Xiaomi Mi Band 5 debuts with bigger display and magnetic charger

The latest member of the world's most popular smart band family has arrived - Mi Band 5 is a major upgrade over its predecessor. And it achieves that while retaining the $26 starting price in China for the non-NFC version and $30 if you need the NFC.

The first major upgrade would be the AMOLED display, which has grown to 1.1" from 0.95" and as usual, it can be customized with the large selection of official and third-party designs. Animated watch faces are also on the menu.

The sensor set is unchanged - accelerometer, heart rate monitor, barometer and gyroscope with rumors of SpO2 tracking ending up false. The software has been enhanced however and there are 11 "professional modes" now as Xiaomi calls them. They are fine-tuned and provide some detailed insight and precise tracking. For example, Mi Band 5 can recognize five of the main swimming styles automatically. The band itself can be submerged in up to 50 meters of water .

A PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence) score is also now available to give you a bit more insight on how impactful was your workout on your overall well-being and fitness.

The heart monitoring has been improved a bunch and it can now detect abnormalities and notify you - just like the Apple Watch. Moreover, the new PPG sensor is 50% more accurate than its predecessor.

When it comes to sleep tracking, the Mi Band 5 can now extract data related to your REM sleep.

There's also an NFC version that can be used for payments. A voice assistant is present too, but we are yet to find out how that will work outside China.

Xiaomi guarantees 14 days of battery life. The charger has been improved and now hooks up to the back of the Mi Band 5 via magnets, so you don't need to detach the band for charging.

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 will start selling on June 18 in the country with a CNY 189 price tag for the regular version and CNY 229 for the NFC-enabled one.

Source (in Chinese)