Xiaomi Mi Band 4 Review: Improving on the perfection of Mi Band 3

Xiaomi Mi Band 4 Review: Improving on the perfection of Mi Band 3

Xiaomi launched the latest version of its famous fitness tracker in China in late June 2019. It has been almost two months since launch but Xiaomi has not launched Mi Band 4 in any other market. As previously reported, the company launched three different variants of the fitness band. The first one is regular and the second is the sports NFC sensor. The third edition is a limited limited edition Avengers edition Mi Band 4 with custom strap and theme.

The company has priced the regular version of Mi Band 4 for RM169 which is around Rs 1,700. I ordered all through AliExpress because I could not wait for the official launch. What's more, Xiaomi has not shared any timeline for the launch of Mi Band 4 in India? After using the fitness band for about two months, here is my review for Xiaomi Mi Band 4.

Design improvements in Xiaomi Mi Band 4

Xiaomi has made some notable changes to the Mi Band 4 design of the Mi Band 4. The first display is the display as the new version is less curved at the top. In fact, the top of the display is flat and it only tapers around the corners to attach to the wristband. This has not changed much, making it easier for existing Mi Band 3 users to band strap manufacturers. This is because the Mi Band 4 module is compatible with older strips for the Mi Band 3.

However, the company has replaced the charging pin in the new version. Now the contact pins for charging are on the underside of the fitness band. This means that the company has also made a new charging adapter for the Mi Band 4. Now users have to slot in the module instead of closing it at one end. This has significantly reduced the occasions where clamping did not result in the correct connection resulting in no charge.

Earlier, the clamp design had me double-check the pin contact as I applied more pressure to the band module. The slot-in process is much more reliable and easier for users. Like the previous version, it also features water resistance up to 5 atm. This means that you have the same all-weather waterproof design that you got with the previous fitness band.

That performance

The most significant change in the fitness band is the 0.95-inch AMOLED display with capacitive touch screen. It comes with 128 × 240 pixel resolution, 24-bit color depth, up to 400 nt brighter brightness, and more. In contrast, the Mi Band 3 came with a 0.78-inch OLED screen with 128 × 80 pixel resolution. Xiaomi also seems to have added 2.5D tempered glass with anti-fingerprint coating. In addition to the capacitive buttons, the band comes with a one-touch button under the display or a screen back button.

After using the fitness band for 2 months, I must say that the change in this new performance is more important than I can express. The introduction of color makes the display more attractive, while ensuring that it is not distracting. In fact, this change is sufficient for me when Mi Band 3 users are recommended to upgrade to the latest when launched in India. Digging into the details, the display area is larger, brighter, sports more resolution, and features better visibility in daylight.

Band face

Xiaomi has also added "Band Face" or "Watch Face" to Mi Band 4 with the introduction of color. This opens a whole new world for users to adapt their band to their heart's desires. The Mi Fit app comes with several built-in band faces, but users have found a way to load more band faces. Developers have also created an app where users can submit their band faces. Other Mi Band 4 users can browse, download and then load these band faces onto their wearables.

Some developers have also created online tools, where one can create their own band face and then download related files. There is no other fitness band that offers a colorful display or even a watch face at this price point in the market. Most of them have mono-color display with single color LED. It is worth noting that Mi Band 4 stars internally face a four-band at any given time. Three of the band's faces are internal here, while the fourth is a custom one that overwrites the Mi Fit app while syncing.

Some developers have also created online tools, where one can create their own band face and then download related files. There is no other fitness band that offers a colorful display or even a watch face at this price point in the market. Most of them have mono-color display with single color LED. It is worth noting that Mi Band 4 stars internally face a four-band at any given time. Three of the band's faces are internal here, while the fourth is a custom one that overwrites the Mi Fit app while syncing.

oftware and other features

The device comes with a variety of workouts, fitness parameters, and support for measuring heart rate. Talking about work out types, the band can measure outdoor running, treadmill, cycling, swimming, walking and gym exercise. It also measures the steps a user has taken, the distance they have covered and the number of calories they have burned. Apart from this, it can also show the weather forecast and notifications of selected apps on your smartphone. Other features include DND buttons, the ability to set alarms, stopwatches, timers, and the ability to silence smartphone profiles.

Music control on Mi Band 4

Users can also find their device if they have placed it in their home incorrectly and it is still in range from the band. Enabling this allows a loud alarm to be played on the smartphone regardless of the sound profile. They can also control music playback of their smartphone directly from the band. In fact, users can also control YouTube playback using the Mi Band 4 "music" function. The band allows users to toggle between four stored watch faces without the need for a smartphone. The wearable also comes with a "Settings" section where users can display the display's brightness, lock screen, reboot, or even factory reset the device.

Mi Band 4 Music Feature

Xiaomi Mi Fit App

It is the central hub for everything related to the Mi Band 4, furthering the Mi Fit app. It handles everything from updating, syncing the band's firmware, to reviewing measured metrics. The app allows users to measure activities such as walking, running and cycling with a more detailed view. The Mi Fit comes with three different sections or tabs including "Workout", "Friends" and "Profile". One should note that all this data syncing requires the user to sign up or log into their Xiaomi account. The "Workout" tab handles all the data related top walks, calories, sleep, heart rate, and even weight.

The user can dig deeper to see the history based on weekly, or monthly breakdowns. The "Friends" tab allows one to connect their friends with Xiaomi Mi Band and then compete against each other. Moving to the last tab "Profile", users can have better control over their wearable device. Other features include goal setting, custom "behavior tagging" that allows users to manually tag certain activity, account linking, and more. Tapping on the wearable in this section provides band display, screen unlock, call notifications, alarms, app alerts, SMS notifications, and more.

