About Xiaomi and the Mi Bands
The Mi Band 6 and 7, and the Xiaomi brand, are one of the top fitness tracking companies in the world. The brand might have this reputation based on producing affordable fitness bands with competitive features.
In addition to smartwatches and fitness trackers, Xiaomi also produces smartphones, wireless earbuds, televisions, and even an air purifier. But among some of the other wearable tech pieces are Xiaomi’s Watch S1 and Redmi Smartband Pro, for example.
This June, the tech giant released its newest fitness tracker, the Mi Band 7, on the heels of the Mi Band 4, 5, and 6. But should you ditch your old smart band for the newest Xiaomi? We’ll give you a quick comparison of the Mi Band 6 and Mi Band 7 to help you decide if you should make the smart band upgrade.
Does the Mi Band 7 look any Different?
The Mi Band 7 offers a bigger and brighter screen display than the Mi Band 6 (1.56″) with a 1.62″ AMOLED high-resolution screen. With that bigger screen also comes more customization options with over 60 display screens/watch faces from which to choose. So yes, the Mi Band 7 looks different from the 6 because everything is bigger and brighter. Both are adequate for outdoor use and remain clear under bright outdoor lighting.
But as for similarities, the two smart bands are still the same shape: a narrow oval. And both smart trackers offer replacement band options in a huge range of colors. The screens are made of tempered AFC glass, and both cases are made of polycarbonate.
Overall, the Mi Band 7 is just a bit bigger than the 6; everything else remains the same, structurally. And in terms of feel, the Mi Band 7 is just 1g heavier at 13.5g.
What’s new with Xiamoi Workouts?
This is where the Mi Band 7 truly outdoes the Band 6; by offering quadruple the amount of workout modes you can track from your wrist. The 6 offered 30, whereas the 7 offers over 120! Can you even name 120 workouts? This fitness band lets you track skateboarding, rowing, dancing, surfing, tai chi, boxing, figure skating, pole dancing, baseball, and so many more.
All jokes aside, this is impressive for a fitness tracker which costs under $100USD.
Improved Health Monitoring
The Mi Band 6 offers all-day heart rate monitoring, which is excellent data for maintaining good health. But the SPO2 monitoring only occurred during sleep with the 6. On the Mi Band 7, you can now couple your all-day heart rate monitoring with all-day SPO2 monitoring. Along with the monitoring are alerts for strange drops/increases in blood-oxygen saturation and your heart rate.
Aside from this, the detailed and scientific sleep tracking from the Mi Band 6 is relatively the same as the Mi Band 7, as is the women’s health tracking.
Does the Mi Band 7 Boast a Better Battery?
The battery of the 7 received a significant upgrade from the 6: the Mi Band 7 runs on a 180mAh battery while the 6 runs on 125mAh. In order to get Xiaomi’s maximum 14 or 15-day battery life, you basically need to turn off all the features that make the band so great, like the continuous heart rate or SPO2 monitoring. The bottom line is that both Mi Bands offer powerful battery life and a watch you’ll only need to charge once or twice a week (more still, though, if you track exercise daily).
Connectivity
There are no changes here between the two watches, as both use Bluetooth to help you stay connected with smart notifications, weather updates, and music control.
However, to use the Mi Band 7, Android users need to operate on 6.0 or later, whereas the 6 was supported by Android 5 and later. Both bands require their Apple users to run on iOS 10 and later.
What Xiamoi Smart Band do you Buy?
I think it depends on who the band is for: are you someone who is concerned about sleep, exercise, sleep, or all of the above? Or are you someone who simply loves sport, the outdoors, and physical activity of all kinds? Answering yes to these two questions may indicate you’d prefer a Mi Band 7. The newer Mi Band can track way more workouts and offers all-day health monitoring. It is also a screen that is easier to read and use while you’re taking part in all your active fun. And to top it all off, it doesn’t break $100USD to get these added benefits on your wrist.
But the Mi Band 6 is a phenomenally budget-friendly fitness tracker that can cover all your basics, including detailed sleep analysis, Bluetooth connectivity, and still 30 workout modes.
If you’re looking for a discreet way to track your fitness, check out some of these options.
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Last Updated on December 30, 2022
Bernadette has a bachelor’s degree in Communications from MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (where she lives). She has a passion for writing and we like her contribution and style to our blog. Bernadette loves the outdoors and things like hiking, camping, and biking. Wishing she could travel more.
Bernadette is an editor, writer and proofreader for Superwatches. Currently lives in Alberta Canada.