Xiaomi Mi Band 3 bracelet - advantages and disadvantages

In the world of smart watches and fitness accessories, Xiaomi Mi Band 3 bracelets have firmly taken their positions. Synchronization with the phone application allows you to see the dynamics of your readings, and without support on the phone it is used as a watch, a heart rate monitor and a pedometer. To know how to choose smart watch, you need to understand what characteristics you should pay attention to.

The Chinese brand Xiaomi has recently gained popularity along with the best electronics manufacturers such as Samsung or Apple. And he doesn't intend to give up. Success lies in excellent quality at a price not exceeding 2300 rubles per bracelet. The set of functions of a miniature tracker in a silicone case is impressive, despite the fact that the average price of popular models of such trackers starts from 4,500 rubles.

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 bracelet review

Xiaomi bracelets are regularly included in the ranking of the most popular products.In 2019, the predecessor of Xiaomi Mi Band 3 entered two categories at once - as the most budgetary fitness bracelet and as a tracker with the most optimal set of functions.

The modified version of Xiaomi Mi Band 3 has an updated design and added useful features. The advantages of the bracelet were replenished with automatic monitoring of daily activity, improved assessment of heart rate and messaging to the phone. You no longer need to be afraid to take your phone out of your pocket in bad weather, this function is taken over by the bracelet. A set of bright bracelets (the color scheme has 15 options) will allow you to choose your own to different looks.

The new model Xiaomi Mi Band 3 quickly gained popularity due to its waterproofness and the ability to use it in a humid environment. In principle, Xiaomi Mi Band 2 also coped with this task, but only the third model received technical confirmation. There is an important note - the bracelet will withstand immersion up to 1 m thanks to the IP67 shell, but the constant presence in the water (swimming, immersion) does not apply to this. For serious pursuits, there is GARMIN. The function of the bracelet is simpler - to follow the pulse and note the time. The disadvantages of the new Xiaomi Mi Band 3 model include the lack of English firmware - Chinese characters will still be found in the bracelet menu, but in general, the interface is intuitive.

Bracelet

The silicone material of the belt is soft, pleasant to the touch, with the same clasp as the previous model. Does not slip and does not rub the skin. The clasp gives the impression of being durable and does not unfasten when worn. The silicone of the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 strap is of good quality, does not emit a smell, and there is no allergic reaction to sweat either.With a bracelet, you can sleep peacefully to track your sleep phases.

The multi-touch screen with OLED - the display has changed a bit, acquired a more streamlined shape and increased in size to 0.78 inches. Parameters are displayed by scrolling: time, heart rate, steps, etc. the resolution of 128*80 is clearer, which brings the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 closer to the parameters of a smart watch. It already shows app notifications, but how convenient it is to view on a small screen is a question for consumers. But there is a convenient bracelet search function if you don’t remember where you left it, or vice versa - use the bracelet to find your smartphone. In addition, the screen also shows incoming calls and the weather.

In terms of functionality, this is a good set, but there are questions about the quality - glare in the sun still remains, which interferes with the readability of the screen.

Charging the device

The performance of the fitness tracker is still on top. This is the merit of a powerful battery. After a long first connection of the charger, it will take about 2-3 hours to charge. The next charge with daily round-the-clock use will be needed in a week.

If the fitness bracelet is used mainly as a watch and sometimes you can see the data in the application, then the charge will last for 3 weeks. The battery holds a charge for a long time due to the increase in capacity up to 110 mAh. The device is charged only from the phone or from the computer via 2.0 USB. Use of other chargers may cause burnout. When the device is charging, it is impossible to carry out any manipulations with it.

Heart rate and sleep tracking

An important parameter, such as sleep tracking, has been carried over from previous models. This is an indicator for your health. If a person does not get enough sleep, you can forget about health.These applications will help determine at what point sleep was disturbed. To do this, you will need to sleep with a bracelet. By changing the pulse during the night, the phases of slow and fast sleep will be shown, and it will be possible to draw conclusions from them and correct the situation.

