Millions of users were waiting for the release of the fifth generation Xiaomi Mi Band. At the same time, even before their presentation, rumors appeared on the Internet that supposedly the Mi Band 5 is a much-hyped flagship, and all its functions can be found in the Honor Band 5, released last year. We have compiled an honest comparison, based on which you can choose, Which is better for you: Xiaomi Mi Band 5 or Honor Band 5.
Which design is better Honor Band 5 or Xiaomi Mi Band 5
The appearance of Honor Band 5 is restrained and laconic, in the style of the company that produces this gadget. Minimalism is celebrated in everything. The rectangular case flows smoothly with the strap - this is a standard design for most bracelet watches, but this image is diluted by a flat touch button with a white border. This design is the most advantageous. It is suitable for both men and women, as well as for any form of clothing.
Xiaomi has a brighter image that will make a person stand out from the crowd. The main difference between the case is its teardrop shape. Due to this, the fusion with the strap is almost invisible to the eye. Rounded edges add a finishing touch to the design. The look is unique and is not repeated in any other fitness bracelets.
Olga Klepikova
Author
Honor maintains a strict, universal style in all its products, which allows you to combine the watch with any style of clothing, but Xiaomi Mi Band 5 captivates with its unusual design and non-standard solutions. The first option will be preferred by minimalists, and the second by rebels
Price
And here’s the funny thing: despite the different appearance, functions and manufacturers, the price of the gadgets is ridiculously similar, for example, Mi Band 6 costs 3,990 rubles, and Honor Band 6 costs 3,999 rubles.
The bracelets belong to the same generation, they are the same in screen technology, very similar in autonomy and functionality, so I cannot definitely choose a winner.
I will say this, if you have used Xiaomi products before, do not change your choice, the same applies to the Honor brand. The difference between the gadgets is not great, but it will be difficult to get used to a different form factor, menu layout, and a new companion application on the phone.
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Comparison of straps of two fitness bracelets
If we continue to compare the designs, we cannot help but note that while the competitors’ cases are different, the straps are almost identical. The only difference is the fasteners. For Honor, the strap is a continuation of the dial, but for Xiaomi this is not the case. Both straps are made of high-quality silicone, so it’s difficult to single out someone based on technical indicators.
Review
Andrey Romanov
Expert
When I was choosing a watch in the store, I paid special attention to the strap because I have a large wrist. Both models have an adjustable strap made of soft silicone, so it will not be possible to identify the leader using this parameter
Display Fmoled screens on both smartwatches
The Xiaomi fitness bracelet has a 1.1-inch touch screen, with a resolution of 126x294 pixels and a color depth of 16 bit. Honor's indicators are different: the display size is 0.95 inches, with a resolution of 120x240 pixels, but the saturation is higher - 24 bit. Xiaomi's color palette, resolution and brightness are better.
Olga Klepikova
Author and expert
The numbers won’t tell much to the average person, so I’ll tell you my visual impressions: both displays are bright and saturated, but Xiaomi’s color perception seemed more pleasant to me. In the bright sun, Honor showed himself in a more favorable light. Even when exposed to direct sunlight, the indicators on the screen are visible
Comparative table of technical characteristics of Mi Band 5 and Honor Band
| Indicator name | Xiaomi Mi Band 5 | Honor Band 5 |
| Outer capsule size | 18.5x47x12.4 mm | 17x43x11.5 mm |
| Weight in grams | 23 | 22 |
| Strap length | 219 mm | 210 mm |
| Strap material | silicone | silicone |
| Moisture protection level | IP68 | IP68 |
| Dust protection level | WR50 | WR50 |
| Active application | Mi Fit | Mi Wear Huawei Health |
| Interfaces | Bluetooth 5.0 | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Screen diagonal in inches | 1,1 | 0,95 |
| Brightness (nits) | 450 | 400 |
| Duration of autonomous mode in days | 6 | 5 |
| Battery capacity, mAh | 125 | 100 |
| Sports modes | 11 | 10 |
Both devices monitor physical activity, sleep, calorie consumption, steps, pressure surges, and heart rate, but Xiaomi Mi Band 5 additionally analyzes the stress level of the watch owner. Xiaomi smartwatches are equipped with a personal activity assistant and have a built-in women's calendar. The advantages of Honor are that it has an oxygen level sensor, which its competitor does not have, as well as a smart alarm clock.
