The Xiaomi Band 7 is a welcome refresh of the popular fitness tracker. This Xiaomi Band now frames a larger screen real estate, an even wider selection of watch faces, and an improved battery life. We all love to have a personal fitness tracker to keep tabs on our activities and health statistics, and Xiaomi Band has been the go-to device for most of us.
Xiaomi Band 7 Review
Now that we have this latest iteration, is it wise to upgrade? Join us as we answer that question in this Xiaomi Band 7 review.
Review Summary:
Pros
- Lightweight design
- Large and quality OLED screen for a fitness band
- Feature-packed, best-value fitness tracker
- Long battery life
Cons
- No GPS
- Priced slightly higher
Design and Display
The Xiaomi Band 7's design does not differ from the previous iterations of the popular fitness tracker. The main tracker is still in an oval-shaped case. This piece can be detached from its silicone band, unveiling a tiny footprint with 46.5 x 20.7 x 12.25mm dimensions. The wrist computer is effortlessly light with its 16-gram weight (case and band) and svelte form factor; it's something that you wouldn't mind wearing all day.
This refresh to the Xiaomi Band has the biggest screen yet; it comes with a 1.62-inch OLED display. Compared to its 1.56-inch predecessor, the Band 7 is wider and even more brighter with peak brightness of 500 nits. Using it outdoors is such a breeze though putting it under direct sunlight could pose a challenge on the screen's legibility. Other than that, the display is stunning and is performing best in almost all conditions.
The back of the main tracker house the sensors. It is also worth-noting that the Band 7 includes Heart Rate and Blood Oxygen sensors. Magnetic contacts are also present in this section for easy connection to the proprietary charger; I should mention though that the magnets are now stronger for better charging experience.
The rubber straps still feel premium and snap satisfactorily with the oval-shaped pod tracking device. You'll have different color options if you wanted to swap bands every now and then. Aside from the official colors - khaki green, orange, and neon green - you can also find a sea of third-party band sellers.
The band sits well in handling sweats and splashes of water. It may not be as good as the Apple Watch's bands but it can definitely hold a candle when it comes to strap quality. The incremental adjustments are also fine with ample number of slots.
Performance
The Xiaomi Band 7 is rated with 5ATM waterproofing - that's up to 50 meters for 10 minutes; this means that you can wear the device while swimming in the pool or while in the shower. The Band also excels in the fitness tracking department. I completed multiple workouts with the band and I could tell that its measurements are quite accurate and comparable to premium watches.
I tried monitoring a HIIT session using the free workout mode and the band excels in tracking continuous heart rate and burned calories. There is no denying the fact that the Xiaomi Band 7 does not detect workout automatically just like its more premium rivals.
As far as the workout modes are concerned, you'll have a bucket-full of them in the Workout app - Outdoor Running, Treadmill, Outdoor Cycling, Indoor Cycling, Walking, Swimming, Rower, Elliptical, Yoga, and more.
The band 7 also has an effective sleep tracker and other premium sensors. Both the heart rate and blood oxygen sensors are comparable to that of the Apple Watch 7 that I'm using. Likewise, the band mirrors notifications from your smartphone but you can't interact with them; a simple canned replies or emoji could improve the experience but that's too much to ask for this affordable band; in fact, even its Android-based rivals struggles in this area.
On top of that, the Band 7 also has a very good always-on display. However, turning this feature may take a toll on battery life. Since it does not offer much except for displaying the time, I turned it off to save on battery.
Software, Battery
The band runs with a proprietary software which has been proven to be efficient in many years now. The added screen real estate makes interaction with the software even more intuitive. What I love about this UI is the fact that most of its basic features are working well; one good example is the raise-to-wake feature which works almost all the time.
On top of that, its sleep-tracking feature is above average - way better than most wearables I've tested. The band also offers a fat selection of watch faces which ranges from classy to sporty designs; it's also worth-noting that some of these watch faces support complications just like the Apple Watch.
The band does not have exclusivity of features when pairing from a non-Xiaomi phone, which is a good thing. The Xiaomi Band 7 is capable enough to do almost all the features of any non-Apple Watch fitness trackers or smartwatches. However, the interface does not allow you to install additional apps since it does not support any app ecosystems.
The interface does not differ from the previous ones that we have been accustomed to. From the home screen, you can access the main menu by swiping up. This includes Personal Activity Intelligence which is basically a summary of your most visited statistics, like number of steps, calories burned, and exercise time. The main menu includes Heart Rate monitoring, Blood Oxygen measurement, workout modes, Stress, Sleep, Weather, and more.
Swiping either left or right will loop you in Weather and Music apps; while swiping down will give you access to notifications. Other additional apps in the main menu includes Flashlight, Female Health, Breathing, Stopwatch, Timer, Find my Phone, and more.
The Xiaomi Band 7 has a very efficient battery. In fact, it can extend up to 14 days as the company claimed in their marketing materials. In my real-time testing, the band lasted 10 days in normal circumstances. Charging the band is also fast using its proprietary magnetic charger.
Should You Buy The Xiaomi Band 7?
The Xiaomi Band 7 is now available in the Philippines at Php 2,399. It is priced slightly higher compared to last year's offering, but it could still easily clinch the top spot in the fitness band/tracker market. This wearable line has been very popular, and the Band 7 will definitely continue to delight Xiaomi fans with its solid hardware, wider OLED display, long battery life, and fitness tracking prowess.
The Band 7 is definitely easy to recommend due to its value-for-money proposition. If you're a Xiaomi fan and you're still using the Band 5 or older bands, the Band 7 would be a very welcome upgrade.
Xiaomi Band 7 Specs
- Case: 46.5 x 20.7 x 12.25 mm, 13.5g
- Band Strap: 160 mm-224 mm
- Polycarbonate build, Silicone bands,
- 1.62-inch AMOLED display
- 192 x 490 pixels, 326 PPI
- 500 nits brightness
- Tempered glass with anti-fingerprint coating
- Bluetooth v5.2
- PPG heart rate sensor
- 3-axis accelerometer
- 3-axis gyroscope
- Barometer
- Proximity Sensor
- 180mAh battery
- 5ATM waterproofing
- 100+ Band faces
- 110+ fitness modes
- 5 auto detection modes
- OS: Android 6.0 or higher, iOS 10 or higher
- App: Mi Fitness
- Php 2,399 SRP
