Fitness bracelets are very popular mainly due to the excellent price-performance ratio they offer. It often happens that even more expensive smart watches have the same functions as fitness bracelets. We tested a new one this time Redmi SmartBand Pro.
In the review, you will read about all the features that this bracelet has, we will also look at the quality of workmanship, customization options, test endurance and all the measurements of bodily functions that it offers.
Where to buy Redmi Smart Band Pro?
We bought the Redmi Smart Band Pro bracelet from the European retailer Edwaybuy, who provided an exclusive discount coupon especially for our website. The advantage is fast delivery within 7 days and also full-fledged warranty for 2 years.
Current coupons for Redmi Smart Band Pro
Technical specifications
| Model designation | M2101B1 |
| dimensions | 42.05 x 24.44 x 10.15 mm |
| Weight | 15 g |
| Color | black |
| bracelet | TPU material / adjustable length 13 - 22 cm |
| Display | 1.47 "AMOLED / resolution 194 x 368 px / brightness 450 nits / 282 ppi |
| Drums | 200 mAh |
| Endurance per charge | 14 days in normal use / 20 days in battery saving mode |
| Sensors | 6-axis sensor: 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope / PPG heart rate sensor / light sensor |
| Water resistant | 5 ATM |
| Bluetooth | yes in version 5.0 |
| processor | Apollo 3.5 |
Easy packaging
We received the Redmi Smart Band Pro fitness bracelet in a small box measuring 17 x 7.5 x 3 cm, which was packed in a small paper envelope with bubble wrap reinforcement. The package was brought to us by the SPS courier.
The packaging is very simple and consists of the bracelet itself, which is wrapped in white foil, a charging cable and instructions for use. It is a European version and you will also find Czech in the instructions, similar to the bracelet.
Quality of workmanship and design
The Redmi Smart Band Pro is probably all made of plastic, but the quality is at a very good level, similar to the Redmi Watch we tested last year. The main part of the watch with the display measures 2.4 x 4.2 x 1 cm and at first glance looks almost the same as the competing Huawei / Honor Band 6 bracelet.
However, unlike the mentioned competition, the body of the Redmi Smart Band Pro does not have any buttons. All sides of the bracelet are blank. At the bottom we find a sensor for measuring heart rate and SpO2, along with magnetic pins for charging.
The bracelet is black and has the same fastening as the popular Mi Band. Its length is adjustable in the range of 13 - 22 cm and is removable, so if you prefer colored bracelets, you can buy another one. At Aliexpress, the offer is wide enough and prices start at just one euro.
The first steps lead to pairing with the application
To use the bracelet, it is necessary to pair it with the application on the smartphone. In this case, it is a popular application Xiaomi Wear, which also has a good rating in the Google Play store. You can also download it by scanning the QR code displayed on the watch.
The first step is to choose the language where you will also find Czech. We chose English and the strange thing is that we didn't find a language change anywhere in the settings. If you want to change the language later, after the initial setup, the only way is probably to reset the bracelet and re-add it to the app.
Adding to the app is easy, similar to most smart watches or bracelets. We chose the Redmi Smart Band Pro in the app and the only next step we had to take was to confirm the numeric code on the smartphone and bracelet.
Display and main menu
Redmi Smart Band Pro received an AMOLED display with a diagonal of 1.47 ″ and a resolution of 194 x 368 px. It covers up to 100% of the NTSC color standard and its maximum brightness is 450 rivets. Thanks to AMOLED technology, the display is very soft, easy to read and black is really black on it. It responds very well to touch, but scrolling in the main menu could be faster.
The home screen with a preset dial shows the current time, date, heart rate, and four colored bars in all corners. These elements display sleep quality, calories burned, steps, and number of positions in graphical form. The strips are filled in color based on the degree to which the daily goals are met.
You can go to the main menu by swiping your finger up the screen. The menu itself contains quite a few items, namely:
- Training
- Activities
- statistics
- Heartbeat
- SpO2
- Sleep
- Stress
- Breathing exercises
- Female cycle
- The weather
- Hudba
- Camera
- Alarm
- Stopwatch
- Timer
- notifications
- Find a smartphone
- Flashlight
- settings
As you can see, the main menu is rich, which is why we would welcome faster scrolling between items. To get to the end of the menu, we have to make up to 5 finger swipes on the screen. The scrolling animation could be smooth with a possible stop, similar to the Amazfit or Mi Band 6 watches, for example.
Quick access via so-called widgets
Since you can't get to some items too quickly through the menu, there are also quick access screens, so-called widgets, as called by the manufacturer. These are accessible by swiping your finger to the right and left on the screen. The following are preset: control center, statistics, training, weather, SpO2 and heart rate.
There can be a maximum of 7 widgets and you can customize them via the Xiaomi Wear app on your smartphone. You can change their order, or remove or add more. However, in addition to the above, there are only three available: sleep, stress and music. For example, stopwatches are not available, so you can only access some items through the main menu.
Swipe down to see notifications. But displaying them on this screen is kind of weird, because some of them disappeared immediately after reading, others didn't.
Heart rate and SpO2 measurement
The Redmi Smart Band Pro fitness bracelet takes about 15 seconds to measure your heart rate. The application has the option of continuous heart rate measurement every 1/5/10/30 minutes. The default value is 30 minutes. The watch can alert you if your heart rate exceeds the set value, whether during a sports activity or during a normal day.
Data such as average, minimum, maximum and resting heart rate or percentage display or a graph showing the measured values during the day are also available. All this information is shown on the watch display. We compared the measured values with an Omron pressure gauge and the differences ranged from a maximum of 3 - 8 beats.
