Gadgets

Xiaomi is Set to Release the Mi Band 2 Fitness Tracker

Xiaomi is set to launch another fitness tracker very soon following the firm’s CEO confirming the release date. The Mi Band 2 is the third in line of wearable tech from the Chinese based company and is a major upgrade in comparison to its predecessors, the Mi Band and Mi Band Pulse.

Features

The activity tracker features a 0.42 inch OLED screen which has been touted to incorporate an anti-fingerprint coating and scratch resistant glass serving as an extra layer of protection. It will be bright enough to allow one to see it under direct sunlight.

The screen has a single physical button right below the display that allows switching between screens displaying the time- which was a much requested feature on the older models, the wearers heart rate, number of steps taken, burned calories, battery charge level and other details. The button also allows you to customize which information appears. Lacking a screen dedicated to show distance is a surprise miss though.

The company claims that the swappable silicon strap which holds the Mi Band 2 screen in place is made from anti-sweat material that allows for more breathing and is available in black, green, orange and blue colours.

The IP67 dust and water resistance certification means that the Mi Band 2 can be worn while in the shower and can withstand a little water splash from hand or dishwashing.

The device also features an optical heart rate monitor as far as tracking goes and Xiaomi claims that it offers improved accuracy in heart rate tracking. This is complemented by similarly improved foot step tracking enabled by a new pedometer algorithm that is coupled with accelerometers which consume low power.

It will also include a sleep tracking feature which will break down the wearer’s deep sleep and light sleep patterns while the vibration motor that is built in to the wearable means that the Mi Band 2 will incorporate inactivity alerts which will give you buzz whenever you’ve taken too much time just sitting at your desk.

Similar to its predecessors, the Mi Band 2 can be used to unlock your Xiaomi phone as well as a selection of other Android smartphones which is in addition to getting some smartphone notification on the display. It will vibrate whenever there is an incoming call and text which is one of the pretty basic features it has.

A new look user interface has been included on the Mii Fit app as part of its makeover on the new device and this allows for more sections to drill into your data. The app will work with iPhones featuring iOS 7.0 and above and Android phones which run on version 4.4 or later.

The Mi Band 2 comes with a 70mAh battery which is touted to deliver up to 20 days on standby in terms of battery life which sounds pretty impressive. However, the jury is still out on that one until it is tried out following tests done on its immediate predecessor, the Mi Band Pulse. It is also worth noting that the original Mi Band offered additional ten days of battery life on a single charge.

Price

However, the best feature on the Xiaomi Mi Band 2, as with any Mi Band device released, is the unbelievably low price. Set to go on sale in China on the 7th of June 2016 for 149Yuan which roughly translates to $22, the fitness tracker will cost slightly more than the $16 Xiaomi Mi Band Pulse released in November 2015 or the original Mi Band which cost $14.99.

Fitness bands by Xiaomi, Garmin and Fitbit have continued to gain traction with consumers of wearable tech. These brands may lack the grand array of features that can be found in smartwatches but their offerings come with a clear purpose which has proven to be attractive to the users who tend to be the budget conscious in the wearable tech market. Xiaomi moved over ten million of its original Mi Band activity trackers over the first nine months of the year 2015. This has pushed the firm to grab third place in the wearable tech environment coming in after Apple and Fitbit despite being relatively unknown outside its China home base.

The Xiaomi wearable tech market share however did drop to 19 percent from 22.4 percent over the first quarter of 2015. According to IDC, a research firm, it pointed out that the firm’s success has been largely localized within the China borders and that expansion beyond the home base is a major hurdle the firm will continue to deal with.

Read Also: An Ultimate Guide for Garmin Connect

Conclusion

There was no disclosure on whether the Mi Band 2 will be made available outside China or when that would happen. However, the sure thing is that this won’t be the only wearable expected from Xiaomi in 2016.