Functional
Notifications
Duplicating notifications from a smartphone is one of the main functions for a modern fitness bracelet. Both bracelets in question can display SMS, notifications from email, messages from instant messengers and social networks, as well as alerts from any application installed on your smartphone. Only on Honor Band 5 you can only see the text of the notification and the name of the recipient, while Xiaomi Mi Band 5 also displays the name of the application from which it came.
In addition, the message text itself on an Honor device is limited to 90 characters, while the Mi Band 5 displays as many as 500. Both bracelets do not support displaying emoticons and images.
The presence of an application icon and the display of more text in the notification allows us to give preference to the Xiaomi Mi Band 5.
Xiaomi Mi Band 5
Sports modes
The bracelets track a fairly similar set of activities, but there are some differences.
Below we will insert a table with the sport modes of both competitors. Sports modes of Xiaomi Mi Band 5 and Honor Band 5
| Xiaomi Mi Band 5 | Honor Band 5 |
| Running outside | Running outside |
| Treadmill | Treadmill |
| A ride on the bicycle | A ride on the bicycle |
| Walking outside | Walking outside |
| Free workout | Free workout |
| Pool | Pool |
| Exercise bike | Exercise bike |
| Elliptical trainer | Elliptical trainer |
| Rowing machine | Rowing machine |
| Jumping rope | Walking indoors |
| Yoga | — |
Xiaomi analyzes 11 sports modes versus 10 for Honor. At the same time, Mi Band 5 offers 2 unique types of activity (yoga and jumping rope), which can be found for the first time on the fitness bracelet market. In turn, its counterpart has the “Walking Indoors” activity (walking on a treadmill), which its competitor does not have.
For most sports modes, both bracelets provide the same statistics and track the same number of indicators. The only thing is that Honor Band 5 still analyzes swimming in the pool better.
But there is a point that strongly tips the scales in favor of the tracker from Xiaomi. Mi Band 5 supports automatic activity detection, which works as follows. If you are under physical activity for 2-5 minutes, the bracelet displays a notification on the screen, prompting you to select the appropriate sports mode for your activity. In addition, Xiaomi can automatically pause the workout (pause) when it realizes that you have stopped, for example, while running or walking.
Considering all the above differences, it cannot be said that any of the competitors stands out much, but I still want to give the leadership to Xiaomi, since they have developed a more intelligent activity analysis system.
This decision is due to subjective factors related to my sporting preferences. At the same time, some swimmer will clearly lean towards the Honor Band 5, as it analyzes the indicators in more detail in the “Swimming” mode.
Xiaomi Mi Band 5
Sleep monitoring
In this aspect, the bracelets are also very close in terms of the number of parameters evaluated and the statistics provided. Both are able to determine 3 phases of sleep (deep, light, fast), the number of awakenings, daytime sleep, and also save statistics for the week/month/year. Both Xiaomi and Honor will rate your sleep on a scale of 100 and make recommendations based on the data collected.
But despite many innovations in Mi Band 5 compared to the previous version of the bracelet, it was not possible to reach the level of Huawei’s TruSleep system. Honor band 5 recognizes 6 main sleep problems and makes more than 200 recommendations for improving it. Of course, Xiaomi also has problem analysis and a recommendation system, but they clearly do not reach Honor’s level of sophistication.
Competitors have an alarm function, but here Honor also stands out with the ability to set a smart alarm clock, which itself determines the most favorable wake-up time in the interval specified by the user.
In terms of sleep monitoring, Honor still beats the Xiaomi bracelet, but it is worth noting that the differences between the bracelets are minor.
Honor Band 5
Fitness capabilities of devices
Here we can say in advance that the bracelets are identical in terms of analyzing the main physical indicators.
