Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Review | Worth the Upgrade?

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The latest Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is another fitness band from Xiaomi making it the 3 generation of the fitness tracker. While it has some design similarities from the last years Mi Band 2, the features on the other end are a whole story. It comes with a much bigger display which now supports touch and also has a bigger battery for extra long battery life. There are more new features baked the latest iteration of Mi Band so let’s take a look at the in-depth review of the Mi Band 3.

Design and Build Quality

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is one of the most awaited pieces of tech of this year. While it is not extraordinary, it has plenty of features and now comes with a big enough OLED display which now supports touch. The design hasn’t changed much from the previous years Band 2, but it has gotten bigger for sure. The overall dimension of the capsule-shaped Band 3 is 1.8 x 4.7 x 1.2 cm while the weight is 18.1 grams. It is available in three color options- Deep Blue, Black, and Orange.

With such a low weight, it doesn’t even feel like you are wearing it sometimes. The strap feels wear comfortable and is able to deal with sweat and eater easily. There are numerous fitting options so you can adjust the fit according to your wrist. The Band 3 fits more securely in the wristband which eliminates the chance of it slipping out during running, sleeping etc. However, you have to take it out from the band to recharge which takes a bit of effort because of the tight fit.

The front of the capsule protrudes from the band a little and is curved, hiding the capacitive key in the plain sight. Talking about the heart-rate monitor, it can be found on the back when you turn it around. Also, the display has gotten bigger compared to any previous iteration of the Xiaomi Mi Band. It is also waterproof up to 50m which means you can take it for a swim, shower with it or take a walk in the rain without worrying about Band 3. Overall, the build quality of the Mi Band 3 is pretty solid which feels comfortable to wear in all seasons.

Display

With size, the display on the Mi Band 3 has also gotten bigger than the previous gen Mi Band 2. Also, the display is now touch screen which means much easier and natural navigation through the watch functions. The display now measures 0.78 inches which is significantly bigger as compared to the previous gen 0.42 inches non-touch display.

Mi Band 3 has an impressively sharp display with a pixel density of 193 pixels-per-inch. Which means the text on the display is crisp and easily viewable. However, the visibility is something with which the Mi band 3 struggles under direct sunlight. Hence, for better visibility under direct sunlight, you can either cover it band hands or look at it in shadows.

Since the display on the Mi Band 3 is touch-sensitive, you can use swiping to navigate through various features. Also, the dimple or the button below performs only two functions which are Single tap to back and Press and Hold to accept.

The display is somewhat resistant to scratches but accidentally scratched against any surface will surely damage the front of the capsule. Overall, the display is a significant improvement over the previous years Mi Band 3 and display much more information than before.

Performance and Software

The new Mi Band 3 works just flawlessly. However, you are only limited to the functions that the Band itself have. But there are plenty so there is no need to worry. The watch connects with the smartphone using the Bluetooth v4.2. It can also be used to find the phone or switch to the silent mode without even touching your device.

You have to download the Mi-Fit app from the Google play store to control the watch and change the settings. Once done, it is very easy to connect. The app also allows you to choose the other applications whose notifications you want to see on the band. Mi Band 3 can detect step counts, heart-rate, it can also monitor your sleep, tells about how much calories are burned, shows call notifications and allows you to either ignore or disconnect the call. It also shows weather information and has the ability to show text messages also though you cannot reply from it. There is a Night Mode which lowers the brightness of the display when turned on or when scheduled.

Features on the Mi Band 3

Sleep Tracking

The Mi Band 3 can monitor your sleep. It can keep track of the deep sleep and the light sleep. The Mi-Fit app shows the pattern of your sleep and also give some suggestions for better sleep by analyzing your sleeping patterns.

Automatic Heart-rate Tracking

Mi Band 3 gives the option to the user to automatically detect the Heart-rate and custom intervals of time with the minimum being 1 minute. it ‘s good to see such an option as the previous gen Band 2 only monitors the Heart-rate when it is asked too. The Band can not only trace the Heart-rate, but it also shows the minimum, average and maximum range which is very helpful for people with cardiac problems.

Real-Time tracking

The Mi Band 2 can monitor various activities in real-time like Running, Walking or Biking. You can check how many calories you have burned, duration of the exercise, pace, heart rate and also the speed all in real-time.

Steps Count

The step counter on the Mi Band 3 is much more improved now. However, it is still not the most accurate one. It can measure all the steps done in one day to monitor your daily walking habit.

Goal Reminder

The Mi Band 3 has a Goal reminder feature which allows you to set various goals like “1000 steps for today” and keeps reminding you of the goal until you achieve it. It is a good way to set a target to stay healthy and fit.

Idle Alert

If you are sitting idle for a long time, the Band 3 will send a haptic feedback to remind you to stand up and walk a few steps.

Other Features

Some of the other features that the Band include are Stopwatch, Instant notifications, Water resistance, Events and alarms, Weather forecast, long battery life and more.

Battery Life

The battery life on the Mi Band 3 is simply superb. Not only the Band 3, but all the previous gen Mi Bands are known for solid battery life with around a month on the Band 1 and around 16 days on the Band 2. Following the legacy, the Band 3 is able to last straight 20 days if you keep the automatic heart-rate detection off. However, even with that turned on, the battery lasted a solid 11–12 days.

Xiaomi’s decision to use a 110 mAh battery instead of a 70 mAh one found on the Band 2 has actually paid off. The superb battery life in Band 3 makes it a perfect health companion. Talking about the charging, the band uses its own proprietary charger which takes around 2.5–3 hours to completely charge it from 0% to 100%. This means you just have to plug it in for once in 10–20 days depending upon your usage which is very convenient.

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