Xiaomi Mi Band Review: Cheap Fitness Tracker

The Xiaomi Mi Band is a very cheap fitness band. It was announced in August last year. It sold for about $13 worldwide and for Rs 999 in India. Many people wonder if the low price means it is a good choice. This review looks at the design, features, app, performance and battery life. It also gives simple tips to help you decide if the Mi Band is right for you.

Table of Contents

Design and Build

The Mi Band has no screen. It only has three tiny LED lights on the front. The lights can glow blue, green, orange or red. You change the colour in the Mi Fit app.

The band is made of a polycarbonate body with an aluminium top. The edges are chamfered, so they feel smooth on the wrist.

Size: 14 mm × 36 mm × 9 mm. Weight: about 5 grams – lighter than a paperclip.

It comes with a hypo‑allergenic silicone strap. Xiaomi sells the strap in many colours. The strap fits most wrist sizes. It can be washed to remove dust.

The band is rated IP67. That means it can survive rain and splashes, but you should not wear it while swimming.

In the box you get the band and a charging cable. There are two bright coloured charging pins that stick out from one side of the band.

Because the band sits tightly on the wrist, you do not need a bulky case to protect it.

Features and Sensors

The Mi Band has a simple set of sensors. It includes an accelerometer that counts steps. It also has a low‑energy Bluetooth 4.0 chip (model DA14580) that talks to your phone.

Battery inside the band is 41 mAh. The band also has a 225 mAh battery for the charging case. Xiaomi says the band can work for about 30 days on a single charge.

There is a small vibration motor. The motor vibrates for call alerts, message alerts and for the daily step goal reminder.

There is no heart‑rate sensor, no GPS, and no SpO₂ sensor. This helps keep the price low.

Other cheap trackers, such as those listed in TechRadar’s “best budget fitness trackers” of 2026, also have similar sensor sets. The Mi Band is competitive because of its very low price.

Mi Fit App and How It Works

You need the Mi Fit app on your phone. The app works on Android 4.3+ and iOS 7+. Download it from Google Play or the App Store.

When you open the app, you sign in with a Mi account. You also enter your birth date, height, weight and gender.

Next, you set a daily step goal. The goal can be any number from 2,000 to 30,000 steps.

The band shows progress with flashing lights. One light means you have done about one‑third of your goal. Three lights and a vibration mean you have reached the goal.

In the app you can see:

Daily steps taken
Calories burned
Distance walked or run
Active minutes
Sleep data – total sleep, deep sleep, light sleep, and wake‑up times

You can view the data for a single day, a week or a month by tapping the plus or minus buttons.

The band can also vibrate for incoming calls or notifications. You can even use the band to answer a call or control music, depending on your phone.

Mi Fit lets you share your activity on Facebook, Line and WeChat. It does not support Twitter or other health apps.

Some users have reported occasional disconnections. Xiaomi said a server outage caused the problem for some users. Switching phones can also cause a short loss of data, as the band needs to sync again.

Performance and Battery Life

As a step tracker, the Mi Band works well. It counts most walking and running movements. However, it can sometimes count arm movements as steps. For example, typing or waving may add extra steps.

The sleep tracker works automatically. You do not need to press a button before sleeping. The band detects when you are still and records light and deep sleep periods.

The vibration for alerts is strong enough to feel on the wrist, even when you are moving.

Battery life is a strong point. In a 10‑day test, the battery dropped from 44 % to 33 %. That suggests the band can easily last more than a month on a single charge.

Charging is done by clipping the band onto the small charging cable. It takes a few hours to reach full charge.

Overall, the Mi Band gives a decent picture of daily activity, even if the numbers are not 100 % accurate.

How to Choose a Fitness Tracker

When you look for a cheap fitness tracker, ask yourself these simple questions:

What do I need to track? If you only want steps, sleep and basic notifications, the Mi Band is enough.
Do I need a heart‑rate monitor? If you want heart‑rate data, you may need a slightly more expensive band.
Will I swim? The Mi Band is IP67, so it can handle rain but not full submersion.
Do I want a colour screen? The Mi Band does not have a screen. If you want to see messages on the band, look at other models.
How long should the battery last? The Mi Band promises about 30 days, which is longer than many competitors.

Compare the Mi Band with other budget options listed in recent articles, such as the “best cheap fitness trackers” from Tom’s Guide (2026). Those reviews also note price, battery life and sensor count as key factors.

Finally, think about the app experience. The Mi Fit app is simple, but it does not sync with all health platforms. If you need full integration with Apple Health or Google Fit, you may need a different device.

FAQ

Is the Xiaomi Mi Band waterproof?

The band has an IP67 rating. It can handle rain and splashes, but you should not wear it while swimming.

How long does the battery last?

Xiaomi says the band lasts about 30 days on a single charge. In real use, the battery dropped only 11 % over ten days, confirming a long life.

Can I see my heart rate on the Mi Band?

No. The Mi Band does not have a heart‑rate sensor. It only tracks steps, distance, calories and sleep.

Does the Mi Band work with iPhone?

Yes. The Mi Fit app works on iOS 7.0 and later. You just need to download the app and pair via Bluetooth.

Conclusion

The Xiaomi Mi Band is a very cheap fitness tracker. It costs about $13 or Rs 999 in India. It tracks steps, sleep and basic notifications. The band is tiny, light and has a comfortable silicone strap. Battery life is excellent – about a month per charge. The Mi Fit app is simple but has some limits, such as no Twitter sharing and occasional sync glitches.

If you only need basic activity tracking and want a low‑price device, the Mi Band is a good choice. If you need heart‑rate monitoring, GPS or a full colour screen, you may want to look at other budget trackers that cost a little more.

Overall, the Mi Band offers great value for its price, but it is not a complete health solution. Decide what features matter most to you, and choose the tracker that fits those needs.

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