Other features include band, discoverability, band location, "lift wrist", heart rate detection, night mode, display settings, weather settings, software updates, and the option of unpair. Even though we have an option to customize the display settings, I wish the feature was more complete, allowing us to remove nested menu options from a nearby enabled interface. This allows true customizability for the device's actual interface. Most things have never really changed as the flagship Mi Fit app has redesigned a few months ago.

Tracking and performance of Xiaomi Mi Band 4

In terms of specifications, the Mi Band 4 has 512KB of RAM and 16GB of storage for operation. Xiaomi has also added several sensors inside the band including accelerometer, gyroscope, PPG heart-rate and capacitive proximity sensor. Beyond this, the company also added Bluetooth v5.0 BLE for better and more stable connectivity. With all the improved hardware, users get a seamless experience on the Mi Band with no lag or shocks.

However, going beyond this, Xiaomi Mi Band does a reasonable job of keeping track of all the various parameters mentioned above. Similar to the Mi Band 3, the Band 4 does an excellent job at sleep tracking. However, I want them to notice a low sleep nap or sleep pattern in the afternoon and take the hook off. According to the US time zone, sleep tracking is done while sleeping in India for a toss.

If you are looking for accuracy then activity tracking and exercise tracking are good but not really accurate. If you are driving a car then the fitness tracker may make a mistake in running or walking. This general guesstimating approximation brings us back to the whole debate about the need for accuracy and fitness bands.

We have already discussed this matter during the Mi Band 3 review and nothing has changed in this one year. If you need accurate tracking for critical health tracking, then you should go with specialized equipment or even Apple Watch. If you just want to guess and you don't have enough money, then Mi Band 4 is the best you can buy.

oftware and other features

The device comes with a variety of workouts, fitness parameters, and support for measuring heart rate. Talking about work out types, the band can measure outdoor running, treadmill, cycling, swimming, walking and gym exercise. It also measures the steps a user has taken, the distance they have covered and the number of calories they have burned. Apart from this, it can also show the weather forecast and notifications of selected apps on your smartphone. Other features include DND buttons, the ability to set alarms, stopwatches, timers, and the ability to silence smartphone profiles.

Music control on Mi Band 4

Users can also find their device if they have placed it in their home incorrectly and it is still in range from the band. Enabling this allows a loud alarm to be played on the smartphone regardless of the sound profile. They can also control music playback of their smartphone directly from the band. In fact, users can also control YouTube playback using the Mi Band 4 "music" function. The band allows users to toggle between four stored watch faces without the need for a smartphone. The wearable also comes with a "Settings" section where users can display the display's brightness, lock screen, reboot, or even factory reset the device.

Xiaomi Mi Fit App

It is the central hub for everything related to the Mi Band 4, furthering the Mi Fit app. It handles everything from updating, syncing the band's firmware, to reviewing measured metrics. The app allows users to measure activities such as walking, running and cycling with a more detailed view. The Mi Fit comes with three different sections or tabs including "Workout", "Friends" and "Profile". One should note that all this data syncing requires the user to sign up or log into their Xiaomi account. The "Workout" tab handles all the data related top walks, calories, sleep, heart rate, and even weight.

The user can dig deeper to see the history based on weekly, or monthly breakdowns. The "Friends" tab allows one to connect their friends with Xiaomi Mi Band and then compete against each other. Moving to the last tab "Profile", users can have better control over their wearable device. Other features include goal setting, custom "behavior tagging" that allows users to manually tag certain activity, account linking, and more. Tapping on the wearable in this section provides band display, screen unlock, call notifications, alarms, app alerts, SMS notifications, and more.

Other features include band, discoverability, band location, "lift wrist", heart rate detection, night mode, display settings, weather settings, software updates, and the option of unpair. Even though we have an option to customize the display settings, I wish the feature was more complete, allowing us to remove nested menu options from a nearby enabled interface. This allows true customizability for the device's actual interface. Most things have never really changed as the flagship Mi Fit app has redesigned a few months ago.

Tracking and performance of Xiaomi Mi Band 4

In terms of specifications, the Mi Band 4 has 512KB of RAM and 16GB of storage for operation. Xiaomi has also added several sensors inside the band including accelerometer, gyroscope, PPG heart-rate and capacitive proximity sensor. Beyond this, the company also added Bluetooth v5.0 BLE for better and more stable connectivity. With all the improved hardware, users get a seamless experience on the Mi Band with no lag or shocks.

However, going beyond this, Xiaomi Mi Band does a reasonable job of keeping track of all the various parameters mentioned above. Similar to the Mi Band 3, the Band 4 does an excellent job at sleep tracking. However, I want them to notice a low sleep nap or sleep pattern in the afternoon and take the hook off. According to the US time zone, sleep tracking is done while sleeping in India for a toss.

If you are looking for accuracy then activity tracking and exercise tracking are good but not really accurate. If you are driving a car then the fitness tracker may make a mistake in running or walking. This general guesstimating approximation brings us back to the whole debate about the need for accuracy and fitness bands.

We have already discussed this matter during the Mi Band 3 review and nothing has changed in this one year. If you need accurate tracking for critical health tracking, then you should go with specialized equipment or even Apple Watch. If you just want to guess and you don't have enough money, then Mi Band 4 is the best you can buy.

The battery

The fitness band runs on a 135mAh non-removable lithium polymer battery. After using the wearable for about two months, I can easily say that it is the best wearable fitness band in terms of battery. Even with better color performance, it manages