Xiaomi mi band 3 review in Spanish (full analysis)

Technical characteristics Xiaomi Mi Band 3



screen	0.78-inch OLED with 120 × 80 pixel resolution
Battery	110 mAh
Features	Certification IP68, NFC (Chinese version only), Bluetooth 4.2, calls and notifications
Sensors	Accelerometer and heart rate monitor
Price	About 25 euros

Design

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is a new smartband 20 grams and 12 millimeters thick, and that can be connected to an Android or iOS smartphone.

This year the display is better integrated into the bracelet, and protected by a 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass, which allows a more linear design and a more solid structure. The only management button is now installed under the glass.

Your bundle is made up of:

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Rubber Wristband USB Charger Quick Guide

There are no major changes in the overall design of the Xiaomi activity monitor, with its silicone strap. The weight remains the same as in the previous version (20 grams), although it has a larger size.

Xiaomi doesn't change much in design and remains loyal to the elemental vision. Although we have some slight modifications. Mainly, it should be considered that the new bracelet has received a larger screen.

The OLED screen has the same advantages and disadvantages as before. Therefore, it is completely illegible on the outside, but it guarantees a good reading on the inside, while limiting energy consumption.

The OLED screen measures 0.78 inches with a resolution of 1, 28 x 80 pixels. However, it has not become a color screen, although it has at least a touch screen. The previous version of this bracelet had a screen diagonal of just 0.42 inches and was not touch sensitive.

The almost double size of the panel allows displaying the content of SMS, notifications or time. Navigation is done by long or sliding presses of the touch button located at the bottom of the glass. You can even call your smartphone remotely, start a stopwatch, or make a silent call. What transforms it into a very complete device despite being so small.

The current smartband measures 17.9 x 46.9 x 12 millimeters, a few millimeters more than the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 (15.7 x 40.3 x 10.5 millimeters). The current model, in the same way, consists of two parts: the fitness monitor and the bracelet. In this way, you can charge the device and at the same time change the bracelet for another easily.

The display stands out from the elastic band and is covered in curved glass. It's even tighter on the strap than before, though it's more prone to scratches because it sticks out.

With this new design and dimensions, the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is, of course, a bit more eye-catching, but still elegant.

While the Mi Band 2 is only available in black, the successor's color palette is slightly larger. Along with this color, the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is also available in orange red and navy blue.

The touch button (under the glass) is still present. This always serves as a "Back" button and can perform certain actions, such as starting and stopping the stopwatch or rejecting a call, pressing it for a long period of time.

Xiaomi modified the strap closure system, with a larger pin, making the bracelet no longer escape from the wrist. The measurement is unique, but can be adjusted from 155 to 216 millimeters. And it includes liquid resistance.

Price and Specifications

About 23 euros is what you will have to pay for the new Xiaomi activity monitor. But if we see that the Chinese bracelet had a price increase, this is also verified in its specifications.

For athletes, heart rate monitoring is always present, and now it becomes a waterproof 5 ATM wearable (can be submerged up to 50 meters).

In contrast, IP67 certified water resistance has been improved, allowing it to withstand splashes and be submerged for 30 minutes at one meter underwater. Therefore, this bracelet should be worn carefully while swimming.

Especially attractive for the Asian and Chinese markets (less for other countries at the moment) is the announcement that we will have a second version of this smart bracelet, which will also have NFC support, and therefore, it will be possible to make contactless payments. It should also be possible to connect the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 and a smartphone via NFC.

Typical functions of the bracelet

The heart rate monitor measures the user's heart rate; In this case it would be especially desirable if continuous monitoring was also possible in the internal application.

This would now have to work a little more precisely, since Xiaomi worked to position the bracelet more firmly on the arm, something that is essential for a good follow-up and thus obtain more accurate data.

The pedometer shows the distance traveled per day in stages and converted into kilometers. It also suggests that you get up if you have been sitting for a long time. And you can create goals, which will make Mi Band congratulate you when you achieve them, receiving great motivation from this smart bracelet.

Similarly, with the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 you will not miss more calls, because if you wish, your wrist will vibrate to notify you when you receive one.

Notifications are more detailed and display up to 40 characters on one page. With Mi Band 2 it was somewhat restricted and only showed the application icon. Third-party apps like Notify had a little more latitude and offered up to 18 characters in the scrolling text.

All in all, the Xiaomi Mi Band 3's larger screen now provides better viewing and features up to 28 characters, even without third-party apps. You can even scroll to the right and read the rest of the message. In addition to having a better presentation, it is one of the biggest improvements.

Other useful and important features are “Find Phone”, the three-day weather forecast, up and down gestures, watchfaces, the selection of applications that can send notifications, certain settings in the report of incoming calls and more about various alarms and reminders of inactivity.

Most of these features are in the Mi Fit app. The band syncs quickly after each change to the settings so they're quick to run. Sports activities must be started from the application, then it can be controlled from the Mi Band; so you can leave the smartphone at home.

Although it offers an internal accelerometer and heart rate sensor to provide data such as distance traveled and calories burned, this data cannot be trusted too much. In addition, cardiac monitoring will only be saved and associated with your training when the application activates sports activity.

A slow, steady run with minimal variation leads to tolerable differences in overall mileage (usually in excess), while more modulated training breaks down the final statistics a lot.

As a result, even heart rate alerts triggered by the Mi Fit app are converted into data to be taken lightly. It is recommended to ignore them completely and use the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 only for an indicative estimate of the movement made during the day.

If worn on the wrist at night, Xiaomi Mi Band 3 understands when we fall asleep and gives an analysis of the depth of sleep and any interruptions. Again, the monitoring results are not as reliable as those of a specialized sleep sensor like the Nokia Sleep, but it can be useful for monitoring regularity.

