Xiaomi has diversified its Smart Band (formerly Mi Band) range over the years and is now available in three different variants, with the Active being the most affordable at €30/20 – cheaper than the vanilla Smart Band 9.
Band 9 Active comes with a smaller 1.47-inch TFT display (60Hz) with some chunky bezels, and is noticeably dimmer than its siblings’ OLED panels. This little nugget is made entirely of plastic, weighs just 16.5 grams and is 9.99 mm thick, making it comfortable to wear 24/7.
There’s no shortage of watch faces here, with over 100 options from the Mi Fitness app. Our review model comes in black with a matching TPU strap and we also received the flashy black and green option.
Smart Band 9 Active has a PPG sensor for monitoring heart rate and blood oxygen levels. You also get the usual sleep and stress tracking and activity tracking for over 50 sports modes. There is no built-in GPS sensor, but the device is still 5ATM water resistant, so you can take it to the pool without any worries.
The retail package includes a proprietary two-in magnetic charger, similar to that of previous Smart Bands.
Xiaomi has included a 300mAh battery, which it claims will last up to 18 days with normal use. We’ll make sure we test these claims in our review in addition to our usual battery of tests.