On a hike with Xiaomi Smart Band 10: I probably wouldn't find a better digital companion for this price

Xiaomi officially brought the tenth generation of the popular Smart Band smart bracelet to the Czech Republic at the end of June. After a slight price increase, this year it carries a recommended price of CZK 1,099, while the more premium white variant with a ceramic body is priced by the manufacturer at CZK 1,499. I recently received that very one for testing, and I must say, I couldn’t have had better timing. Shortly after receiving the band, I was leaving for a five-day hiking trip, which served as an ideal “benchmark” to test all the main features of the band.

Before we begin (or my experience with Mi Band)

I first encountered the Mi Band series as a child (which isn’t surprising, given that I’m still studying). Back then, I noticed the “ones” without a display on other people’s wrists and wondered what kind of strange bracelet they were wearing. It wasn’t until the release of the “twos” – which almost everyone seemed to have at the time – that I roughly understood what they were, and I later owned the third generation myself. After a few years, I took a fairly long break from smart bands and only really returned to them last year, this time as a technology editor. Aside from testing the almost-watch-like Smart Band 9 Pro and the competing Galaxy Fit3, the leap from Mi Band 3 to Smart Band 10 is truly significant for me.

First impressions of packaging and construction

My approximately 60km trip with overnight stays in the forest didn’t start until Monday, but since my group and I were leaving by train from Olomouc relatively early in the morning, preparations fell on Sunday. And with them, unboxing and setting up the Smart Band 10. The packaging has changed over the years, and the tenth generation’s box is elongated and nicely designed. Inside, in addition to the band itself and minimal paperwork, you’ll also find a charger that is far more practical than I remember it being. The device itself doesn’t need to be inserted anywhere like it used to, and you’ll appreciate even more that you don’t have to remove it from the strap to charge it.

The ceramic variant I received feels really good. The fact that the body isn’t made of cheap plastic gives the fifteen-hundred-crown band a much more premium feel. Don’t expect any miracles from the fluoro-rubber strap. I personally have a rather negative experience with it, as not only is it relatively difficult for me to tighten, but it also came loose several times during use (for example, when I awkwardly brushed my hand against an object, causing the clasp to unfasten).

AMOLED display that can surprise

If anything truly impressed me about the Smart Band 10, it’s definitely its AMOLED display. Xiaomi proves that even affordable wearable electronics can use a high-quality panel that is very pleasant to look at. You’ll especially appreciate its size – thanks to significantly narrower bezels, we’re talking about 1.72” – and its brightness, which reaches up to 1,500 nits in HBM mode. Even in the August sun, you’ll be able to clearly see individual data, which I can confirm, as despite our efforts to walk through forests, we unfortunately couldn’t completely avoid villages. I was intrigued that the band can even be used as a “flashlight” (it has a special mode for this). So, if you need to illuminate objects in your immediate vicinity at night, you won’t have to reach for your phone.

Also worth mentioning is the solid resolution of 212 × 520 pixels and the color reproduction, which I really liked. Furthermore, the manufacturer is gradually turning the Smart Band into a fashion accessory by adding attractive watch faces that you certainly won’t have to be ashamed of. Last but not least, the panel supports the always-on function.

Excellent battery life

For such treks, we always only bring power banks, and we usually have to conserve energy to make it last until the end. I wanted to take the Smart Band charger just in case, but I forgot it in the morning. In the end, it didn’t matter at all…

I left home on Monday with approximately 98% capacity; evidently, some charge was used up while monitoring sleep and playing with features on Sunday evening. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the battery life on the trip. To illustrate: for about half the day, I had activity monitoring running, regularly checked distance covered or time, the display had automatic brightness set, so brightness adjusted to higher values in the sun, occasionally a notification came from my phone, and in the evening, I sometimes checked statistics from the past day. Despite all this, I returned on Friday around noon with a remaining capacity slightly above 55%.

Xiaomi significantly increased the battery capacity in the ninth generation, and in the case of the Smart Band 10, we are specifically talking about 233 mAh. In typical usage mode, the manufacturer states up to 21 days of operation, while with intensive use, it claims only 8 days. Either way, these are excellent numbers.

Health tracking presented with pleasant graphics

The main motivation for buying any smart band from Xiaomi should be the desire for health and sports activity tracking. In this area, the Chinese manufacturer has many years of experience, and its products boast impressive accuracy for their price.

Xiaomi focused mainly on sleep monitoring for the tenth generation. After waking up in my hammock each morning, I knew the exact number of awakenings (mostly due to cold or bothersome mosquitoes, although the band won’t explicitly tell you that), and from the graph, I could deduce roughly how long it took me to fall back asleep. In the mobile application, you’ll find out more than just the percentage distribution and duration of individual sleep phases. Based on longer-term measurements, you’ll receive tailored recommendations and also learn which animal you resemble in terms of sleep (I, for example, sleep like a koala). If you’re serious about making the best possible use of your time spent in bed, you can start a 21-day sleep improvement plan in the app. Xiaomi created this in collaboration with internationally recognized organizations such as the World Sleep Society.

Naturally, the band also excels in other areas of health and sports tracking. It can monitor your heart rate, measure oxygen levels or stress levels, or evaluate your training load. The range of features also includes breathing exercises, although I never had much tendency to use those (and in nature, where I took a small digital detox and consequently had less stress, I had no reason at all).

Athletes will appreciate the presence of over 150 activity tracking modes. For me, Hiking was the most beneficial, but when swimming across the sandpit, I could switch to swimming mode. This is linked to another important feature of the band, which is 5 ATM water resistance. With this, you don’t have to worry about immersion in a pool, although for faster water sports, the manufacturer recommends leaving the band on shore.

The overall experience of health and sports tracking is largely influenced by the graphical interface of both the band and the phone application. It is colorful, modern, and clear, so you won’t get lost in it and will quickly find out how you’re doing.

Verdict: a great band for a great price

Xiaomi simply knows how to make smart bands. The Smart Band 10 impresses with a great display and a rich array of features that even more expensive smartwatches wouldn’t be ashamed of. On a hiking trip, it was an ideal companion, making it easy to track how I was doing during the day and why I should look forward to a proper bed back home. With features for everyday life, such as the ability to control music from your phone or the Calendar, it also partially replaces smartwatches.

What impressed you about the Xiaomi Smart Band 10?