Comparison of fitness bracelets Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6, Honor Band 6 and Huawei Band 6

Fitness bracelets from Xiaomi, Huawei and Honor almost always take leading positions in any ratings of inexpensive activity trackers. New devices from these companies, namely Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6, Huawei Band 6 and Honor Band 6, will also become one of the most popular fitness bracelets. All three models have decent characteristics and functionality at a low price.

The first of the three bracelets appeared Honor Band 6. It debuted in China at the end of last year, but was announced on the global market only in March of this year. Following it, after many rumors and leaks, Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6 was presented. The last to be presented was Huawei Band 6.

Huawei Band 6

For those unaware, Huawei and Honor split late last year, but so far their devices use the same apps and are very similar in terms of design and functionality. Essentially, Huawei Band 6 is a slightly modified and renamed version of Honor Band 6, or maybe vice versa.

But which tracker from these three is better to choose, considering that they are in the same price range? In our comparison, we will try to understand the differences and features of these three devices, which can help you make your choice.

Let's start the comparison with the main technical characteristics.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6 vs Huawei Band 6 vs Honor Band 6: Screen

The main feature of all three trackers is the large screen, like for a fitness bracelet. For the third year in a row, Xiaomi has enlarged the screen in each new generation of tracker. It’s interesting that all this time the company managed to increase the display size while leaving the dimensions of the device unchanged.

In the latest version, the manufacturer abandoned the touch button under the screen and minimized the frames around the display. Xiaomi Mi Band 6 is equipped with a 1.56-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 486 * 152 pixels (density 326 PPI).

Honor and Huawei went a different route. They enlarged the screen by enlarging the body and now both Huawei Band 6 and Honor Band 6 look more like smart watches.

Honor Band 6

Both bracelets are equipped with a 1.47-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 368 * 194 pixels (283 PPI density). That is, despite its smaller dimensions, the Mi Band 6 has a slightly larger screen and a higher resolution.

On the other hand, although Huami, which produces Mi Band fitness bracelets for Xiaomi, managed to tailor the interface and dials to the non-standard shape of the matrix as much as possible, the rectangular and wider screen of Huawei Band 6 and Honor Band 6, in my opinion, is more informative and convenient.

Huawei Band 6 and Honor Band 6 have a mechanical button on the right side of the case to turn on/off the screen, call up the menu and return to the main screen. Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6 does not have such a button and all control is carried out by swiping across the screen.

Now a little about the dials. Out of the box, about 80 dial options are available for Huawei Band 6 and Honor Band 6; Mi Smart Band 6 has about 130 of them. But, as you know, almost immediately after the start of sales, hundreds, if not thousands of new screen design options appear online. That is, from the point of view of customization, the Xiaomi bracelet wins. By the way, none of the three bracelets supports Always on Display mode (always on the screen).

The situation is similar with straps and bracelets. Soon the Xiaomi Mi Band 6 will be equipped with many additional accessories, including straps and bracelets of various colors and materials. For Honor fitness bracelets, the choice of additional accessories is traditionally much smaller, largely due to the specific fastening of the strap to the case.

Difference in characteristics

Honor Bend 5 and 6 were equipped with a huge number of different sensors used in fitness bracelets. There is also a pulse oximeter, which in light of recent events everyone may need. Both trackers have a built-in accelerometer, gyroscope, and heart rate monitor. They can measure the number of steps and convert them into distance traveled. Tracking accuracy is high in both cases.

Both bracelets are protected from sweat, dust and moisture. They can be immersed in water up to 50 m. But both models are not intended for scuba diving.

Both trackers are not equipped with GPS. Honor Bend 6 automatically detects activity and measures the pace of movement. Honor 5 is designed for swimming enthusiasts. It is equipped with a stroke counter, can detect the type of swimming.

Both bracelets are compatible with Android phones, and only the sixth version can connect to iOS. Bluetooth version 5 is installed here, while Honor 5 has version 4.2.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6 vs Huawei Band 6 vs Honor Band 6: Functionality and sensors

From a functional point of view, these devices are very similar. All three trackers are equipped with a 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, optical heart rate sensor and SpO2 sensor. None of the three devices is equipped with a GPS module.

Honor Band 6 and Xiaomi Mi Band 6 have versions with NFC, but for now you can only take advantage of all the benefits of this technology in China. Perhaps in the future there will be a Mi Band 6 with contactless payment functionality for the global market, but it is not there yet.

All three devices can support the following functions:

• Notifications about calls and messages;
• Monitoring of sports modes;
• Counting steps, distance and calories;
• Real-time and 24/7 heart rate measurement;
• Stress monitoring;
• Measuring blood oxygen levels;
• Breathing exercises;
• Sleep tracking;
• Alarm;
• Reminder for long periods of immobility;
• Phone playlist management;
• Smartphone camera shutter control;
• Weather forecast;
• Women's calendar;
• Stopwatch and timer;
• "Find phone" function.

