Review of Mi Band 6 (Xiaomi Mi Band 6) - characteristics and features

As usual, Xiaomi released in the spring a new version of the most popular fitness accessory in the world: the bracelet Mi Band 6.

The new product received an enlarged display, a sensor for measuring blood oxygen saturation, an updated heart rate monitor and a number of fresh software functions.

We conducted extensive testing of the device and are ready to share the results.

It seems that this is not quite what the fans expected - instead of a new product, we were again given a minor update.

Did you put a spoon?

Let's start in order, with the box, which is made in a minimalist black color. No one will expect super-reliability from packaging for a price of up to $50, it’s just ordinary. The delivery set traditionally includes the fitness bracelet itself with a strap, instructions and a magnetic charger. Everything is as usual - laconic. Here it’s worth jumping ahead and noting that there is a version with and without NFC.

If it is present, then the NFC inscription will be highlighted on the box itself, but, unfortunately, this function does not yet work in our countries. We can only hope that this will be cured, as it already happened with the Mi Band 4. Perhaps it’s not worth overpaying yet, if you buy on Chinese sites, be careful when purchasing!

Price

Currently, Mi Band 6 can be purchased for about $40 on AliExpress. And this is for the Chinese version without NFS. At one time, Mi Band 5 cost less than $30 at the start of sales. In this regard, the new product is a little disappointing, since the only real innovations here are an enlarged screen and a sensor for measuring SpO2 levels . The remaining functions are all software that could have been implemented in version 5.

Prices for straps remained approximately the same. But when purchasing them, you need to pay attention to the fact that there is a lock for the capsule so that it fits more tightly.

Characteristics

Size: 47.4x18.6x12.7 mm
Display: 1.56 inches AMOLED, pixel density 326 ppi, resolution 152x486, peak brightness 450 nits
Battery: 125 mAh Li-Pol, 14 days of operation without recharging
Memory: 2/32 MB
Sensors: Heart rate and oxygen sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor
Water resistance: 5 ATM
Communications: Bluetooth 5.0, NFC (optional)>
Functions: Fitness trainer, breath quality analysis, sleep quality measurement, stress monitoring, calorie counter, pedometer, weather forecast, “women’s” calendar, smartphone camera and player control, “Find Phone” function
Features: Vibration, notifications of calls and SMS/social messages. networks/Email, notifications from applications
Weight: 12.8g (24g with strap)

Sleep tracking

Like previous generations, the Six automatically determines the time you fall asleep, the time you wake up, and the duration of each sleep phase. The sleep data collected is quite detailed and includes slow wave sleep, rapid eye movement sleep, and light sleep . You can also enable a new function for testing the quality of breathing during sleep, but this option will greatly drain the battery.

Mi Bands have always been famous for their detailed sleep statistics. Although previously Mi Fit did not display all the data and had to use third-party applications. But with the release of Mi Smart Band 5, it is now convenient to see in the proprietary application when and how many times you woke up, as well as the total time spent in each stage of sleep.

What's wrong with the face

On the reverse side there is a heart rate monitor and a “socket” - if you can call it that now - for magnetic charging. It also migrated from the previous version. Agree, this is much more practical than inserting a cable into a connector.

The appearance of Mi Bend 6 has not changed since the 5th. The same black oblong capsule with a color screen. But to be precise, the overall dimensions have slightly increased (by tenths of a millimeter) - so much so that these changes can be neglected. For comparison, here are the overall dimensions of the 5th version: 46.95 x 18.15 x 12.45 mm. The display itself has grown quite well, now its diagonal is 1.56 inches versus 1.1 inches in MiBand 5. But due to this, more information can be seen only in some menu items. This is due to the fact that the diagonal was increased due to the oval shape of the display, i.e. roughly speaking, we added a radius. The resolution and pixel density have also increased, so the picture should become a little clearer. They decided to completely remove the touch button.

Deals of the day: Xiaomi Mi Band 6, Baseus TWS headphones and Mixcder E9 Pro

The 2.5D glass covering the screen has rounded edges, a pleasant oleophobic and anti-glare coating, but it is not GorillaGlass. So thrifty users should consider purchasing a protective film for their watch. Is it worth mentioning that the watch case is made of plastic...

Step Counting Accuracy

The step counting function is one of the most basic functions in Xiaomi Mi Band 6. The bracelet counts all the steps you take during the day while walking or running.

The pedometer itself works exactly the same as previous models. The author tested its accuracy together with Mi Band 5 and Honor Band 6. So Xiaomi trackers count movement on an electric scooter at a speed of 10 kilometers as running, but if you gain more than 15 km, the counting is interrupted. Another example, at night Mi Bends can count hand movements as walking and in the morning you will find that you have already taken about 100 steps somewhere.

