The Xiaomi Smartband 8 Pro recently arrived on the Portuguese market and comes with the announcement of some significant improvements, including an improved screen and autonomy.
One of the features that distinguishes it from its base counterpart is the square design of its dial, which increases the field of view and gives it a more charming style note.
Screen: 1.74-inch AMOLED
Resolution: 480×336 pixels
Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
Connectivity: GPS, Bluetooth 5.3
Sport: More than 150 modes
Health: Monitoring heart rate, Sp02, sleep, stress, female health
Battery: 289 mAh
Autonomy: Up to 14 days
Compatibility: Android 6.0 or later; iOS 12 or later
This smart bracelet has been receiving good international reviews and for two weeks it accompanied me in my daily routine, 24 hours a day. Now I share with you the good company that the Xiaomi Smartband 8 Pro can be, on any occasion.
Unboxing and first impressions
The Smartband 8 Pro comes harmoniously arranged in its sales box, but in a way that immediately highlights the square dial and its pleasantly generous size.
It comes with a silicone strap to be attached and a charging cable for the integrated magnetic pin system. Xiaomi asks us to please be environmentally friendly and use an adapter that we already have at home, or as they say, this one is not included in the box.
Pairing with a smartphone is very quick, easy and intuitive thanks to the Chinese brand's Mi Fitness application which, using a QR code, connects the equipment in a few seconds.
The strap is also very easy to assemble and disassemble, thanks to a quick release system. To attach, just fit the bracelet tab into the dedicated slot and to release, a simple touch of a button releases the bracelet very easily.
First impressions are the best and motivate any user to explore more and more eagerly all the features, and there are many, of the new Smartband 8 Pro.
The elegance of the square and the robust construction
As already mentioned, one of the new features of this smartband is its square display. When compared to the base model of this series, there is no doubt that the 8 Pro's square dial has a charm and elegance that makes it stand out and make it suitable for any occasion.
This same design, especially in this black model that we tested, also stands out for being discreet and versatile. If you catch other people's eyes, you look good in a meeting at work or in a running session on any pedestrian route.
In my opinion, I prefer round models because they seem more harmonious, but this is a matter of personal taste, solely and exclusively. The new square format is very welcome and is also a breath of fresh air in Xiaomi's more affordable wearables that rely on an oval design, which in my opinion is less seductive.
Another advantage of the square design is the field of view it provides to the user. There's a lot of information on the screen and you don't need as many taps to view all the main menu features.
One small drawback, on smaller wrists like mine, this square dial needs some getting used to, in terms of comfort. In either position, especially during cold weather, the layers of clothing put pressure on the dial, which can be felt more on the arm and cause some discomfort.
But attention is a matter of habituation. In the middle of the day we don't even notice it anymore and the silicone strap couldn't be more comfortable. The bracelet also has many perforations that will adjust to any wrist size through a pin system to be fixed in the groove.
The Smartband 8 Pro can be easily put on and taken off your wrist. It's so easy that, from time to time, it even jumps out in front of us. Some caution is recommended for the first few uses, until the bracelet is more malleable.
As for the build quality, just touch this smart band to feel its robustness and potential durability over time. It's up to any challenge, even if it's a slightly more radical adventure.
A note that it also presents water resistance of up to 50 meters, thus withstanding raindrops or perspiration during a training session. Xiaomi warns that the Smartband 8 Pro is not “friendly” with saunas and depths greater than the above-mentioned meters.
Screen: bigger and better
The AMOLED screen of this smartband is 1.74 inches, provides a resolution of 480 by 336 pixels, a refresh rate of 60 Hz and a maximum brightness of 600 nits. Translating it into practice, we have a good visualization of the data displayed on the screen in an outdoor environment, with sunlight slightly disturbing the reading of information.
Furthermore, Xiaomi claims that this panel is almost 18% larger than its predecessor and we found that it is not only bigger but better. The square format provides a larger and better field of view, in addition to allowing a greater amount of information on the screen.
But there is no beauty without anything else. Not always when we raise our arm, the screen is gloriously lit. Between 80 and 85% of the time it works, but we needed the remaining percentage to say that in this point Xiaomi was as successful as in the others.
A paradise for exercise enthusiasts
The Xiaomi Smartband 8 Pro is one of the most complete wearables in terms of modes for exercising. It has more than 150 modes that transport fitness enthusiasts to paradise, as it includes a huge variety of modes, from the most common to some quite peculiar ones.
