vital functions
We did not see any noticeable changes in vital signs monitoring. Of course, Xiaomi states that it is constantly working to improve the accuracy of individual measurements, but this is difficult to verify. Only design changes to the display in the menu and individual measurements are visible.
The functions of monitoring heart rate, blood oxygenation (SpO2), monitoring sleep and stress levels remain a matter of course. The bracelet displays relatively detailed information on the monitored vital functions, along with graphs, on its AMOLED display.
You can find even more detailed and historical data in the Mi Fitness application in a clear display by days, weeks or months. Various statistics are also available on the initial screen of the application, where we see an overview of the current day.
We appreciate that for each of these measurement functions on the watch display, we always find a link to the settings related to the specific function.
Still a beautiful AMOLED display
In this case, the slightly improved AMOLED display is still the pride of the fitness bracelet. It has a diagonal of 1.62″, a maximum brightness of 600 nits, and its use is really trouble-free.
Compared to last year's version, the display has not changed much. The maximum brightness value has increased slightly, and the manufacturer has improved its automatic adjustment function. We also have a menu in Slovak, but you have to look for it at the end of the list, not next to Czech.
The display reacts to the touch perfectly and its brightness is sufficient even for outdoor use. We have added several different designs of the main dial in both the bracelet and the application, from which everyone will surely choose their favorite. Even the pre-installed designs, of which there are seven, are very nice and modern.
Endurance per charge
The battery in the new Xiaomi Smart Band 8 has grown from 180 mAh to 190 mAh. At the same time, endurance should also improve, despite the fact that the increase in battery capacity is really only minimal.
The manufacturer claims a battery life of approximately 16 days on a single charge, but we do not know under what style of use this figure was measured. We used the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 with notifications from all applications turned on, with automatic brightness and we rummaged through its menu quite often.
In 3 days, our battery capacity dropped to just under 50%, so the total endurance would be somewhere around 6 days with our use. However, the durability significantly affects the style of using the bracelet and its functions.
Notifications and answers to calls
Notifications from all applications are enabled without changing the settings. We can change this in the Mi Fitness application, where we can select only those applications from which we want to receive notifications.
A function that was new last year has also been preserved, namely the ability to answer incoming calls with an SMS message. We cannot respond to notifications from chat applications such as Messenger or Viber.
Also, we do not yet have support for Bluetooth calls, NFC or GPS.
Xiaomi Smart Band 8: Final Evaluation
As every year, we witnessed the presentation of a new generation of the already cult fitness bracelet Xiaomi Smart Band 8. Despite the fact that the new generation does not bring any major functional improvements, it is a very successful product that continues the popularity of previous generations.
The biggest innovation is the change in the system of attaching the strap to the body of the bracelet itself. Xiaomi abandoned the one-piece strap, so the novelty offers a two-part release system. This brings us many different straps, which no longer differ only in material and color. The possibility of attaching it to boots while running or hanging it on a string, when we can wear the bracelet around our neck, is also new. However, special accessories must be purchased for such uses.
Is it worth buying the new Xiaomi Smart Band 8? If you don't own such a fitness bracelet, or if you have one of the older versions like Mi Band 6, you definitely do. However, if you currently own a Xiaomi Smart Band 7, the exchange does not bring many improvements and it is mainly a matter of whether you will suffer with the new straps or not.
