Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro: It Really Is A Smartwatch

We have given up featuring Xiaomi wearables since last year because it confuses us. It is hard to keep track of the gazillion models Xiaomi has released each year. But today, we have to tell you about a cool new wearable from the smartphone maker: Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro.

Like the Xiaomi Pad 6 Max 14, Xiaomi Smart Band is another product that blurs the line between two categories of products. It is kind of like a fitness band/tracker but yet it has most – if not all – the functionality of a smartwatch.

With the new Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro the line between a fitness band and a smartwatch becomes even murkier. In fact, a fitness band is just what it identifies as, IMHO. In reality, it is a smartwatch

The new Smart Band 8 Pro features a large display like a regular smartwatch. It has a 1.74” AMOLED display which size sits between the Apple Watch Series 8 41 and 45 mm models. The AMOLED screen boasts a 60 Hz refresh rate, 336 ppi, 600 nits of brightness, and has a whopping 16.7 million colors.

Another key aspect of the band is has ditched the 2.5D curved display in favor of a 2D flat display like the Apple Watch Ultra. This flat display pairs up beautifully with the high-strength polymer fiber + NCVM case which is paired to an interchangeable band that has a bunch of trendy alternatives.

The band is thin and light like a fitness band. It is as thin as 9.99 mm not including the sensor bump and as light as 22.5g without the watch band. To put the numbers in context, it is a tad thinner than the already very thin Apple Watch Series 8 and weighs nearly half of the Apple Watch Series 8 41 mm stainless steel model.

It has a new dual-channel monitoring module, bolstered by new-gen data algorithms, to offer “watch-level precision” of detection. According to Xiaomi, the new sensor results in 10% and 5% more accurate heart rate monitoring and blood-oxygen level measurement.

As far as fitness goes, the Smart Band 8 Pro supports over 150+ sports, plus there is a private warm-up tutorial presented in 3D graphics on your watch to guide you along.

Much like a smartwatch, it has an independent GPS chip supporting 5 global positioning systems, including Beidou, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and QZSS. And it can play music and make payments as well as Xiaomi Home which lets you access your preset scenes in your home right from the band.

Finally, there is NFC, access to Xiaoai voice assistant, up to 14 days battery (or 6 days in Always On Display mode), and it is water resistant to 5ATM. Yup. That is totally a smartwatch. The difference is Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro costs just 399 yuan, which is approximately 55 bucks (!) based on the current going rate.