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Intro
Xiaomi celebrated its 8th birthday with the introduction of the Mi 8 flagship, MIUI 10, and the Mi Band 3 wearable. As smartphone aficionados we were glad to see a new phone with Snapdragon 845 and whatnot, but the band was still buzzing for few days after.
Apparently the gadget was a hit at its domestic market, because when we were at the Mi Store in Shanghai, the clerk was told that all Mi Band 3 devices were sold out.
Eventually the device managed to arrive at our office, so here are our impressions.
unboxing
The retail package is a simple white box with a soft cover, the Mi Band 3 itself and a small USB dongle for charging. Luckily, if you are an owner of the Mi Band 2, you can use its charging interchangeably – though the Mi Band 3 is hardly a device requiring frequent charging.
Design
Unpacking it, you get the bigger screen – it is OLED and grew from 0.42 "to 0.78". The front is curved for better aesthetics and nothing else, since the whole thing is touch sensitive, only a small rectangle in the center.
The device managed to grow in size, but the strap has the same footprint, so while you can not put the Mi Band 2 in, you are effectively having the same size device on your wrist.
The HR sensor is faster and more accurate, according to Xiaomi. There is also an accelerometer that is used for counting your steps. If you are the type of person who is running with all kinds of electronics on your body, do not rely on the Mi Band 3, since its purpose is everyday use, not helping you prepare for the Skyrunning World Series.
Overall Xiaomi followed the old saying "If it is not broken, do not fix it". It was working perfectly fine and nothing major
Screen
The screen is the biggest change on the Mi Band 3. Now you can get up and down, left and right for the panels – pedometer, distance, burned calories, battery capacity, weather forecast, exercise recording.
It takes a day or two to learn how to do it – one tap gets you to the home screen with the clock, long tap activates the selected option.
We have to give it to you for Xiaomi for making the button on the Mi Band 3 slightly curved – it is less intrusive to the eye, compared with the predecessor.
Features
Since we're touching the various things you can do with the band, let's get into details. The heart rate can be measured at intervals, so you can monitor it during the whole day. This is not just a situation in which you get your blood, but which situations get your blood boiling, so you can stop getting involved in them.
The pedometer algorithm is more accurate when you participate in sports. There is real-time distance, duration, and other related metrics pop on the tiny screen. Thanks to the 5ATM and IP67 rating.
This is the option to measure your weight, but it works with a small scale.
Overall view • Heart rate data • Menu profile • Mi Band 3 Menu
The sleep monitor is something that our team is swearing into. The revamped Mi Fit app follows your sleep schedule and REM, and explains it with proper visuals. Once you've got enough tracked, you'll get suggestions when it's time for yourself.
Last sleep cycle • Sleep cycles per day • More sleep data • There's even a share option
Here's a personal opinion – I work with smartphones during the day, I leave my Pixel 2 XL out of the bedroom during the night. My SO on an old-school alarm clock, but I get to the top of my life, so I have the Mi Band 3 to wake me up with a gentle buzz , but still does the job).
Idle Alert • Incoming Call Alert • Lift wrist to view info • Display Settings
As all smart wearables, the Mi Band also reads notifications and notifies you on calls. If you turn it off, you might get a little bit more juice out of the battery, since it will vibrate less often.
Battery Life
Xiaomi did a great job with the Mi Band 2 and its battery life. With making the Mi Band 3 bit bigger, the capacity also grew to 110 mAh. Of course the touch screen requires more power, but you will be able to do so easily.
Verdict
Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is made for tracking the basics in your everyday life, while getting in your way as little as possible. It is light, unobtrusive and stylish with great battery life so it does that job perfectly.
As I mentioned, you should expect a $ 29 device to be the best help in preparing for the New York Marathon. But for a step counter, a heart-rate monitor and a sleep tracker wrapped in a compact 20g shell it is as good as you can expect.
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