Pedometer calibration

But this is not a new problem; the pedometer can be calibrated. The most common customization option that the Mi Band 6 offers is to calibrate the pedometer to detect each step. This option improves the accuracy of step counting, but also drains the battery faster.

We go to Mi Fit.
Go to Profile and select Behavior Tags.
Using such tags, we can train the tracker to more accurately recognize the type of activity and not count unnecessary steps.

The main thing is to use behavior tags as often as possible, then the bracelet will learn much faster.

Comfortable?

In terms of ergonomics, everything is good - you will not feel any discomfort when wearing it, the strap is comfortable, although not the softest of all that you have ever held in your hands. Will the strap from the previous generation fit? Due to the slightly increased size, inserting the capsule will be difficult, although possible.

Since there is now no button, control has switched entirely to gestures. Comfortable. The only negative, perhaps, is that to go back you now need to swipe left on the screen. I would like to see multitasking, but it’s practically non-existent. For example, if a stopwatch is running, you won’t be able to minimize it while it’s running and then return to it. It is only possible to control music during training by swiping left.

Experience of use

There are no real differences between the appearance of Mi Band 6 and Mi Band 5. All sizes are exactly the same. The only difference is the filling. The feeling of wearing the bracelet is very good. The strap is elastic and soft, it is made of hypoallergenic material, so there should be no problems with irritation during prolonged wear. The form factor also makes it easy to put on and take off.

Display

A little about the screen. He has a very noticeable chin , and the frame is quite noticeable. If you use colored dials, this will catch your eye even more. Therefore, my recommendation is to use only dark themes.

Strap mount

Here a small lock appeared on the inside of the strap so that the capsule fits more tightly. In past generations there was a slight problem with this. The straps also fit from the top five, but without a lock the capsule will dangle a little.

Daily wear

The author used it throughout the day, and only took it off for charging. The tracker does not interfere with everyday activities. Sleeping or, for example, taking a shower is quite comfortable. Only if you accidentally activate the screen and drops fall on the display can any task start, but in principle everything is fine.

Interacting with your phone

Using MiBand 6, you can create calendar events and manage alarms, including creating new ones or deleting old ones.

In order to fully use the Xiaomi fitness tracker, you must have an Android version higher than 5.0 or iOS 10. You must install the MiFit or MiWear application, they are available in PlayMarket or AppStore. If we briefly describe these two applications, MiWear is more beautiful and aesthetically pleasing in appearance, but still a bit crude, and MiFit is more convenient and practical.

After installation, you need to connect the watch to your smartphone via Bluetooth. Directly from your smartphone, you can choose from a huge variety of different covers for the watch face, of which you can save no more than 3 directly in the tracker itself (except for 3 standard ones, we get 6 in total). You can also create your own watch face from your image.

From the bracelet you can control the smartphone camera, sound modes and player. There is a convenient “Find Smartphone” function if you forget where you put it.

Notifications can not only be received, but also viewed. To be honest, doing the second is extremely inconvenient due to the small size and curves of the display, so most likely you will still be reading messages on your smartphone.

Full setup of Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6

After successful pairing, we begin setting up the tracker. There are many settings that the user can change. Most of the settings are located in Mi Fit, but some are also on the screen of the bracelet itself.

Via bracelet

We swipe down on the watch screen. We need the Settings tab.

Display There are three preset watch faces to choose from. Watchfaces are as simple as possible: a black background and only the necessary information, such as time, heart rate, number of steps and distance traveled.

If you click on the gear at the bottom of the screen, an editing window will open. In it you can change the parameters that will be displayed on the bracelet dial. For example, instead of the pulse, put the PAI index or the current charge of the gadget.

Do not disturb Turn on this mode if you want to pause receiving notifications from your smartphone. There are several options for working:

automatic activation of the mode if you remove the tracker from your hand or fall asleep;
shutdown after 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 and 3 hours;
Do not disturb is always on until you manually change the setting;
operation of the mode for a certain time: for example, from 22:00 to 7:00.

Brightness

The tab is responsible for changing the brightness of the display. There are five levels of adjustment in total. Click on the plus to increase the brightness, on the minus to decrease. It is recommended to use maximum brightness only outdoors in sunny weather, since the charge drains quickly.

For everyday indoor use, the fourth or third level is suitable. In the dark, you can set the second level. To avoid lowering the brightness yourself every evening, turn on automatic mode in Mi Fit. We will tell you how to do this below.

