Xiaomi Mi Band 7 Pro review: one step further, but it can improve. Xiaomi Mi Band has always been considered the queen of smart bands. Its story goes back a long way, from these extremely cheap bracelets, under 10 euros and without display. Many years later, the characteristics and conformation of the smart band has really changed, as demonstrated by the latest M i Band 7, and now Xiaomi is trying to take a step further with the Mi Band 7 Pro model.
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In any case, when you open the package you will find a rather standard service equipment. There is the band, with its easily replaceable silicone strap, and the magnetic battery charger, always proprietary.
Mi Band 7 Pro, or Smart Band 7 Pro, these are the names by which the device is known, shows itself as extremely different from the standard version. This is because of the display, a 1.64-inch AMOLED unit, much larger than the standard version. Inside it offers a 235 mAh battery, NFC, water resistance of 50 meters, the ability to track 117 sports modes and, what most differentiates it from its brother no Pro, the presence of a GPS on board.
Summarizing, therefore, the most important different are: the display at an aesthetic level, and the GPS at the level of functionality. These two differences lead the device to be a cross between a smartband and a smartwatch. Indeed, it is a segment in which Xiaomi had not yet set foot.
In addition to the larger and wider display, Mi Band 7 Pro changes its shape. The rounded and oval design leaves room for squarer lines, and the dial looks like a real rectangle. Moreover, the display is not only larger, but also brighter, and even more readable in direct sunlight.
For comparison, the readable display area of this band is 50% larger than its non-Pro brother. On a technical level it is always an AMOLED unit, with a Retina pixel density, therefore 326PPI, and the possibility of customize the Watch faces with the over 100 already available through the application. We report that within a week Xiaomi has already increased the available faces, adding new, truly valid ones in the last few days.
Thanks to the large display, Mi Band 7 Pro can display icons arranged in single rows, or in a double grid, with a larger font than its predecessor. Comparing the two models, Pro and non-Pro, we also noticed a greater reactivity of the display, which responds to touches more smoothly and without any lag.
Overall, those looking for a smartwatch more than a band will find in this Mi Band 7 Pro a valid ally: the big screen is really a not indifferent plus, which partially fills the gap with larger watches.
If the display is already an element that hugely diversifies the models of the Pro and non-Pro family, the key aspect of this band is the presence of the integrated GPS, which is not present on the standard Xiaomi bands. This essentially means the possibility of geolocating your workouts, without the need to pair the smartphone to the band.
GPS works well, of course, always and only outdoors. The GPS module is at the service of an excellent range of sports activities that the band is able to track. There are, in fact, 117 types of sports that can be set on the wrist, to record all the main data. Naturally, we move from classic running to cycling, from climbing to even more particular sports. It is also possible to activate the automatic sport recognition function, which will immediately analyze the heart rate and determine if the user is running, rowing or jumping on the rope.
The presence of GPS certainly adds an important element for sports enthusiasts, who may prefer Mi Band 7 Pro to the standard variant, which does not allow you to geolocate workouts without a paired smartphone. Moreover, the tracker supports simultaneous Beidou, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS search and provides truly accurate position records.
There are many data that the smartband returns on the most used workouts. For example, running: The same bracelet puts different fat burning programs on the user’s wrist, proposing basic or advanced programs, and providing precise information to alternate between running and walking, suggesting the intervals and the pace to keep.
Of course, the Xiaomi Mi Band 7 Pro can monitor critical health data such as heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, and stress. Custom reminders can be set to help the user understand and regulate their physical health. For example, by activating the smart heart rate monitoring function you will receive notifications if the heart rate is too low or too high. The same applies to the percentage of oxygen in the blood, which can be checked automatically, receiving alerts if it falls below a certain percentage.
There are also functions related to sleep monitoring, which in this case are precise and detailed. The band, in fact, can visualize the deep and light sleep cycles, and also the Rapid Eye Movement phase, better known as the REM phase. This series of health monitoring functions allows you to better understand your physical state without relying on the mobile app. Also from this point of view, therefore, this band is more autonomous from the mobile phone, compared to the non-pro model.
Among other features, Mi Band 7 Pro also supports two NFC modes for making payments, Alipay or WeChat Pay. And here the first limitations we were talking about are already surfacing: since it is currently a device intended only for the Chinese market, it will be impossible to set NFC payment methods accepted in Italy. Similarly, the voice assistant pre-installed on board, XiaoAi, will also be completely unusable in our country.
Moreover, it should be noted that the app, Mi Fitness, must be set in the China region for the configuration of the Mi Band 7 Pro to be successful. However, it should be noted that the app will remain Ion Italian, even if set to the Chinese region. The text on the screen on the Mi Band 7 Pro will not be in Italian, which will initially only be in Chinese. However, it will be sufficient to temporarily change the language on the smartphone, set to English, to transform all the texts on the screen on the band into English. By putting the smartphone back in Italian, the language of the band will still remain English. It is hoped that upon the release of the Mi Band 7 Pro in Europe, a simple update will bring language and NFC payment functionality also valid for our region.
The notifications function is also present: by scrolling from top to bottom, the notification hub will be available, where all incoming messages can be read from your messaging or social apps. The larger screen helps improve readability.
Too bad for the absence of a loudspeaker and microphone which would also have allowed for voice calls. This would have really made a difference.
Autonomy
A small drawback of the band is autonomy. Xiaomi has always accustomed its users to the best in terms of band longevity with a single charge. With this Mi Band 7 Pro, activating all the automatic functions, such as oxygen or heart rate measurement, as well as the always on display, you will get about 4 days of use. If you then take intense physical activity with GPS, the autonomy will drop even more drastically. Deactivating all the functions that the band enjoys to gain a few days, in our view, does not make much sense.
Price and availability
The Xiaomi Mi Band 7 Pro is available on the Cafago online store with reasonable discounts and a starting price of Mi Band 7 of around 70 euros. This price makes it really attractive, especially considering that in Italy the non-Pro model is sold at a very similar price, about 10 euros less. Buying it from abroad could be an excellent way to save money, hoping that when the global version is released it will be possible to update the firmware. This has been the case in the past.
Mi Band 7 Pro is a peripheral that is placed in the middle between a band and a smartwatch. The presence of a larger screen offers several more possibilities, because much more data and information appear on the screen: already in some Watch faces all the fundamental vital data are shown, so that it will practically not be necessary to scroll through the operating system menus.
The presence of GPS, then, is an important pluris for those who plan to use it exclusively for physical training, and want to leave the smartphone at home. It works really well, even if you have to deal with the limitations of the language: it is not a fault, however, considering that the band is currently only marketed in China.
PRO
- Aesthetically valid
- Integrated GPS
- Screen
- Import price
VERSUS
- Autonomy
- No speaker and microphone