Mi Fit app

Being compatible with Android 4.3+ and iOS 8.0+, and after a major overhaul for the launch of Mi Band 2, it hasn't had a major update since then. Therefore, it always has the same advantages and, of course, the same shortcomings.

The first setup is quick: the Mi Band 3 is immediately detected and then undergoes a major firmware update.

After that, a tutorial will show you how to use the little activity monitor. Please note that only one Xiaomi monitor can be linked to the app. So if you have an old generation Amazfit Bip or Mi Band, you will have to withdraw the link previously.

Once everything is ready for action, you'll have a relatively nice and easy-to-use interface in front of you. There are still some translation issues, but nothing major. Xiaomi has made great efforts to deliver a decent application in the Cervantes language.

The interface remains classic: the upper part shows the steps of the day, the distance traveled and the calories consumed. By scrolling the screen, you'll get directions on the latest activity, sleep monitoring, and heart rate. These data can be classified in the desired order or hidden. As you can see, starting to master this app is something immediate that will not take too long.

The central tab allows you to manually start monitoring a sport. However, this smartband can track various activities automatically.

The last tab allows you to configure the activity monitor and the application. The smart alarm clock is no longer available, so the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 will vibrate in the morning at a specific time, regardless of your sleep phase.

On the other hand, it is possible to add event reminders thanks to the big screen. Automatic pause is also managed. For a bit, we are almost close to the functions of high-end smart watches.

Activity tracking

Previous versions of Mi Band were not the most accurate in their readings. Will the third attempt be correct? Honestly, it's not perfect, but we're getting closer.

Heart rate monitoring is much better than before, as no heart spikes are noted rising to 170 beats while the person is at rest, which the Mi Band 2 sometimes did show. 24/7 monitoring seems to be quite effective.

A negative point is sleep control, as it only works during waking and sleeping hours, which does not offer a satisfactory experience. Something that subtracts a few points for some users.

The possibility of using the Mi Band 3 for swimming is absent, which seems absurd for a waterproof 5 ATM certified device. Second, it is only possible to manually register 4 sports:

WalkingOutdoor RunningBike Running

Yes, it is quite light. The main thing is there, so less greedy users will be satisfied with this bracelet. You have to take into account that you stay in a basic level fitness bracelet for around € 23. We cannot expect the same precision as in a sports watch like the Fitbit Ionic.

Overall, alongside the smartphone for GPS tracking, the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is still accurate enough to track your daily sports progress.

Autonomy

The great asset of the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 lies in its incredible autonomy. This new version does not deviate from the rule with its small 110 mAh battery.

If the capacity seems light, the use of an OLED screen can work miracles. All this with continuous cardiac monitoring. A great feat for this Xiaomi Mi Band 3 that seems capable of maintaining the 20 days promised by the manufacturer.

In various tests, in 4 days the battery has only lost 25% of its capacity, and the vibrator and notifications can still be used regularly.

Charging this bracelet takes about two hours, quite similar to the time worn by competitors, although this bracelet takes advantage due to its monstrous autonomy. Another point in favor of Xiaomi.

The absence of GPS allows less consumption, but also reduces functionality. With the Mi Band 2 an operating time of approximately two weeks could be reached, where the heart rate was continuously measured (even during sleep), notifications were received (for example, WhatsApp) and the alarm was activated in the morning. The new version of the smartband should live up to that.

Xiaomi also uses Bluetooth 4.2 LE, while the first versions of the Mi Band 2 still use Bluetooth 4.0. This should make the connection even more stable and, especially, faster.

Recharging works again with a charger similar to its predecessor. The Mi Band 2 can also be charged with the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 charger, but unfortunately this does not work the other way around.

The new Xiaomi Mi Band 3 has, therefore, more than interesting specifications for a device of this price.

Final words and conclusion about Xiaomi Mi Band 3

Xiaomi once again successfully renews its recipe. The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 gains in size to integrate a fully touch screen, which provides an important advantage. With these characteristics, it is very close to a smartwatch, while maintaining an unbeatable price.

It's a shame that swimming is not supported despite what the 5 ATM waterproofing suggests. However, for such a low price, the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is recommended if you are looking for a cheap and sufficient activity monitor for basic tracking.

The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is recommended because it costs little and has no design flaws. The hardware works as expected, and it takes care of the build to provide the convenience of holding it on your wrist all day.

The limits of its sensor system (without GPS, imprecise pedometer, unreliable cardio sensor) are the same as those of the competition and, in any case, they do not ruin the user experience. One of the good news is that your firmware is already in Spanish and decently translated.

It is not recommended for those who have to measure physical activity, much less for sports; the graphics it produces are just fun, not useful. And then outside you see little and nothing. Spending more on a real sports watch, or on a band with GPS, is an investment that lasts for years, which helps us grow in our physical shape and in our needs, for example, Polar bracelets are the best in this regard.

Do your best as a smartphone assistant, to vibrate when a notification arrives, to listen to a call when the phone is away or silent, to remind us of an appointment, to wake up without disturbing those who sleep next to us. It is light and discreet on the wrist, easy to control with your little touch, resistant to shower or dive in the sea.

If you need something similar, it is your best option, and at this price it has no rivals. Therefore, the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is a very good fitness bracelet. Currently we can find it between 25 to 30 euros in the main Chinese stores.

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ Waterproof up to 5 ATM	- OLED screen is upgradeable outdoors
+ Comfortable touch screen	- Without swimming support
+ Light weight and Mi Fit app
+ Autonomy and charge for two weeks
+ Price