Redmi Smart Band Review: This Can Be Your Very First Fitness Band

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Redmi as an independent brand launched its first budget fitness tracker at a very aggressive price of just Rs. 1,599. The entry-level brand flaunts a big color LCD display and promises to offer two-week battery life on one full charge. It comes equipped with a heart-rate sensor, sleep monitor and features several other fitness centric features that we generally get to see on mid-range and premium fitness trackers.

 

Rating:
3.5/5

Redmi Smart Band Review

Powered by the latest Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity standards, the Redmi Band works with both Android and iOS devices and even has a water resistant design making it quite a versatile budget fitness tracker for all-day use. The on-paper specs sound promising for a fitness tracker that doesn't even cost you Rs. 2,000. But how does it perform as an entry-level smart band with real-life usage? Let's find out.

Design- Sturdy, Durable But Slightly Bulky

Design- Sturdy, Durable But Slightly Bulky

The Redmi Band looks very different from the Mi Band line-up. Xiaomi has successfully managed to differentiate the two budget fitness trackers line-up in terms of looks and functionality. The Redmi Band has a more rugged feel to it and is also slightly bulkier on the wrist in comparison to the Mi Bands. I found it slightly uncomfortable while sleeping but had to wear it to record my sleep pattern. The Mi Band 4 feels easy on your wrist and is more suitable for all-day wearing.

Also, the flat rectangular display gives the Redmi Band a sharper look and feel, unlike the Mi Bands which have a more lifestyle appeal, thanks to the curved oval capsules. Moving on, I really liked the strap quality. It has a soft finish and feels very sturdy and long-lasting. There are ample holes on the strap to help you find the perfect fit for your wrist. You can swap the straps on the Redmi Smart Band and Xiaomi offers four colour options, Black, Green, Blue and Orange.

Importantly, the band is waterproof as it has a rating of 5ATM, which means you can swim in a pool with the band tied to your wrist.

No Separate Charging Dock
 

No Separate Charging Dock

The Redmi Band does not ship with a separate charging dock as the capsule itself houses the charging pins. All you need to do is remove the lower hand of the strap, the one without holes, and you will find the charging extension that can be plugged into any Type-A power adaptor. I prefer this implementation than the separate charging dock as they are very easy to lose in the day-to-day routine. A built-in charging dock makes things better for a budget fitness tracker.

Display & Controls- 1.08-inch Color LCD Display With Touch Capacitive Home Button

Display & Controls- 1.08-inch Color LCD Display With Touch Capacitive Home Button

The Redmi Band features a 1.08-inch Color LCD screen. The display lacks a good touch response but it still manages to serve well from budget fitness tracker standards. The 1.08-inch size is good enough to show your notifications and all-important fitness-related information. There are plenty of watch faces to explore, 70 of them, and all display adequate information with quirky graphics. The one you can see on the above image is cool and shows date, time, day, battery level and step count in a very nice retro-styled watch face. The color LCD has decent brightness levels allowing you to consume information comfortably during outdoor workout sessions.

You can swipe up/down to navigate throughout the apps and tapping on icons shows more information. You can swipe left or right to access the music player. The touch capacitive button at the chin serves as a home button and also wakes up the color LCD. Overall, the screen on the Redmi Band isn't going to set any standards in terms of touch sensitivity, contrast and color reproduction, but it works well for a band that's priced as low as Rs. 1,599.

Health Features & Companion Application

Health Features & Companion Application

Like most of the fitness trackers, the Redmi Band is also capable of tracking your steps, calories burned, distance covered on a treadmill or a real track. And the band does all of this with a near accuracy which is quite impressive for an entry-level fitness tracker. It can also measure your heart-rate with good accuracy and can even inform you about your sleep pattern, which is always good to know if you want to follow a good health regime. The band even collects important data such as standing and sitting time throughout the day and presents in a nice graphical format in the companion app- Xiaomi Wear.

Other forms of data such as calories burnt, steps taken, distance covered, etc. are also represented in graphs for easy understanding. I liked how the companion app simplifies little things. For instance, the app shows calories burnt equivalent to food intake which can help you reach goals for better results. Besides, the fitness tracker comes equipped with five different modes of tracking- outdoor running, treadmill, cycling, walking and freestyle exercise. These workout modes can be enabled from the band itself and they give you important real-time insights on your wrist.

DND Mode, Alarm, Stopwatch, Music Controls And More

DND Mode, Alarm, Stopwatch, Music Controls And More

Additionally, the Redmi Band also brings weather updates, music control, notification alerts and call rejection directly to the wrist. Other useful features include DND mode, Stopwatch, Weather insights, Timer, Alarm, Find your phone and Music control. For a band which is priced at just Rs. 1,599, the list of features is impressive and these work seamlessly on the budget band.

The Redmi Band works on Bluetooth 5.0 and connect with Android devices running Android version 4.4 or above and Apple devices running iOS version 9.0 or above. I did not face any connectivity issues while using the device with the latest Android devices from OnePlus, Vivo and Realme.

Battery Life- 130mAh Battery Easily Lasts For 10 Days

Battery Life- 130mAh Battery Easily Lasts For 10 Days

The Redmi Band can easily last for 10 days and even more with one single charge. The battery life varies upon your usage patterns which include the number of times you use heart-rate monitor, screen-on time, workout modes used, etc. I have been using the band for over a week in a constantly connected state with my smartphone and the band still shows 18%. As far as charging time is concerned, the band with minuscule battery cell takes two hours to recharge from flat to 100%. Make sure you have a good charging window time before you step out for your workout regime.

Verdict

Verdict

The Redmi Band is a good budget tracker to kickstart a fitness routine. At Rs. 1,599, it brings a functional and durable design, a pretty accurate heart-rate sensor and a step counter. It even has a sleep tracker and all other useful features that are generally seen on mid-range fitness trackers. The companion app shows all important health data in an easy-to-understand graphical format which is very important because decoding the data is critical to achieve and continue a good physical fitness regime.

The 10-day battery life comes across as a savior and helps you make the most out from a fitness tracker. The only weak point seems to be the display which lacks a good touch response. It is a compromise you have to make if you are tight on budget. If you are ready to spend extra bucks, you can consider the Mi Band 4 and the Honor Band 4 fitness trackers.

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