Best Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:

Two years after the Mi Band 2, Xiaomi returns to the world of activity sensors with its Mi Band 3. An activity sensor with heart rate monitor that promises autonomy of more than 10 days.

Presentation

After a convincing Mi Band 2 in 2016, Xiaomi returns with the Mi Band 3 at the end of the year. An activity sensor whose ambition is to reach the widest audience by betting on its unbeatable price: only € 30. On the program, the promise of great autonomy and a successful heart rate monitor. Words in the air or success? The answer in this test

Best Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020

1. Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Fitness Tracker 50m Waterproof Smart Band Smartband OLED Display Touchpad Heart Rate Monitor Wristbands Bracelet, Black

2. Mini Relógio Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Smart Watch Para Android, Ios Preto

3. Xiaomi Mi Band 4 Fitness Tracker Newest 0.95 Inch Color AMOLED Screen Smart Bracelet Heart Rate Monitor 50M Water Resistant Activity Tracker Sports Watch

4. Xiaomi Mi Band 4 Fitness Tracker, Newest 0.95” Color AMOLED Display Bluetooth 5.0 Smart Bracelet Heart Rate Monitor 50 Meters Waterproof Bracelet with 135mAh Battery up to 20 Days Activity Tracker

5. Xiaomi Mi Band 4

Ergonomics and design

The design of the Mi Band 3 does not revolutionize the series and is satisfied with improvements by small touches. The aesthetics of this third growth differs mainly by its sensitive button. It is now better integrated into the sensor design, as an extension of the screen. It is also quite reactive and benefits from an activated haptic feedback in most situations.

Always as light (20 g), the formula with an oval sensor, inserted in a rubber strap, is back. Hypoallergenic, it turns out to be rather pleasant to the touch and never irritates, even when wet. It also has enough notches to fit all wrist sizes. It is however necessary to force a little bit to remove the sensor from its bracelet. Fortunately, the latter is flexible enough to survive many deformations and tortures.

The Mi Band 3 has a 0.78 inch Oled panel displaying 128 x 80 px. It is bright enough to suit all situations. At the back, in an oval outgrowth, are the two green LEDs that are used to calculate the heart rate. Like its elders, the Mi Band is waterproof up to 5 ATM.

Interface

Purified as possible, the interface of the Mi Band only displays the time and date. You have to play with the touch screen to get more, thanks to vertical and horizontal movements. Embarking on a sort of menu on two floors, the terminal finally offers the minimum union on the wrist. We thus find the steps, the calories expended, the distance traveled during the day, the notifications (SMS, Whatsapp, Messenger) or even the weather. It is also possible to start a stopwatch or a sporting activity, directly from your wrist. Obviously, the battery level is indicated on the screen, but at the bottom of a menu. Luckily, the autonomy is high enough not to have to check it every two minutes.

Unfortunately, the Mi Band does not prove to be most ergonomic when receiving a message. The small size of the screen and its inability to manage emoticons limit the quality of reading as well as the usefulness of the maneuver. Scrolling through the text is still possible, but not very engaging. And as long as there is a URL in the message …

Already problematic when reading a message, the interface of the Mi Band suffers from a more general defect. The small 0.78 inch panel sometimes has trouble recognizing movement, making navigation difficult. A little learning time is therefore necessary in order to find the right gesture and manage to cross the menus without a hitch. Always a little frustrating effort to make.

Application

The Mi Band is compatible with the Mi Fit app, available on iOS and Android. From the first contact, it is distinguished by the most fluid navigation and proves to be a particularly pleasant companion. Very refined aesthetically, it has the merit of going straight to the point, thanks to an airy interface. A graphic choice all the more pleasant as it is supported by a real depth in terms of possibilities.

It is thus possible, with a single click, to access rather complete reports concerning various measures, such as heart rate, a particular training session or sleep monitoring. Gathering a lot of data from day to day, the Mi Fit app details the average daily distance traveled, activity schedules, sleep quality and is quite relevant in terms of monitoring.

On the other hand, Mi Fit offers wide customization. Where certain manufacturers restrict the parameters to a minimum, Xiaomi offers a whole range of them. Always benefiting from a clear and coherent interface, it is thus possible to configure each of the notifications, to regulate the reading of the heart rate at rest or even to activate the smartlock with compatible smartphones.

Behind this beautiful balance sheet, we can however regret the exaggeration of the use of the data collected. Mi Fit spends its time placing users in competition with other users, believing that “you sleep better”, that you are “lighter”, “more active” than a certain number of “competitors” ‘. The application also allows you to disclose a whole host of tips to help the user live their day well according to their sleep. This ultimately gives a tone between that of the parent and that of the sports coach. It remains to know what you expect from such an application and to remember only what interests you.

Uses and precision

To measure the performance of the Mi Band 3, we compared its results with those of the Polar H10 chest belt, which we consider to be very reliable in terms of measurements. We measured the running by linking the laps on a 1.9 km circuit. Regarding cycling, we have a typical circuit, 3.12 km.

Lifestyle oriented , the Mi Band 3 still has an accelerometer and a heart rate monitor at the back with two LEDs. However, no GPS in the program. The terminal relies on the geolocation data of the associated smartphone. No need to judge them here then. It is necessary to have your mobile phone nearby during your physical activity, a rather logical constraint on a product launched at 30 €.

The Mi Band 3 therefore focuses on measuring the heart rate. Unfortunately, his results are mixed, sometimes very precise, sometimes completely on the street. Thus, during a jogging trip, the Mi Band underestimated the average heart rate by about 13%, which corresponds to about 20 beats. Same thing during an equally intense bike ride, with results underestimated by more than 10%. On the other hand, the Mi Band 3 was much more precise during a milder physical activity, such as walking, with a margin of error of less than 1%. Relevant at rest, much less in intense effort, the terminal logically has problems during interval training. The Mi Band then records a linear heart rate, very far from reality.

The Mi Band also uses its heart rate monitor to track sleep. Its results remain broadly consistent, with a few exceptions. Sometimes it is necessary to get up for the waking state to be recorded.

Autonomy

With its 110 mAh battery, the Mi Band 3 offers relentless autonomy. We measured around ten days of autonomy with daily physical activity, receiving regular notifications and constant monitoring of the heart rate. A most solid result for a companion who will not let you go anytime soon.

Charging the Mi Band 3 takes approximately 2h20 with the proprietary charger supplied with the bracelet.

CONCLUSION

The Mi Band 3 offers a mixed experience. Attractive by its price, this activity sensor is still too limited to be really relevant. It is content, in short, to ensure the minimum, the fault of too random heart rate measurements and insufficient ergonomics to easily read all messages from the associated phone. It will suit those who wish to follow their activity without getting overly involved and without spending too much. In addition to this unbeatable price, it has some other interesting qualities, such as its 10 days of autonomy which make the Mi Band last long enough not to have to suffer too much from the chore of recharging.

Related

1. Best Huawei Band 3 Pro Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020
2. Best Huawei Watch GT Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020
3. Best Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4 Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020