Now about the differences. Huawei Band 6 can measure blood oxygen saturation, both in real time and around the clock, automatically. Honor Band 6 and Xiaomi Mi Band 6 measure SpO2 only in real time. But the Xiaomi bracelet uses an SpO2 sensor to monitor the quality of breathing during sleep. Competitors do not have such a function. Another function that only Mi Band 6 has is the determination of the PAI index. What is it and why is it needed, read in this material.

Another difference between all three devices is the number of supported sports modes. Huawei Band 6 has 96 of them, Honor Band 6 has 11, Mi Band 6 has 30. All three bracelets can automatically detect activity and offer to start recording data, and Mi Band 6 can also automatically pause recording if it stops. Because of this, the data recorded by Huawei Band 6, Honor Band 6 and Mi Band 6 may differ significantly. This can be seen in the screenshot below.

All three bracelets can determine the time of falling asleep and the time of awakening, determine the stages of sleep, and even track daytime sleep. Below you can see the sleep report obtained using Honor Band 6 and Mi Band 6.

Huawei and Honor bracelets support the smart alarm function. Mi Band 6 does not have this feature out of the box, but it can be obtained using third-party applications. By the way, unlike competitors that work only with the Huawei Health application, the Xiaomi fitness bracelet can work with many alternative applications from third-party manufacturers.

It is also worth noting the flexibility of the Xiaomi Mi Band 6 settings; there are many more of them than its competitors. It is possible to configure your own vibration “pattern” for almost every event or notification, configure several screen activation options, and configure the display of functions in the main menu and in the quick access menu.

The rest of the fitness tracking features are pretty much the same across the three devices.

Functional

The result of the larger display was the expansion of functionality. More information is placed here, it is better visible because the font is larger. If you need to control Honor Bend 5 by scrolling through the menu from top to bottom, then in the sixth version - from bottom to top. The form of displaying the menu has also changed. After pressing the physical button, all of its items appear on the display. In the fifth model they are hidden under the “More” button.

Both trackers have the same number of training modes, 9 basic and one customizable. There is a mode for determining physical activity.

Swiping from bottom to top in Xonor 6 brings up the notification menu, and in the opposite direction - a menu with settings, battery level, and date. On the bracelet, without going into your smartphone, you can set an alarm clock and set up night mode. It is possible to control the camera remotely.

Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6 vs Huawei Band 6 vs Honor Band 6: battery life

For all three devices, the manufacturer claims up to 14 days of battery life. In fact, autonomy will greatly depend on the intensity of use. With "normal" use, you can expect about 8-10 days of use, regardless of the fitness tracker model in this comparison.

All three devices are charged using a cable with a magnetic connector.

Conclusion

Considering the results of the comparison between Honor Band 5 and 6, we can draw the following conclusion. Both models of Xonor Band fitness bracelets have almost the same set of functions. Is it possible that for lovers of swimming, model 5 has more tools. It is cheaper, so those for whom cost is important can safely buy it.

For those who care about appearance or autonomy, but the price doesn’t really matter, it’s worth taking the Honor Bend 6. It will also be more appealing to those who don’t want to have to worry about connecting a charger. The device tracks weight, which may be important for the owner.

Alarm

In the new version of the bracelet, the alarm clock has been improved. In the previous version, you had to set the time through mifit, and on the bracelet you could only turn the function on or off. In Mi Band 6, settings take place in the gadget. You can add or remove days for the signal to trigger, and set the time.

Personal activity assistant Pai

Collecting PAI points is an interesting idea because it can motivate you to be more active during the week and report on how you spent your day. Mi Band 6 is the most suitable bracelet for this.

The clock functionality also includes standard alarms and notifications (in Cyrillic). There is also a preview of your workout history or current activity status. Moreover, you can find weather, breathing exercises and music controls.

Mi Band 6 responds well to touch, and moving around the interface is smooth and fast - there is no lag. In my opinion, this is a big plus.

Andrey Romanov

Author

I discovered a situation with the screen freezing in the pool. When you touch the display with wet hands, false positives occur. As you get used to the gadget, the problem becomes less noticeable.

Which tracker or watch to buy

Ideally, before purchasing a tracker or watch, you should go somewhere that has them in stock and try them on. The characteristics can be found on the Internet, but often they are not very different from each other, so it is better to pay attention to the sensations. If the model is not sold in the store, perhaps one of your friends has it.

Maybe Apple will introduce an inexpensive bracelet. Come at 20:00 to watch the live broadcast from our colleagues from AppleInsider.ru

Try it and you will immediately understand which tracker you need. And straps for everything that is worn on the hand, and other accessories can be found in the cool Telegram channel “Ali Baba’s Chest”. Only the juice from AliExpress is selected there at the lowest prices and with the best reviews.

Sleep monitoring

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Compared to the previous model, Mi Band 6 tracks sleep even more accurately. The application can indicate not only the light and deep periods, but also the REM sleep phase. However, these data should be treated only as indicative, because this is not a medical device.