[REVIEW] Xiaomi Mi Band 4 fixes the flaws of its predecessor. Is it the best Mi Band in history?

The Chinese company Xiaomi has already brought its fourth generation of the popular fitness band to the market under the name Mi Band 4. The first generations Mi Band 1 and 1S from 2014 became a very affordable and practical alternative.

The second generation brought a simple display, which was slightly improved along with the design in the third generation. So what does the fourth version bring? You can find the answers in the review that’s starting right now.

We bought it here. 👇

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Multiple improvements

The first positive impression comes with the new generation of the band already right from the packaging. A colorful, modern box continues the updated packaging from the previous third generation. The package includes the band itself (the capsule), a silicone strap in black, a written manual, and a dedicated charging cradle. Nothing more and nothing less.

However, the band’s build quality is exemplary—nothing creaks, and although the body is plastic, it doesn’t get in the way. The display bezel is quite clearly visible in stronger daylight, and it’s a bit of an eyesore, which makes the Mi Band 4 feel slightly cheaper. After a few days of use, though, you get used to it.

The device body is a bit more flat—this is a good move. The silicone strap itself deserves praise. For the first time, it’s compatible with the previous generation of the band. That’s good news for anyone who has bought replacement straps for the model Mi Band 3. So don’t throw them away.

The OLED display is definitely impressive

In this price category (let’s say up to 30 EUR), a color, sharp, and easy-to-read display doesn’t have to be a given. After all, previous generation owners would definitely have something to say about this. The display is important for comfortably and correctly showing the time or notifications, but it also has its design role to play.

However, this new release brings for the first time a 0.95-inch OLED display with a resolution of 240 x 120 pixels. The maximum display brightness has been capped at as much as 400 nits, and the display definitely has the above-mentioned qualities. With outdoor use in daylight, I was satisfied. The colors are also true to life in their range and don’t scream like some of those “oversaturated” AMOLED displays.

Mobile app

Besides the bracelet’s design, an important role is also played by the mobile app through which the bracelet is paired with your smartphone. Here, we’re dealing with a very well-optimized app that also looks modern thanks to the updated design, called Mi Fit. Right away, you can tell it belongs to the brand thanks to the orange color.

After the initial registration (for example via Facebook or Gmail), you can add a new device. The bracelet connects via Bluetooth and downloads the necessary updates. After that, it’s ready to use. You can also update the bracelet later, after the manufacturer releases an update.

The mobile app offers quite a wide range of customization options. It shows the battery status, the days since charging, layout options for individual elements—listed one below another—on the bracelet, and the look of the home screen.

Next, you’ll find syncing settings, alarms, reminders, but also a slightly annoying function that will happily encourage you to move whenever your inactivity time exceeds, for example, one hour.

The app is available in Slovak, so on this page I don’t find any issues at all. The initial setup of the bracelet together with the update is indeed a bit time-consuming (20 – 30 minutes), but once that’s done, using it is smooth. The mobile app is available for Android (4.4 and newer) and iOS (9.0 and newer).

Features and control

The bracelet syncs with your device via Bluetooth 5.0 BLE, while pairing, updating, and more detailed settings need to be done in the usual way through the aforementioned mobile app.

From now on, the bracelet is officially certified with 5 ATM for water resistance, and the manufacturer also recommends it for swimmers to measure those workout stats in a pool. The bracelet’s controls are very similar to the previous generation, but the new display provides more room for alternative buttons. Another new feature is the ability to control the currently playing music directly from the bracelet.

Still not convinced? If that’s still not enough, the bracelet also includes standard fitness features like step counting, heart-rate monitoring, calories, and distance covered. There’s also sleep monitoring, weather, a timer, a stopwatch, notifications from your smartphone, and the option to change the home-screen display style on the watch.

Still not convinced?

The 4th generation of the bracelet is definitely worth your attention, and if you were hesitating to buy the previous models, you could say that now is the right time. The features and speed are practically at the very best level overall, a clear mobile app, the option to customize it, and the price are the real reasons to buy.

It’s definitely worth mentioning the low weight: just 22.1 grams. You’ll also appreciate the curved 2.5D protective glass and the practical touch button to return to the home screen or to wake up the bracelet (yes, you can still wake it up by lifting your wrist, but this option needs to be enabled in the app settings). The set is completed by a tri-axis accelerometer and gyroscope.

The battery set a new standard

Just like with the previous generations, this time you also get battery life of about 15 – 20 days. The exact figure depends on each user’s current usage. That means things like how often you measure your heart rate, how many notifications you sync from your smartphone, and so on. Our bracelet lasted an average of 16 – 18 days.

In essence, it’s excellent battery life—paid for by how many features this simple fitness bracelet offers. To deliver satisfying results, the manufacturer also increased the battery capacity. It stops at a value of 135 mAh. The lithium-polymer battery type should be fully charged by the included charger in about two hours.

Buy or not buy?

We can only recommend buying the Xiaomi Mi Band 4. It’s a nice combination of essential fitness features, health monitoring functions, practical design, and a reasonable price.

For complete satisfaction, we’re missing perhaps only an NFC chip that would work with us as well. Mi Band 4 can be rated as a handy gadget that impresses—not just at first glance.