Xiaomi has already launched the Mi Band 1S an enhanced version of the first Xiaomi Mi Band, in China. The 1S is the same like its predecessor except for the heart rate sensor that is built in and a slightly higher mAh battery.
Mi Band 1S Unboxing
The box packing is the same – inside you will find the tracker, wristband that is made of TPSiV material – it is anti microbial, anti UV and anti allergic, USB connector to charge the tracker and a user guide.
Design
The Mi Band 1S looks exactly the same like the first Xiaomi fitness band. Weight is 15 grams. The tracker is packed inside a body made of aluminum and plastic. The top part is silver colored (aluminum) with shiny silver borders and the bottom part is plastic.
On the bottom side you will find the heart rate sensor it makes use of two green light to measure the heart rate (check video review). The strap is made of TPSiV material that is skin friendly (even for people with sensitive skins) and comfortable to wear. The stainless steel stud will help secure this band as per your wrist size.
Xiaomi Mi Band 1S is IP67 certified – dust and water resistant, you can even have a shower with it.
The 1S that I got came with white LED lights (3 LED’s) and I did not find any option in the Mi Fit app to change the colour – it is just White LED.
Installation
First thing you would want to do is plug the tracker into the USB charging connector and attach the connector to the power source, charge up the device. Then download the Mi Fit app available on Google Play, you can also download it from Apple store (this fitness band works on Android and iOS platforms).
After installing the app, run it and follow the instructions as mentioned, you will need to switch on Bluetooth on your smartphone. This device makes use of Bluetooth 4.0. Once the pairing it done you can start using this fitness band.
The menus / UI are the same there are however few new additions related to the heart rate sensor. You will find the heart rate option that will monitor your heart rate and in Mi Band settings there is one more option called sleep assistant you can switch that on – it will monitor your heart rate periodically when you are asleep, this will help collect a more accurate sleep data.
The sleep report is simple and there is no mentioned of heart rate data, probably the company might add that later on.
Performance
For an accurate heart rate reading make sure the sensors are touching your skin. When you hit the heart rate monitor button you will get a screen with instructions and after 5 seconds the monitoring process will begin, process takes few seconds. The heart rate data looks accurate.
This band can also be used to get app notifications including call notifications. Plus you can also use it as a smart unlock to automatically unlock the device when it is in range.
There is no display on this band so you need to rely on the software on your smartphone for every details. The only thing that the band can do without you having to look on your smartphone is, it will vibrate when there is any notification, for alarm and when you have achieved your fitness goal.
The band will monitor your physical activities, the steps you have taken and the calories your have burned. It will also monitor your sleep pattern and it gets more accurate with heart rate sensor.
Is the Mi Band 1S accurate?
How do you find if the fitness band is accurate?, first of all you don’t compare it with other bands, because each band works in a different way, they might have different sensors and may record extra steps for different type of gesture/ hand movement.
So the best way to see if the band is accurate is to use it and monitor the readings for consistency. Stop looking for accuracy by comparing the data with other bands – just look for consistency, if the band is giving consistent results (that most bands will) for similar kind of activities then, it is accurate – it does not really matter if it is counting extra number of steps or counting less number of steps. At the end of the day you get a number and you need to beat / compete with that number to achieve your fitness goals.
Battery
This Mi Band 1S houses a 45mAh built in battery. The first Mi Band came with 41mAh battery. It takes less than 2 hours to charge the battery to full 100% (all 3 LED’s lighting up).
If the band is used with heart rate sensor switched off you can expect battery backup of up to 30 days and with the heart rate sensor switched on, expect battery backup of up to 15 to 20 days.
Verdict
The Xiaomi Mi Band 1S is an improvised version of the previous band, with a built in heart rate sensor. Performance is similar to as seen with the first Xiaomi Mi band and with heart rate sensor it gets a lot more accurate – because the heart rate reading along with the steps will give a better idea about the users activity.
For now there are not many options available on the Mi Fit app related to the heart rate sensor, but I guess they will be adding that later on.
Nevertheless the Mi Band 1S is again a ‘must have’ option, not yet available in India but you can buy it from Banggood.com for $32.99 or wait for it to be launched in India.