The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 has finally been released after months of rumors. It brings minimal physical upgrades over its predecessor, but some significant improvements under the hood.
It’s only been announced in China right now, so details are still a little vague – especially regarding which features will make it to the West, and when.
The Mi Band 8 has been a colossal hit since 2014, with strong features and a low price, in comparison to the likes of the Fitbit Charge 5 and Inspire 3.
The Mi Band 8 still offers a 1.62-inch, 192 x 490-pixel AMOLED always-on display, which was introduced on the previous generation.
While the screen resolution or size hasn’t changed, it is brighter and has been treated to a larger 60Hz refresh rate.
> Our guide to the best fitness trackers.
Xiaomi Smart Band 8 key specs:
| Mi Band 8 | Mi Band 7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 1.62-inch 192 x 490 AMOLED 600 nit 60 Hz | 1.62 inch 192 x 490 AMOLED 500 nit |
| Sensors | PPG HR SpO2 (blood oxygen) 6-axis motion | PPG heart rate SpO2 (blood oxygen) 3-axis accelerometer 3-axis gyroscope |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.1 LE | Bluetooth 5.2 LE |
| Battery | 190 mAh 16 days standard 6 day with AOD | 180 mAh 14 days battery life |
| Water resistance | 5ATM (50m) | 5ATM (50m) |
| Dimensions | 48 x 22.5 x 10.99mm | 46.5 x 20.7 x 12.25mm |
Read our full Xiaomi Mi Band 8 vs Mi Band 8 comparison guide.
New style and better battery life
Battery life has also been beefed up, and the Mi Band 8 is quoted as lasting 16 days between charges, and 6 days if you use the always-on display. That’s up from 14 days on the Mi Band 7.
Xiaomi
As we reported from early rumors, Xiaomi has changed the straps, which now clip into the module directly – which looks far more modern and attractive.
And Xiaomi has focused on increasing the number of strap choices. By and large, Mi Bands have been left with charmless, rubber bands that hold the module in place. The new straps certainly elevate the design, and give the impression of a design change.
Xiaomi has also doubled down on the Mi Band’s ability to clip onto clothing and still track movement, and it also showcased its ability to track metrics from running shoes – however, the extent of this data and insights is unclear.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi is getting deeper into the insights game, however, and the Mi Band 8 will use its improved accelerometer sensor to plug into fitness courses in the Mi Fitness app, which are based on movement.
We hope this rolls out to an international audience, and we’re excited to see what kind of insights it could provide.
Xiaomi Mi Band 8 price and release date
Xiaomi band 8 will retail for CNY 249 (which is around $35). There is set to be a NFC version for CNY 299 ($43) – but there's no confirmed international prices or release date. All indications are that it will retain the same £40/$50 price point when a global version emerges.
We'd expect it to go on sale at some point this summer in Europe.
Xiaomi has also stepped away from the US market, but the Smart Band 7 was readily available on Amazon and resellers, so we'd expect the same thing this time around.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.