Training, dancing, outdoor activities, combat sports, winter and recreational sports are some of the options available, in addition to the usual walking, running, cycling, etc. modes.
It also has several aquatic modes in which we even find snorkeling and swimming with fins options, which can be nice to use on vacation. There is also a board game mode that stands out for its peculiarity. Here your heart rate, calories burned and session duration are monitored.
Another interesting point is the vitality functionality. In the Mi Fitness application, there is a section dedicated to scoring the good (or not) vitality achieved by the user during a week.
In practice, the metrics recorded for each physical exercise are then scored in this area of the app that reflects the user's good shape. In addition to providing data, this resource also works as extra motivation. After all, who doesn’t want to earn points?!
The Xiaomi Smartband 8 Pro is also equipped with GPS, supporting the five main satellite systems – Beidou, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS. As a result, it provides fast and very accurate positioning of the user's geographic location, as well as precise trajectory data.
Improved health features with new algorithm
With regard to resources aimed at health, the Smartband 8 Pro has the usual monitoring of heart rate, blood oxygen levels, stress levels and sleep quality.
In the latter, through the Mi Fitness app the user has access to the sleep animal functionality, also available for the Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro. In practice, after monitoring sleep for seven days, the application assigns a sleep animal to the user.
It is a non-essential resource, but one that stands out for its originality and incredible ability to capture the user's attention and motivation to sleep with the equipment for seven days just to find out if it will be a bear, owl or penguin.
The data collected is now more precise, thanks to the integration of a new generation algorithm that guarantees improved monitoring. In my experience, the records were accurate and reliable throughout the experiment.
Intuitive, button-free navigation
Another very positive point of the Xiaomi Smartband 8 Pro is its simple and intuitive navigation. This model is button-free, so just lightly touch the screen to wake up and slide the home screen upwards to access the main menu with all the features.
Swiping the screen to the left gives access to the most commonly used features, such as running start, heart rate monitoring, Sp02 or sleep quality. Swiping to the right gives you access to the flashlight, alarms, settings, battery status, among others.
The proprietary operating system works quite well and the interface is characterized by its simplicity and efficiency that will please both beginners and veterans in the use of wearables.
We congratulate Xiaomi for having managed to include an interface in this smartband that, due to its simplicity, is one of the most efficient and pleasant we have ever dealt with. Maximum score.
Autonomy champion
Xiaomi announces an autonomy of up to 14 days with moderate use and up to six days with the Always-On-Display (AOD) functionality active. These numbers are verified with the Smartband 8 Pro proving to be a champion of autonomy.
Even with the AOD feature activated and with moderate use, this smartband can reach seven days without needing to be recharged.
And here we come to the magnetic pin charging system. I confess that I'm not a fan, but this Smartband 8 Pro proved that this system can cause fewer headaches than expected.
The cable fits well on the first try in the holes on the rear panel, with no special work required to ensure that both are well coupled. Not all equipment can boast of this. But it is an undeniable fact that this magnetic pin system from Xiaomi works quite well. Note also its fast loading speed, which does not drive any user to despair.
In conclusion
The Xiaomi Smartband 8 Pro costs €69.99. This price is a “bargain” for all the features included and the good operation and performance that this wearable provides to the user.
Given its features, GPS integration and autonomy of up to 14 days, this smartband has the true personality of a smartwatch at a much lower cost. In fact, it seems that halfway through the development of this device, Xiaomi decided to turn it into a smartband instead of a smartwatch, but it was already too late and the essence remained there. And still good.
It is one of the best wearables currently available on the market and the definition, par excellence, of a device that has an absolutely fantastic quality-price ratio.
It takes some effort to find negative points. The screen lighting up whenever we lift our wrist has room for adjustment, and the new square design may not be the most comfortable for small wrists. However, these are just details in a smartband that has the heart and personality of a smartwatch and that could be one of the best – if not the best – from Xiaomi.
Screen: 1.74-inch AMOLED
Resolution: 480×336 pixels
Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
Connectivity: GPS, Bluetooth 5.3
Sport: More than 150 modes
Health: Monitoring heart rate, Sp02, sleep, stress, female health
Battery: 289 mAh
Autonomy: Up to 14 days
Compatibility: Android 6.0 or later; iOS 12 or later