Xiaomi Mi Band 3 NFC feature still under testing after two months of launch

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 hit the shelves soon after the announcement on May 31. The smart wearable has also made its way overseas thanks to third-party online retailers with the price almost close to 199 yuan in China.

Despite the impressive availability, the Mi band 3 isn't completely ready. That's because the company is yet to release the NFC version into the market in China or anywhere else. The device was announced to come in two models, a Bluetooth version and one NFC version + Bluetooth connectivity.

For the people unaware of the tech, NFC means Near Field Communication and it refers to a set of comunication protocols that allow two electronic devices to establish communication when they are within 4cm of each other. This feature will come in handy for contactless payments using Mi Pay in China. Since the device only supports Mi Pay, its use may be restricted.

However, its use in China isn't easy, as the company has hinted that the feature is still under testing. Xiaomi first shared an image of the Mi Band 3 with the bus payment interface on the OLED display and a black strap on August 10.

The second picture was shared recently, showing the Mi Pay door card logo wth a rider which is still under test. The bus card feature will be enabled for use in 167 cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Tianjin, and several others. The version is compatible with non-Xiaomi NFC smartphones.

To recall, the Mi Band 3 comes with 0.78-inch OLED display with a resolution of 128 x 80 pixels. The fitness tracker comes in two variant one with NFC and the other one is without NFC. The Mi Band 3 variant with NFC will be available in China from September onwards.
The Mi Band 3 is powered by a 110mAH battery and comes with a water resistance of 5ATM. The fitness tracker is said to be waterproof up to 50 meters.

The wearable comes with motion tracking and health management. Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is said to deliver 20 days of battery life as well. Mi Band 3 also offers app and call notifications, motion tracking, and health management. The Mi Band 2 was launch in back in June 2016 in China at yuan 149.

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