GETTING fit (and staying there) often feels like being a lawyer and defending yourself against yourself.
There can be so much compromise involved over what to eat for lunch or how often to workout in a week.
Do the calories in a spanish latte count if the said coffee makes your heart race, thereby making you burn calories anyway?
Experts, however, suggest that if we have a better idea of how we move our body throughout the day, sticking to a workout routine will feel more fun. That’s why fitness trackers are super popular nowadays for those who want to set goals to increase daily movement and, of course, gain a better picture of their health.
Called by Xiaomi itself their wearable that lets you step into the world where “sports meet style,” the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 is an upgrade from the Band 7 that includes sleeker appearance, new UI interfaces, and useful fitness features.
The Band 8, priced at P1999, is equipped with the same bright 1.62-inch AMOLED display as the previous gen, but thanks to the new powerful processor, it can now drive the screen to a refresh rate of 60 Hz—delivering a super smooth experience with eye-catching operation and swipe motions.
In terms of body material, the Band 8 finally now has a metallic finish and a new quick-release mechanism. Like a traditional watch, you can remove one side of the strap from the Band by pressing the snap and pulling it outwards—this is a practical change as it lets you switch up your look effortlessly with the brand’s range of strap designs and materials.
Beneath the hood, the Band 8 features many of its previous predecessors’ core features with minor upgrades. It’s lightweight, water resistant up to 50 meters, and has the same activity trackers: calories burned and steps taken. The wearable measures your pace and distance with built-in GPS, so after your walk, for example, the watch will show you your trail.
Best of all, Band 8 also retains health tracking features. Wear it like a regular watch and it will monitor your sleep, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels in the background. It distills health metrics into easy-to-understand scores that put data into context, helping you understand whether you got a good night’s sleep and are ready for a tough workout at a glance.
Activity tracking is what Xiaomi does best, and the Band 8 makes it easy. Sticking with its pattern of sport mode overload, Band 8 now supports up to more than 150 sports modes, the most interesting one being aerobic boxing. It also has the ability to view a replay of your running activity overlaid onto a map and has warmup and stretching guidance so you can easily find a routine that you enjoy.
What perhaps is my favorite feature in the wearable is the larger battery life (289mAh versus 235mAh), which can last for up to 16 days with regular use or six days with the always-on display enabled. It still has the powerful fast-charging feature, which users like myself can personally attest to. I made a habit of removing the Band 8 whenever I’m in the shower, and by the time I’m done, it’s already fully charged.
If you don’t already have your hands on a stylish and feature-rich wearable, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 is a great pick. On the wrist or even attached to a running shoe, the device tracks key fitness stats and offers useful health monitoring tools to help you keep an eye on your wellness. It’s a powerful, entry-level smartwatch at a great price.