Wearable electronics have long since ceased to be just a toy for geeks, becoming an integral part of the daily lives of millions of users. At the center of this technological storm for a year now is a fitness tracker from Xiaomi, which set new standards for accessibility and functionality. The fifth generation model has become a real hit sales, offering customers not just step counting, but a full-fledged digital assistant.
Many people still wonder how relevant this device is in the current realities and what tasks it can close. Xiaomi Mi Band 5 received a number of significant improvements over its predecessor, including a larger screen and support for NFC in the global version.
It’s important to understand that the tracker’s functionality is highly dependent on the paired smartphone and operating system version. The global Mi Band 5 with NFC only works in conjunction with the Mi Fit app (now Zepp Life) and supports payment in only a few regions, unlike the Chinese version.
Body design and ergonomics
The look of the device has undergone minimal but significant changes, engineers have retained the tracker's recognizable capsule form factor, which easily fits into any style of clothing, but the capsule itself has become slightly wider, allowing you to increase the usable area of the display without significantly increasing the dimensions of the device itself.
The strap attachment remains the same, ensuring full compatibility with the accessories from the previous fourth model.This versatile solution allows owners to avoid spending money on new belts if they already have a collection with the Mi Band 4. The silicone material has become more pleasant to the touch and collects less dust.
The body of the device received water protection according to the 5 ATM standard. This means that you can safely shower, wash your hands or swim in the pool. However, diving with it to a depth or taking a hot bath is not recommended due to the effect of steam on seals.
- 💧 Waterproofing allows you to use a tracker during swimming and in rainy weather without restrictions.
- 🎨 Interchangeable straps open access to hundreds of design options from third-party manufacturers.
- 📏 The larger screen diagonal of 1.1 inches provides better readability of text in bright sun.
⚠️ Warning: Despite the presence of moisture protection, avoid contact with soapy water, shampoos or aggressive chemicals, as they can damage the oleophobic screen covering.
Display and control interface
One of the main features of the model was AMOLED-It's a screen that provides deep black and high brightness. LCD-And in the matrix, each pixel is individually illuminated, which has a positive effect on autonomy when using dark dials.
The interface is based on touch interaction and a single physical deepening button. Up and down swipes allow you to switch between widgets, and horizontal movements allow you to add additional features. The touchscreen response is high, although sometimes requires more confident pressing than modern smartphones.
There are many display settings available on the menu. You can change the order of the widgets by selecting only the ones you use most often. You need to go to the app and select Profile → Mi Band 5 → Display settings.
The brightness of the screen is adjusted automatically or manually through the settings menu. In low light conditions, this helps to save battery power, and during the day it provides a comfortable reading of notifications. The resolution is 126 by 294 pixels, which is a great indicator for a device of such a form factor.
Sporting functions and activity tracking
The tracker is designed to monitor physical activity, and it automatically detects five types of workouts, including running, walking, cycling, elliptical exercise and rowing, and analyzes heart rate and movement by triggering a timer of activity without the user.
For professional athletes, the PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) mode is available, which measures your activity in points rather than in steps, based on your heart rate data, and maintaining a PAI above 100 helps reduce health risks.
The gadget also has modes for yoga, rope and swimming, in the latter case, the tracker considers not only the distance traveled, but also the indicator. SWOLF, It's a very efficient stroke. GPS-tracking depends on the connected smartphone, as there is no built-in navigation module in the device.
- 🏃♂️ Automatic recognition of the type of load begins to record the workout without unnecessary actions.
- 🏊♀️ Swimming mode captures swimming style and number of strokes per minute.
- 🧘 Yoga regimen analyzes breathing and pulse during static exercise.
☑️ Preparation for the marathon
Monitoring of health and sleep
Health is a priority for the Mi Band, and the second-generation PPG sensor in the fifth model has become more accurate at measuring heart rate dynamics, and can warn of critically high or low heart rate when set limits in settings.
The sleep tracking feature has been significantly redesigned, and now the tracker distinguishes between REM and Slow Sleep phases, as well as short daytime naps, and the rest quality data correlates with daytime activity, providing the user with tips for improving their regimen.
Stress monitoring features are particularly noteworthy: by analyzing heart rate variability, the device assesses the body's stress levels, and at high rates, the tracker will suggest performing breathing exercises to restore the calm state.
| Parameter | Description of function | Accuracy of measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse. | Round-the-clock monitoring of heart rate | High (2nd gene) |
| Son | Phase and quality analysis | Medium/High |
| Stress. | Rhythm variability assessment | Evaluation |
| REM-phase | Tracking REM sleep | Tall. |
⚠️ Note: Health data are informative and cannot be used to make medical diagnoses or to replace professional medical advice.
Notifications and day-to-day scenarios
The smart bracelet acts as a second screen for your phone, displaying incoming calls, SMS and notifications from social networks, and text messages can be read in full as long as they do not exceed the character limit set by the smartphone operating system.
It has a music control feature, and you can switch tracks, pause playbacks, or adjust volume on a connected phone through the tracker interface, which is especially useful when you're jogging, when you're not comfortable taking your phone out of your pocket.
For users who monitor water balance, a drink mode reminder function is available, intervals can be customized in the app, and there is a Do Not Disturb feature that turns off the vibration and backlight of the screen at a given time, for example, at night.
Hidden Notification Opportunities
Controlling the smartphone's camera is another useful option: the tracker works like a remote shutter, allowing you to take group pictures or selfies without having to reach for the trigger button. The delay is minimal, allowing you to take frames while moving.
Autonomy and charging process
One of the main advantages of the model is long running time, and in the standard use case, which includes notifications, periodic pulse measurements and sleep tracking, the charge is enough to keep the device running. 14-20 days, active use GPS-tracking through the phone and constant illumination reduce this period to 7-9 days.
The charging process is implemented through a contact docking station, which comes with the capsule, which must be removed from the strap and inserted into the charger, the contacts are located on the back of the tracker and protected from oxidation by a special coating.
The full charging cycle takes about 2 hours, and the indicator on the screen shows the current percentage and connection status. It is important to use power supplies with a current of no more than 1 Amp, so as not to damage the charge controller.
💡
For maximum battery safety, try not to discharge the device to zero regularly. It is optimal to put the tracker on charge with a balance of 15-20%.
Comparison with competitors and predecessors
Compared to the Mi Band 4, the fifth generation received magnetic charging, which solved the problem of breaking contacts when installing the capsule often, also increased the screen area and introduced support for custom dials with full-screen photos.
Compared to rivals Huawei or Honor, Xiaomi offers a more open ecosystem for third-party dials and applications, but the pedometer’s accuracy may be higher in some scenarios due to more advanced data processing algorithms.
The cost of the device remains its main advantage: for a price comparable to a simple lunch in a restaurant, the user gets functionality that in other brands would cost three to four times more, making the gadget an ideal choice for the first acquaintance with wearable electronics.
💡
Xiaomi Mi Band 5 remains the benchmark for the ratio of price and quality, offering 90% of the functionality of flagships for 20% of their cost.