[REVIEW] Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5: The fifth generation of the band has the best features, but disappoints with missing

The company Xiaomi introduced a new generation of its fitness tracker not only in China, but also in the global version. It’s called Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 and brings several hardware and software improvements.

It’s a solid upgrade compared to the popular Xiaomi Mi Band 4. This review will answer that exact question.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5: Where to Buy

We pre-ordered the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 fitness tracker directly from the Slovak official distributor. Through the Alza.sk e-shop, the product was delivered to their local branch in just two calendar days. However, official distribution required a higher amount, specifically 55.90 €.

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If you want to save a bit more, you can get the Mi Smart Band 5 for significantly less by using one of our discount coupons. Besides the great price, you’ll also get free shipping delivered to your home.

Box contents: New magnetic charging cable

When it comes to packaging for the new product, it’s practically identical to the previous generation. In this case, however, the front side of the compact box already has the number “5”.

After unboxing, you’ll find the new charger on the very top with a magnetic connector. This is one of the main improvements of the fifth-generation fitness tracker. Below that is the tracker itself, the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5, together with a black silicone strap.

The box now includes only paper manuals, and there are no big surprises—so nothing much to report here. On the other hand, considering the device’s price, it’s a simple and functional package that you can’t really fault.

Very low weight

The new model weighs in at a pleasant value of only 23 grams, so there’s a good chance you won’t even feel it on your wrist. The maximum length of the included silicone strap (it’s replaceable) is 18,5 cm.

Again, the core of the device is a plastic capsule with a larger, smoother AMOLED display on its upper side. The bottom side is once again home to an improved heart-rate sensor, and it also includes the magnetic charging connector.

When charging, you no longer need to remove the capsule from the strap itself, which can extend its lifespan. Straps from previous Mi Band 3 / 4 versions are not compatible. When used, the watch will fit, but it won’t sit as snugly as with a new strap for Mi Band 5.

The global version falls short by lacking some features

As Xiaomi is already very well known, it offers several types of products in different versions—first Chinese and then global. This one is also intended for us, European customers. The new fitness tracker is no exception.

The Chinese version marked Mi Band 5 additionally offers payments via the NFC chip (UnionPay in China), but also blood oxygen monitoring (SpO2) or 100 default watch faces in the app.

The global version is labeled Mi Smart Band 5, and the aforementioned features like NFC or SpO2 monitoring are missing. The app offers 65 watch faces to start with, but the manufacturer promises they will be added via an update.

The previously reported leaks about the presence of the intelligent Amazon Alexa assistant did not pan out—the global version does not support it. The Chinese intelligent assistant XiaoAI from Xiaomi’s lineup is therefore naturally part of the Chinese version. That’s it for the differences.

Display: 1,1″ AMOLED

Let’s move on to the equipment and features that both versions have in common. We’ll start with a very important element: the display. It offers a diagonal of up to 1,1” (an increase compared to 0,95” on Mi Band 4) and it’s also smoother. Specifically, we’re talking about a resolution of 126 x 294 pixels.

The display is covered with a curved and otherwise unspecified 2,5 protective glass, and the display corners are also slightly rounded. You’ll notice it especially when using a colored watch face. Thanks to the larger diagonal, the watch faces show more information.

From the factory, the watches are set to brightness level 3 out of five. In direct outdoor sunlight, we recommend using the maximum brightness value; indoors and in the dark, then use the lowest one. The brightness is very good (up to 450 nits), and readability of the main screen wasn’t a problem.

Some sources mentioned that the display scratches easily. We didn’t record any damage during testing. The increased smoothness of the display shows up in notifications—they are richer, i.e., they display more text. Watch out for diacritics, though—it uses a different font that’s smaller, so at first you’ll have to decipher it a bit.

Mobile app: Mi Fit

The fitness band connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth 5.0 BLE technology, and you can do all the necessary settings following the example of previous models using the well-known Mi Fit app. Pairing the band is really simple—just sign in and then bring the smartphone close to the band.

The app is very good and, compared to previous years, it has also gone through a few design changes. After the first setup, the band even received an update. The app offers a wide range of customization options, including a shop with dozens of watch faces. The app interface responded quickly, and there were no issues with the band’s connectivity either.

There’s no shortage of settings for alerts for incoming calls, SMS, or notifications from apps, but also the ability to add alarms, events, and reminders. You can also sort the individual options on the display, or disable them. You can also try experimental functions like controlling the camera shutter.

Fitness and monitoring features

On top of the monitoring features, we also noticed improvements. The 5th generation comes with a completely new heart-rate monitoring sensor. It can monitor results practically without interruption, but that means reduced battery life per charge.

All-day sleep monitoring is also new compared to Mi Band 4. Monitoring also works in lighter REM sleep stages, so the overall monitoring results should be more objective.