Measuring blood oxygenation (SpO2) takes only a little longer than measuring heart rate - 15 to 20 seconds. However, we often had to move the bracelet slightly on our hands, or hold it firmer to make the measurement successful. We compared the oxygenation with the oximeter on the finger and the values differed by a maximum of 1-2%.
Sleep monitoring
As usual, monitoring the quality and length of sleep is not missing. The watch shows the total length of the last sleep in hours, the destination, the time we fell asleep, when we woke up, and also the average heart rate. There is also information about the average oxygenation, but only if you turn on these measurements in the settings.
We can check more detailed information in the Xiaomi Wear application. Here we find, in addition to the total length of sleep, individual phase durations such as deep sleep, light sleep, REM and the time during which we did not sleep. The heart rate is measured continuously during sleep and you can check the measured values in a graph with a timeline.
The application offers the setting of the target sleep duration, according to which the fulfillment of your goals will be evaluated. However, we must acknowledge that determining when we fell asleep is not very precise. During the night we watched sleep more, we went to bed at 23:15. The application limited the onset of sleep to 23:19, which is not realistic as we did not fall asleep immediately. The end of sleep information is similarly inaccurate.
Sports activity tracking with automatic detection
If you do sports, you will definitely appreciate watching physical activity. In addition to common activities such as walking, running or cycling, you will also find less traditional sports such as wrestling, paragliding or even car racing, kitesurfing and various dances. Altogether, there are more than 110 of them, so the offer is really rich.
We only tested classics such as walking and running. During the morning walk and later training on the treadmill, we turned on the activity monitoring not only on the bracelet, but also on the smartphone, so that we could compare the results.
The smart bracelet from Redmi can also detect activity automatically, but only walking and running are available. After about five minutes of running or walking, we received a notification about the detected activity with an offer to track it. Only after the confirmation of such activity will its progress be recorded.
You can find information about completed activities in the bracelet but also in the application. The bracelet itself offers quite a lot of activity data, such as: distance traveled in km, date and time, calories burned, pace, average speed, number of steps, cadence and heart rate during the activity, including a graph. The GPS in the bracelet is missing, but if you have a smartphone with you, the route is also recorded on the map.
Additional features and settings
The Redmi Smart Band Pro bracelet offers many functions, but it is not a breakthrough that we would not find in another fitness bracelet or smart watch. For example, controlling the camera shutter with a bracelet, displaying stress levels, breathing exercises, or recording a woman's cycle.
There is also music playback control that works with Youtube, the music player or even Spotify. You can watch the next or previous song, pause playback, or adjust the volume through the watch.
As for the settings that you can change through the watch display, there are quite a few. Here you will find automatic or manual brightness adjustment, do not disturb mode, switching on or off the automatic detection of sports activity (running and walking), setting the security with a PIN or setting the length of the switched on display after its activation.
There's also a popular always-on display that can only be turned on at selected times, but you can't change its design.
Dial designs and notifications
Press and hold your finger on the screen to enter the dial layout selection menu. You will find only 4 default designs in the watch, but there are many more in the application (approx. 50). There is also the popular possibility of creating your own dials, which is, however, slightly hidden.
Rather, it is possible to change the background in some designs, which you will find in the Photos category among the online dials in the application. There are four different designs in which you can upload your own photo, or more photos (max. 8), and these will be changed automatically. Each of these four designs offers even smaller adjustments to the location of the clock or the data displayed.
As for notifications, they work reliably. They also show accents and smileys. In the application, you choose which applications you want to receive notifications from. When receiving an incoming call, the caller's number is displayed, as well as the name if it is one of your contacts stored on the smartphone. You can use the wristband to reject a call or turn off the ringtone.
About Xiaomi Wear
We have already imagined the application in several reviews of watches that work with it, so we will talk about it only briefly. Nothing significant has changed in the application in recent months. The home screen informs you about all the basic functions and measurements such as the number of steps, calories burned, distance traveled, sleep, heart rate, etc. The display is customizable and the design is very nice and clear.
You can start watching sports from the application or change some settings such as notifications, notifications of incoming calls, continuous heart rate measurement, SpO2 measurement during sleep, customize the aforementioned widgets or the function of the display when you lift your hand.
As was the case with other watches, you will find here some settings only in the watch and some only in the application.
Endurance and charging
The manufacturer states the endurance of 14 days in normal use. We charged the watch to 100% as soon as it was unpacked, we switched on a continuous heart rate measurement every 30 minutes, the display turned on when the wrist was turned, as well as notifications from applications. During testing, we tracked activity during several walks and trainings, so we really used the watch to the fullest.
After seven days, our battery capacity has dropped to 52%, so the declared endurance of 14 days is realistic. Charging takes place using a cable with a magnetic connector, which you can connect to the adapter or power bank.
Redmi Smart Band Pro: Final evaluation
Redmi Smart Band Pro is a new fitness bracelet from the Redmi workshop. It offers a 1.47 ″ AMOLED display with always-on support. There is no lack of heart rate measurement, SpO2, sleep quality or monitoring of sports activity.
Current coupons for Redmi Smart Band Pro
However, the bracelet does not offer anything groundbreaking, which would make it too interesting. It does not have GPS or NFC, so it only ranks among other fitness bracelets that we find on the market. However, it will please a larger display compared to the popular Mi Band 6, well-functioning notifications and decent endurance.
How many ringtones can be set?!?