Xiaomi's Mi Band is often considered a solid option for feature-rich yet affordable fitness trackers. Some of the recent Mi Band models are even adept enough to give the best smartwatches a run for their money. Earlier today, Xiaomi launched the much-improved Mi Band 7 with a larger screen that boasts always-on display functionality, 120 different workout modes for tracking fitness, and detailed stats for pros.
Starting with the most apparent improvement, the Mi Band 7 features a 1.62-inch display, which is 25% larger than the Mi Band 6 launched in 2021. Along with the display size, the resolution and the display's brightness have also been increased slightly over the Mi Band 6. The AMOLED display now gets up to 500nits brightness while sporting a resolution of 192 x 490 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 326ppi.
The Mi Band 7 is also marginally heavier and weighs 13.5 grams for the non-NFC model. Surprisingly, the Mi Band 7 is thinner than the Mi Band 6 by half a millimeter despite being loaded with more features and a bigger battery. Notably, the width of the display has been increased alongside the battery.
Suited for fitness aficionados
Speaking of its internals, the Mi Band 7 still uses a three-axis gyroscope and a three-axis accelerometer. Xiaomi does not reveal the details of the PPG sensor that comprises the heart rate and the SpO2 (blood oxygen level) sensors.
For fitness tracking, the Mi Band 7 now supports up to 120 different sports modes — a massive jump over the 30 modes supported on the Mi Band 6. For training purposes, the Mi Band 7 also offers previously available detailed insights, including heart rate zone measurements and current calorie consumption.
For those serious about tracking their fitness, Xiaomi has also included features to tell you about the optimal recovery time as well as the ideal VO2 Max value. VO2 Max quantifies the maximum amount of oxygen required depending on your age and BMI (body-mass index) for an intense workout session. The Mi Band 7 also calculates the Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) data to determine the intensity of your workout. For those with a competitive spirit, Xiaomi gives the option to challenge friends for various virtual medals and other rewards in the Mi Fitness app.
In terms of endurance, Xiaomi claims the Mi Band 7 is fit for swimming and can survive being submerged in water as deep as 50 meters. Presumably, this applies to freshwater, and we would still not recommend using it while swimming in the sea.
Bigger battery, more customization features
The Mi Band 7 also gets several improvements in terms of aesthetics. Externally, Xiaomi now offers even more options for the official straps for the Mi Band 7, including two new camouflage options alongside two fluorescent colors — green and orange. Besides these, the straps come in six different colors.
The Mi Band 7 is also marginally heavier and weighs 13.5 grams for the non-NFC model. Surprisingly, the Mi Band 7 is thinner than the Mi Band 6 by half a millimeter despite being loaded with more features and a bigger battery. Notably, the width of the display has been increased alongside the battery.
To complement the new band colors, the Mi Band 7 also gets more than 100 watch faces through the companion app. For the first time, Xiaomi has also added the option for an always-on display (AOD) to the Mi Band series. This means a minimal watch will show on the display all the time, while the primary watch face will be visible only when a user interacts with the Mi Band 7 or lifts their wrist.
The Mi Band 7 features a 44% larger battery with a claimed backup of 15 days. Xiaomi does not specify if this is with the AOD on or off, but we expect it to be the latter. It also features the same magnetic charging mechanism as the Mi Band 6.
The Mi Band 7 is currently available only in China and is priced at CNY 239 (around €35) for the regular model and CNY 279 (around €45) for the NFC model, which is expected to be limited to China. Based on the previous trends, we can expect an announcement for global availability in the next two to three months.
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