My Mi Band-1 month later

When I first heard of the Mi Band from an uprising smartphone brand Xiaomi, I was quite surprised. RM59($15) for a fitness tracker? That's a steal! Most basic fitness trackers by other brands start at RM100 or slightly less. But putting the affordable price aside, I was skeptical about if it can live up to the expectation of a proper fitness tracker.

This review is not a very detailed one, no benchmarks included, rather just my overall feeling about this device. As a disclaimer, I used the band for over a month on a daily basis.

UNBOXING
My Mi Band arrived on the 16 Oct, shipped just 3 days prior to ordering in Malaysia. In the box is the Mi Band itself, a manual that shows how to pair it with your phone, and a charging cable. The device itself is the small pebble in the middle, which you slot into silicone band. It fits snugly inside the band and won't come out easily without applying some force. Overall the band is very comfortable to wear.

BATTERY LIFE
For a full charge the Mi Band takes only 2 hours via the included charging cable. Xiaomi claims the band can last up to 30 days of use on a single charge, but I can honestly tell you that it can last longer than that. It has been 52 days since its delivery with 38% of battery left. I linked it with my phone only during the daytime or whenever I'm out of the house.

EXPERIENCE
The band links to your phone via Bluetooth. With this connection it syncs to your phone your number of steps taken from the last sync (this resets everyday), alarms, as well as call & message notifications. The band notifies you with a subtle vibration that is not at all annoying. It also vibrates when you have reached your goal (the number of steps you aim to reach per day).

There are 3 LED lights which you can customize the color to suit the type of notification. These lights tells you your progress towards your goal, call and message notifications.

One little nifty trick that you do with the Mi Band, is simply bring your hand up to your chest with the band facing you at a 45 degree angle, as you would with a watch. Hold that position for a second or two and the lights will light up, telling you your progress. A nice trick to show your friends. You can also set it to unlock your phone without entering your password.

With a device as cheap as this, it does have its drawbacks. It doesn't have a watch face or a simple display, if it did it would be perfect. The band also doesn't stay connected to your phone. It often breaks after turning off the display.

Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes, I would. This a great value product for anyone looking to pick up a cheap fitness tracker.