The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6 supersizes screen and adds SpO2
The Xiaomi Mi Band 6 has been unveiled – and it’s a huge overhaul of the budget fitness tracker.
Xiaomi’s activity band has jumped in size to offer a bigger screen and more workout modes – as it heads off the challenge of budget fitness tracker/smartwatch hybrids like the Huawei Watch Fit.
It also now competes with Xiaomi’s smartwatches, the Mi Watch and Mi Watch Lite.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Mi Band 6.
Mi Band 6: need to know
- 1.56-inch AMOLED screen (50% bigger)
- 30 workout modes
- SpO2
- PAI, female cycle tracking
- 47.4 x 18.6 x 12.7mm; adjustable strap length: 155 – 219mm
- iOS and Android compatible
- Global pricing TBC
- Release date: April 2021
Mi Band 6 new features
The Mi Band 6 packs in a 1.56-inch AMOLED screen, which expands the amount of real estate by 50% over the Mi Band 5. It boasts a 326PPI display that certainly ups the ante for fitness trackers, blowing the monochrome Fitbit Charge 4 out of the water, and going head-to-head with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Fit 2.
Exercise profiles have doubled to 30, with dance and Zumba joining more standard activities such as running, swimming and HIIT.
As expected, the Mi Band 6 adds SpO2 for the measurement of blood oxygen, and this is applied to the sleep tracking with a new measure of breathing quality.
Battery life now reaches 14 days via the magnetic charger which was introduced on the Mi Band 5. And it comes in black, orange, yellow, olive, ivory and blue strap options.
Release date and price
Then there’s the price. The global price is still not clear and Xiaomi says that will be revealed closer to the April launch.
In China it will launch for 229 yuan for the non NFC version. The Mi Band 5 launched for 189 yuan, which has seen it retail for $35 in the US. That could push the cost of the Mi Band 6 closer to $50 when eventually it launches globally.
That will be interesting given the company has just released the Mi Watch Lite for £50/€50, although that’s not got a US release.
The Xiaomi Mi Band has always been available in the US – so availability will be one to watch. We’ll update with full information when we get it.