The manufacturer also added PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) functionality, where you can earn points for your activity—and in this case, goal setting is also available, which you need to meet within a week or a month. This feature strongly resembles the popular Apple Watch rings and the points in the Google Fit app.

When it comes to monitoring sports activities, compared to six sports in the previous generation, the Mi Smart Band 5 offers up to 11 sports with separate recognition. Specifically, sports such as yoga, elliptical trainer, rowing machine, jump rope, and stationary bike were added. “Indoor” activities are especially a welcome plus during quarantine.

All sports can be recognized automatically, thanks to built-in sensors such as a three-axis accelerometer and a three-axis gyroscope. These monitoring features are the main benefit of this bracelet. Starting an activity is quick and doesn’t require waiting, but the bracelet does not include GPS. These data are therefore pulled directly from the connected smartphone.

Measuring stress and alerting you when stress levels are high is also a positive improvement. Breathing exercises are available in this case, and the band can recommend them. Another well-known feature is inactivity alerts, which are also included.

Menstrual cycle

A major improvement over previous generations is also menstrual cycle monitoring, which will be appreciated by the fairer half. We tested this feature too, and at first it needs to be enabled in the Mi Fit app itself. The app will request initial data before the built-in algorithm starts the actual monitoring.

After enabling the feature in the app, you need to fill in a few primary details such as period length, cycle length, and the start date of your last period. It’s recommended to enter average values so the algorithm can calculate the forecast correctly. You can also turn off predictions—in that case, you’ll only have manual data entry available.

Next, the app will offer a calendar with menstrual data highlighted in color, but it also includes data for the estimated period duration, ovulation, and fertile days. There’s also a current summary with data for the specific day, plus an option to end the cycle.

Other features include recording multiple levels of pain and bleeding, as well as your current mood. A practical option is setting alerts for events the band should respond to—or not respond to. Selected app features can also be controlled directly on the watch.

The app’s options are available in Slovak, but occasionally you may still spot a typo or an incorrect word form. Some of these imperfections could be refined with further software updates.

In this case, the Mi Fit app offers comparable data to other third-party apps. What’s more, the data can be synchronized directly under your Mi Fit app account, and an added value is the easy access via the touch display of the fitness band.

Mi Smart Band 4 vs. Mi Smart Band 5

This is a question that many owners of the previous Mi Band 4 generation ask themselves—but also owners of older generations who are currently looking for an available and discounted Mi Band 4.

The fifth generation differs from the previous one mainly with a larger and smoother-to-read up to 1,1” AMOLED display. According to the manufacturer’s data, the heart activity measurement sensor was improved by up to 50%.

More features have also added another 5 sports activities to monitor, all with automatic recognition. The fairer half may also enjoy menstrual cycle monitoring integrated right into the popular Mi Fit app.

A practical hardware upgrade in the fifth generation is also magnetic charging, which is very useful—so you don’t have to worry about removing the capsule from the strap as in the previous generations. In our view, updating definitely pays off.

Battery: 14 days for one charge

According to the manufacturer’s data, the total battery life dropped to 14 days per charge. The question is whether that’s a low value. Competitive fitness bands offer battery life of around 5 – 7 days, and long battery life has long been a major benefit of Mi Band bands.

At first, the 5th generation slightly disappointed us. To properly test it, we picked demanding usage: maximum display brightness, wrist-raise display wake-up, automatic heart-rate measurement (every minute), and a lot of notifications.

With this kind of demanding use, the band asked for a charger once every 7 days. This pretty weak battery life really surprised us, as it didn’t even meet the standard set by the manufacturer. However, just looking at the settings in the Mi Fit app quickly turned things around for the better.

With reduced brightness to 60%, more frequent wrist rotation, setting the heart-rate measurement value to 30 minutes, and thinning out the provided notifications, the drop in power slowed down significantly. This kind of usage meets the manufacturer’s stated values.

More frequent charging, however, isn’t really a problem in practice. The reason is the new magnetic charging connector, which makes charging genuinely effortless. Just bring it close to the watch and it will start charging immediately. There’s a Li-Po 125 mAh battery, charged in about 90 minutes.

Final verdict: The champion among fitness bands

High-quality build, multiple upgrades in terms of the display, monitoring features, and charging make the 5th generation of this popular fitness band a sure success.

Even though we initially got worried about the weaker battery life per charge, the battery situation turned out to be stable, and the band is still an available, practical, and functional tool for everyday people as well as amateur athletes.

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Updated 31. 12. 2021 on 08:21

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You can change or cancel your order within 12 hours e-mail to [email protected]. Warranty varies by category: Xiaomi phones, Redmi and POCO have 24 months, tablets and e-scooters 12 months, earbuds, smartwatches and other Xiaomi products 6 months.

Although official European distribution keeps its price rather high, through Chinese sellers you can get it below the 30 € mark using our discount coupons. After carefully weighing the pros and cons, we recommend buying the fitness band Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5.