Lock screen and turning on the screen

The Lock Screen feature protects against accidental touches. The dial lights up with one touch, but to go to the menu you already need to make a long tap up.

“Turn on the screen” - here we select the gesture that will turn on the display: tap on the screen or swipe up.

Automatic screen off

You need to select the time period during which the screen will be active. The minimum value is 6 seconds, the maximum is 10. When you turn on ten seconds, the bracelet warns that the battery may quickly discharge. But in practice, even this time may not be enough if you are studying, for example, today's activity or viewing the weather.

Activate screen when notified

Typically, the bracelet display turns on as soon as a new alert arrives on the phone. This is convenient because you don’t need to take out your mobile device. But if notifications come at night, it can be intrusive and annoying. Just open this tab and set the period during which the screen is allowed to turn on for incoming notifications. The default is from 8:00 to 22:00.

Press and hold

This option allows you to change the watch face with a long press. We talked in more detail about editing watch faces in the previous paragraph. The function can be disabled by simply moving the slider to the inactive state.

Detect activity

This is automatic training status tracking. The activity will be read in the background. Very convenient if you often play sports. In the tab you need to select the type of workout for automatic detection. The only negative is the quick discharge of the tracker.

Reboot and factory reset

Items responsible for hard reset and reboot. A full reset is recommended in case of serious system failures, when the bracelet does not respond, does not read activity information, or does not connect to the smartphone. A regular reboot can be done for preventative purposes, for example, once a week.

You may be interested in: Mi Band 6 chips.

Using the Mi Fit app

The program itself has many more interesting and useful settings. Once we've looked at the basic parameters of the bracelet, we can start setting it up via Mi Fit.

Setting the watch face

The application contains a huge number of different screensavers. All watchfaces are official, so there are no problems with functionality. Screensavers are divided into thematic groups. If you select “Custom dial”, you can change the color of the elements and set your own background image.

To change your watch face, open “Profile” and go to “Store” .
Choose the option you like. Xiaomi Mi Band 6 supports both regular and animated screensavers.
Click on the orange button "Sync watch face". Wait for the installation to complete.
Read also: Resetting DRM licenses on Android - what is it and why is it needed?

Access to notifications and calls

Next you need to set up notifications. For this:

Open “Profile” and click on the attached bracelet. Select "Notifications and reminders" .
Go to the “Notifications” tab. We provide Mi Fit with access to notifications. After this, the slider next to notifications is activated automatically. Optionally, you can enable the “Receive notifications only when the screen is off” feature.
At the bottom, click “Manage Applications”. We check the boxes next to those programs from which we want to receive notifications.

Now let's move on to incoming calls. We give permission to access calls, contacts and call history. Activate the “Alert about incoming call” and “Show contact details” checkboxes. Also, if desired, enable the “Automatic reply in SMS message” option. In the next tab, select answer options.

The “Incoming SMS” item is configured in the same way: we provide all the necessary permissions and activate the line. If you wish, you can also turn on “Warm-up reminders” and “Goal notifications.”

Health monitoring

This section is responsible for enabling and configuring sensors that measure physical indicators.

Pulse – here you can enable continuous monitoring of heart rate after a certain period of time and automatic recording of pulse when physical activity is detected.
Sleep – This tab has a sleep monitoring assistant that will record more accurate data during your night's rest. Monitoring the quality of breathing during sleep is also available.
Stress – 24/7 stress level monitoring. Data will be measured every 5 minutes.

Adding a custom vibration

The default vibration can be replaced with a custom one. Changing the parameter is available for all types of notifications, namely: incoming call, events, alarm, notifications, warm-up reminders, incoming SMS, goal notifications and bracelet search.

Just open the required tab and click “Add”. We touch the phone screen to create our own vibration. The longer we hold our finger, the more intense the vibration response. Next, click “Save” in the upper right corner.

Application settings and other functions

At this point you can save events, set an alarm, select a city and unit of measurement for displaying weather, and remove or add cities for world time. This information will then be displayed on the tracker screen.

There are also options that can be configured:

Enable bracelet detection;
Limiting connections;
Unlocking your smartphone screen using your phone.

General settings

By opening the section with the connected fitness bracelet, you will find that there is a separate “Bracelet Settings” tab. It's also worth a visit.