Both bracelets analyze the usual indicators: the number of steps taken, distance, calories burned and heart rate. In the app, the user can set a goal for steps and weight.
The pulse measurement modes for bracelets are slightly different. Both trackers have a single measurement available via the fitness bracelet interface, as well as 24-hour heart rate monitoring. Only on Mi Band 5 you can choose a measurement interval of 1/5/10/30 minutes, and on Honor Band 5 the default interval is set to 1 minute.
But Honor has another operating mode called “Smart”
. It involves automatically changing the measurement interval depending on the current user activity. So, if you are sitting on the couch, then there is no point in measuring your heart rate every minute, so the bracelet will do this much less often. If the user’s physical activity increases, the bracelet automatically starts taking measurements more often.
The Xiaomi device also boasts a unique measurement mode – “Pulse monitoring during sleep”
. In this case, the bracelet will analyze the user’s heart rate only while he is sleeping.
You can also set an alert for high heart rates in the bracelet apps. The user sets the notification threshold himself depending on his physical characteristics.
In the end, it is worth noting that at this point we were talking specifically about the everyday analysis of physical indicators. When you start a workout, the bracelets will count your heart rate in real time, and steps and calories will be counted separately for this activity.
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Health and motivation functions
Both bracelets have only one overlapping function in this section - this is a reminder of inactivity
. Its essence is simple. If the user is in a static position (lying or sitting) for a long time, the bracelet notifies him that it is time to get up and warm up.
Honor Band 5 also has a blood oxygen level measurement
. Only a single measurement is available through the interface of the bracelet itself; automatic monitoring does not work.
An important nuance is worth noting here. We are comparing the regular version of Xiaomi Mi Band 5, which is not equipped with an infrared PPG sensor for measuring saturation. But soon an advanced version of the bracelet will go on sale, which will be distributed under the name Amazfit Band 5.
Honor has no other functions that could be mentioned in this paragraph, but Mi Band has them.
The Xiaomi bracelet has the ability to personal activity analysis (PAI)
, the essence of which is to rate from 1 to 100 your level of physical activity daily. PAI is motivational in nature. The scoring algorithm is based on the following paradigm: with a daily score of 100 points, the user significantly reduces the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases and improves his physical fitness.
Another unique feature of Mi Band 5 is stress monitoring
. Both single measurement is available on the screen of the bracelet itself, as well as continuous monitoring with the display of full statistics in the Mi Fit application. Stress is measured based on heart rate readings. The final indicator is presented as a score from 1 to 100, where 100 is the critical level. If your stress level is too high, the bracelet will give you recommendations on how to reduce it.
Breathing function
just belongs to the list of measures to improve the general condition of the user. You can launch it through the fitness bracelet menu. There you will be asked to select the duration of the exercise (1/2/3/4/5 minutes), after which the bracelet will begin to give you instructions on the depth and frequency of inhalations and exhalations. The instructions include graphic prompts and mechanical prompts (bracelet vibrations).
You can read more about all the above features in a separate review of the Xiaomi Mi Band 5.
Xiaomi Mi Band 5 review
In terms of the number of functions, Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is clearly the leader in this regard, but here again it all comes down to the needs and preferences of the individual user. If you need the ability to measure blood oxygen levels, then you are unlikely to consider the Mi Band 5 with all the abundance of functions it provides. In all other cases, a gadget from Xiaomi will be preferable.
Xiaomi Mi Band 5
Additional functionality
Both competitors have a lot of additional functions, since fitness bracelets have long moved from the category of exclusively sports gadgets to the category of smart devices for everyday use.
In the table below we compare the additional features of both competitors.
