Even if it is not a commercial novelty, one cannot spend a praising article for the fourth version of one of the most interesting and successful electronic devices in recent years, I Band of Xiaomi, of which I have become by now an affectionate fan (I already had the version one, the two and also the three). As already done for the other items on the Mi Band, I want to emphasize that this is not an article sponsored or paid for by Xiaomi or any other company, but a spontaneous review of a purchase recommended to everyone, especially because it’s really cheap.So, for all those looking for a smartwatch, for those curious to try a pedometer device that also measures the heartbeat, for those who would like a watch that connects to the smartphone to receive notifications and messages and for those who want all these functions together, the Mi Band 4 is the perfect Fitband.
Small, space-saving, with a battery that lasts a long time and recharges via the computer’s USB socket, the Mi Band 4 has the merit of being a fitness tracker watch quality that it costs only 35 euros.
READ ALSO: I Band 3, the smart band at 30 Euros
The Xiaomi Mi Band 4 came out in Italy and you can buy it on Amazon (although at the moment there is a wait of a month because the stocks have already ended).
This watch has numerous features including those of any modern fitness bracelet: step counter and count of calories consumed, sleep analysis and heart rate measurement. There is also the function to monitor loosening sessions, measuring heart rate and movements made precisely.
During the day, even if you do not do physical exercises, the Mi Band collects movement data, calories consumed and kilometers traveled on foot or by bicycle, without needing to be connected to the smartphone (although as we shall see, it gives many advantages) and are synchronized with your phone via Bluetooth connection. Similarly, during the night the Xiaomi smart band measures the heart rate in sleep and can tell us if we have slept well or badly and for how long.
Furthermore the Mi Band 4, as well as the Mi Band 3, also allows you to receive notifications from your smartphone to receive SMS or Whatsapp or any other app and that vibrates when you receive a call. It also works as a vibrating alarm, like a stopwatch and to check the weather forecast.
All the management of the Mi Band 4 can be done through the official app Mi Fit it can be installed on Android and iPhone smartphones. Through the app, in addition to monitoring the monitored data, it is possible to customize the detection data, provide the athletic profile (weight, height, etc.) and then configure the apps that can send notifications to the Xiaomi watch. In the options of the Mi Band app, you can choose which information to display on the screen with the possibility to see the time with the date, steps, distance, calories, heart rate, and remaining battery. Very important is the option that makes us see the time by lifting your wrist, without needing to touch the Clock screen.
It is also possible to connect the app to Google Fit on Android to synchronize data to see better and more complete graphics.
To control the Mi Band 4 an unofficial app is also available which is better than that of Xiaomi. It is about Notify & Fitness, with which you can customize almost everything, including notifications icons and even use automatisms like the one to automatically start screen pressure training sessions in a certain way. With this app the pedometer and sleep graphs are much more detailed, you can activate the constant detection of the heartbeat, you can record training sessions, note the evolution of weight and configure customized alarms and timers. You can then make sure that sleep detection is done even if you take a day nap, that a higher level of detail is activated and that all data is synchronized. You can also control the music from the Mi Band screen. In the end, thanks to these advanced features, I bought the full version of this app, which for 3 Euros really gives the opportunity to take full advantage of the Mi Band like a real price smartwatch.
As regards the notifications for applications you can make the watch vibrate when we receive an SMS message, a Whatsapp or a notification from any other app and also for when we receive a call. To use this function you need to keep the phone with the Bluetooth enabled and connected to the MiBand 2 all the time. The battery consumption of this Bluetooth connection is very low. Received messages can be read on the screen without problems, scrolling with your finger.
The Fitband Xiaomi Mi Band 4, as well as the Mi Band 3, has a declared autonomy of 20 days, which in my experience (at the moment I still have version 3) is absolutely confirmed.
Compared to the Mi Band 3, the real novelty of the Mi Band 4 is the color screen, much more beautiful and colorful and even bigger and with customizable backgrounds and themes. The screen is protected by 2.5D curvature glass, which guarantees a certain resistance to impacts. The design is very similar to that of the Mi Band 3, with a silicone strap that makes the device rather stable and secure on the wrist.
Mi Band 4 is also equipped with a new high-precision 6-axis sensor for better movement recognition and is waterproof up to 5ATM and 50 meters, which is also good for divers. With these features, the Mi Band 4 is perfect for those who go to the pool, thanks to the possibility of recognizing the swimming style.
In conclusion, even if it is definitely not the most complete fitness tracker, for those who do not do competitive activity and for those who want something simple and cheap but that is complete and easy to use, I believe that among fitness bracelets or FitBand you can’t find better, both because it costs little, and for the ability to synchronize the smartphone.
You can only buy Mi Band 2 online (when it becomes available again) on Amazon, at 35 Euros, official price (if it costs more it is not good and it is imported in Chinese version)