Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro launched: Blurring the line between tracker and watch

Xiaomi‘s Smart Band fitness trackers have long stood out for their cheap price tags, but the company has upped the ante in recent years with its Pro line of Smart Band models.

Now, the manufacturer has announced the Smart Band 8 Pro, picking up where last year’s Smart Band 7 Pro left off. You’re looking at a similar design here, albeit with a slightly larger OLED screen (1.74 inches versus 1.64 inches). You also still have a metal-coated frame, 5ATM rating, and quick-release straps on the new model.

Xiaomi has brought some new features to the table to make use of the larger display, such as a variety of widgets (e.g. tracking, payments, media playback), an improved UI, and new watch faces and wallpapers.

The Smart Band 8 Pro also brings a larger battery (289mAh versus 235mAh). Xiaomi claims that the new tracker can therefore last for up to two weeks, or up to six days with the always-on display enabled.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a fitness tracker without health and fitness features. Fortunately, the new wearable brings features like integrated GPS, over 150 sports modes, the ability to view a replay of your activity overlaid onto a map (e.g. a run), warmup and stretching guidance, and more.

Other notable features include heart rate tracking, SpO2 monitoring, sleep/stress tracking, NFC, and smartphone integration.

Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro pricing and availability

The new Xiaomi wearable is available in China for 399 yuan (~$55), while the model with a leather strap will set you back 449 yuan (~$62).

The company didn’t mention global availability for the Smart Band 8 Pro. In saying so, the Band 7 Pro took four months to reach global markets after the Chinese launch. So we might be in for a long wait if it is indeed launching outside China. However, the vanilla Smart Band 8 is already widely available if you like the idea of a cheap fitness tracker.