The heart rate monitor monitors the heart rate in real time, the sensor has been strengthened and now the readings are more accurate. What pleases in the updated model of Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is the speed. The heart rate detection icon appears after a second, and after 2-3, the current value is displayed. It is convenient for playing sports and for monitoring the pulse in everyday life too. It should be borne in mind that such measurements are suitable for healthy people and will not replace a planned ECG. For professional athletes, the heart rate monitor data will not give the desired readings, since the sensor is located on the wrist. More accurate heart rate readings are taken from chest sensors, such as POLAR, SUUNTO, GARMIN. But for physical education, to maintain good physical shape, Xiaomi Mi Band 3 will be more than enough. Especially as an additional motivation.

The device reminds you with a slight vibration of inactivity for a long time. To maintain a healthy lifestyle it is important to get up and move around. This is convenient, especially when there is no way to get into the application. The bracelet shows the number of steps taken. A small number is the best incentive to be active.

New in bracelet modification

Contactless payment features are available for use in China. With this addition, the bracelet differs from previous models. Not yet available in other countries. It is worth thanking the engineers for the development, because it is worth seeing the screen sizes of Xiaomi Mi Band 3 and it doesn’t fit in your head how so many functions are placed there at once.At the same time, the bracelet does not require daily recharging, like a smart watch.

Also, there is still no height sensor in the package, as in the trackers of the same GARMIN company, for example.

Tracking the main functions of the tracker is carried out by sensors, GPS - navigation is carried out via satellites. In real time, the application can track both the speed and distance when moving, and show the trajectory. This is achieved by settings. The number of calories burned is best viewed in the application, graphs of their consumption are also shown there.

MiFit app

For Xiaomi Mi Band 3, the free MyFit app is still relevant. For Android When installing the application, the Android version must be 4.0 or higher (for iPhone, the iOS version is 7.0 or higher). For Android it is available in PlayMarket, it has English, so there will be no problems with the settings, for iPhone in the AppStore.

Its installation is necessary to synchronize the bracelet, enter information about the current time, weight, height and gender of the owner into the "profile" tab. Before setting up, the application will ask you to create an account. You can use what is on the phone, or get a separate one on the Xiaomi website. Once the settings are completed, you need to synchronize the bracelet with your phone. The process is displayed on the phone screen as a percentage.

The bracelet is synchronized via Bluetooth. Therefore, the bracelet can not be taken far from the phone.

Sleep charts and daily activity charts are available in MyFit. The internal rating of the application will evaluate your activity during the day and assign a place. Also in the application, you can set the maximum value of heart rate (heart rate) and the bracelet will vibrate and beep to report the excess.This is true for running and exercise. The settings are not difficult to perform, the application interface is simple and intuitive.

BMI (overweight) indicators are available in the application with a color scale that determines the weight category.

A nice bonus for the work will be the “achievement bar”. The application tracks activity and records, which is reported by notifications and a picture with a cup.
The app can be used while running. To do this, you need to turn on GPS and wait until the device finds satellites and you can start training. The application will display basic information.

Notifications that can be configured on the bracelet:

• Challenges;
• Alarm clock - works even if the phone is dead;
• Incoming message;
• Applications;
• Separate bracelet alarm clock;
• Screen unlock;

Through the application, you can share your achievements through the WeChat, QQ, Weibo services. Similar to the action of the Strava app - for an additional incentive to exercise.

Progress towards the goal on the bracelet is displayed as 3 dots.

The new "find bracelet" feature will allow you to find it if you forgot where you put it. To do this, you need to select "search for Mi Band" in the application and it will emit a vibration signal.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Affordable price;
• Laconic design;
• Clear interface;
• Fast synchronization with the application;
• Possibility to choose the color of the bracelet;
• Large battery capacity;
• Waterproof;
• Wide range of functions.

• Inaccurate heart rate values;
• Inability to record multiple workouts;
• Small screen for monitoring multiple parameters at once;
• Use in the pool is undesirable.

Xiaomi engineers did a great job releasing an updated version of the Mi Band to the market, which has improved design and basic functions. This is a great incentive for those who want to start taking care of their health, run in the morning and keep themselves in good shape. For serious training, you need special devices that are much more expensive and not everyone can afford. And Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is an affordable excellent alternative for this.