Language – independent choice of language. Global Version supports Russian, but problems may arise with the Chinese version of Mi Band 6.
Display settings – move the icons that should be displayed on the bracelet. Place items you use frequently, such as heart rate and SpO2 levels, first. Move less used tabs to the bottom of the list. If some object is not needed at all, hide it.
Shortcut Options – Highlight the most important items. They will become available for quick viewing: you just need to swipe right on the watch screen. By default, the weather, watch face, and music controls are highlighted.
Training options – the user can move the order of training modes, and hide unnecessary sports altogether.
Raise your wrist to view information - automatically turns on the display when you lift and rotate your hand.
Bracelet lock - set a password on your Mi Band consisting of a combination of numbers. The device will lock as soon as you remove it.
Night mode – automatically reduces the screen brightness for a specified period of time.
Bracelet location – indicate which hand you wear the tracker on.

Camera shutter control

Separately, you need to connect the smartphone camera control.

Open the bracelet settings and go to the “Laboratory” tab.
Click "Camera Settings" - "Bluetooth Connection".
Confirm pairing. Now you can take photos on your phone using Mi Band 6 by going to the “Camera” section on the tracker.

Functions and features

It is also interesting to observe how mi band 6 recognizes stress and offers to use the “breathing” mode to restore the state.

You can now train at least around the clock, because as many as 30 modes are provided to help (previously there were 11). It also claims to automatically select a training mode if you haven’t done it yourself. This assistant can determine whether its owner is riding a bicycle or, for example, running on his own two feet and will suggest the appropriate type of training.

The available modes include everything: walking, running, cycling, yoga, even various dances. The only thing missing is watching sports on TV and eating hamburgers. It feels like soon the bracelet will be able to count more goals scored or goals thrown into the basket...

Finally, MiBand fans have the opportunity to measure blood oxygen saturation levels. Something didn’t work out with the fifth generation, so we had to wait until the sixth generation for the sensor. And here you go, measure it. The measurement occurs surprisingly quickly, but in addition to manual measurement, it can also be configured automatically. Data will be recorded and detailed statistics will be generated. The manufacturer carefully warns that this is not a medical device, so you should not rely too much on its readings.

MiBand 6 is ready to accurately monitor your steps, calculate mileage, calories burned, analyze pulse, sleep, rest and even stress. As for the accuracy of heart rate measurements, the gadget copes with this task quite well. But again, not ideal (remember the warning from the instructions).

Also, a feature of the 6th Bend can be called working with a “female” calendar - that is, tracking the menstrual cycle, recording the duration and even, among other things, mood.

Mi life

Mi band 6 can withstand the stated 14 days of operation only without the use of additional functions. In general, autonomy has suffered a little due to the increase in the size of the display and the additional oxygen sensor. In practice, active users will have to recharge the battery after a week, and possibly less.

What do we think about Xiaomi Mi Band 6 and the drawing of ten fitness bracelets

And there will be those who, on the contrary, will not be able to plug in their gadget for more than 2 weeks. Charging the 125 mAh battery itself will take no more than 1.5 hours. To be fair, it is worth mentioning that the charging connector is identical to the previous version, so you can use the charger from the old watch.

Shall we emerge?

For lovers of water procedures, moisture protection has remained at the same level - 5 ATM. This means that the device can withstand short-term immersion in fresh water if you accidentally drop it into the water. That is, you can wash your hands and take a shower, but it is not advisable to swim with a bracelet. It is especially not recommended to dive into the depths with it.

So, if you're worried about forgetting what time you need to surface after diving deep, then you might want to consider investing in a more suitable waterproof watch.

To take or not to take

As a result, it is useful to discuss two questions: 1) if you already have a MiBand 5 watch, is it worth changing it to MiBand 6 and 2) should you buy it if this is your first purchase of a fitness tracker?

If you have a 5th generation watch, then the updates in the 6th are not so important that you need to buy a six to replace it. Only if you fundamentally need an approximate oxygen level sensor. The price is almost 2 times different when comparing new ones.

But if you're thinking about buying a watch in general, then of course, this is a pretty good option, considering how versatile it is: 30 workout modes, sleep, rest, activity and stress monitoring; many dial options; an improved interface and notifications, all in a still compact size. Whatever one may say, competitors certainly cannot offer this!

All the best and may Android be with you!

Built-in watch faces

When you turn it on for the first time, the screen will be set to a standard watch face. There are a total of 3 preset options. To select or change it to another, you need to hold your finger on the main screen for a few seconds and then scroll to the desired type.

Also, thanks to the huge list of free watch faces in the Mi Fit app, you can find the perfect option for yourself. But if even this list is not enough, and you are looking for more interesting topics, then try, for example, the Notify and Fitness application. There is already a larger assortment here and, what is important, the dials are quite often replenished with new items. You can also try creating your own watch face.