Additional features of Xiaomi Mi Band 5 and Honor Band 5
| Xiaomi Mi Band 5 | Honor Band 5 |
| Music control | Music control |
| Weather forecast | Current weather |
| Smartphone camera shutter control | Camera shutter control only on Huawei and Honor smartphones |
| Finding a smartphone | Finding a smartphone |
| Timer and stopwatch | Timer and stopwatch |
| Unlocking your smartphone | — |
| Calendar and events | — |
| Women's calendar | — |
| World clock | — |
As you can see, Xiaomi Mi Band 5 not only has more features, but also better developed functions that can be considered common. Thus, the Xiaomi bracelet allows you to control the camera shutter on any smartphone and gives a weather forecast for the week ahead with detailed information (temperature day and night, cloudiness, precipitation, humidity, wind force, solar radiation index, air quality), while Honor displays only the current outside temperature and allows you to take photos only with Huawei/Honor smartphones.
Unique functions of Mi Band: unlocking your smartphone when it detects your fitness bracelet in the immediate vicinity; tracking menstrual cycles; viewing the calendar on the bracelet screen and creating events with reminders; displaying the current time in other cities of the world on the bracelet screen (cities are selected in the application).
Xiaomi Mi Band 5
NFC and Contactless payment
As we know, Xiaomi Mi Band 5 has a version with NFC, which supports contactless payment through the payment systems UnionPay in China and Mastercard in Russia and Europe. The NFC module also allows the user to emulate transport cards and use the bracelet to interact with a smart home.
Important!
Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is sold in 2 versions: standard and NFC. The first does not support contactless payment, but the second does. But there are nuances here too. For normal operation of the NFC fitness bracelet, it must be certified for sale in Russia. In other words, you need to buy a bracelet in Russia, and not in Chinese online stores.
Honor Band 5 does not have an NFC version.
Xiaomi Mi Band 5
Software and features of Mi Band 5, Honor Band 5
Honor-Band has more advanced functionality and
Xiaomi and Honor settings work on different applications. After testing both services, experts came to the conclusion that there were no deviations in terms of monitoring sports performance. The level of the devices is identical: stable, accurate, but Mi Fit offers more advanced functionality and settings. Consumer ratings and review analysis provide a more accurate conclusion. The online rating for Mi Fit software is 3.9 out of 5, while Huawei Health has a lower score of 2.4.
Andrey Romanov
Expert
I have used watches from both brands and my verdict is this: Honors work perfectly if they are synchronized with a mobile phone from the same company, and Xiaomi works reliably with any modern smartphone.
First time setup
In the Mi Band line, everything has always been clear on an intuitive level. In this regard, the Honor Band 4 caused difficulties for some users, since when turned on “out of the box” the procedure for action was not entirely clear, and in the application stores there is no application that would have a name similar to the bracelet (the required application is called Huawei Health, there is a QR code for download). But if we put aside quibbles, both devices are quite easy to launch and configure. The only significant advantage of Honor Band 4 over Mi Band 4 is the presence of the Russian language. The Xiaomi product currently works in English and Chinese, although, however, notifications and messages after synchronization with a smartphone come in Russian. In one of the future updates, the Russian language will traditionally be added, but for now we will have to be content with the native language in notifications, but not in the menu.
Connection
The connection for both bracelets is standard. Full operation of the device will begin after it is synchronized with the application. You need to download it to your mobile device and configure the necessary positions.
Olga Klepikova
Author and editor of the project
Both applications work flawlessly, but the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness tracker is more suitable for athletes, and Honor is suitable for older people for whom daily calorie consumption is not particularly important, but heart rate, blood pressure and physical activity indicators come first.
Contents: miracle out of the box
Let's compare the delivery package of smart bracelets. For both devices it is typical for middle-class models:
- the tracker itself;
- charging for it;
- set of documentation.
There are no additional elements (spare straps or storage cases) in the kits. To customize (customize) the device, you will have to purchase accessories separately.
Read: 5 reasons to buy a fitness bracelet
Sensors
Both devices have standard hardware: accelerometer, gyroscope, photoplethysmographic sensor, notifications: SMS, mail, social networks and instant messengers. Three-axis sensors created using new technology. Ensures geolocation tracking and records blood flow data. The advantage of Honor is that the PPG infrared sensor is built-in, while in Xiaomi you need to install it yourself if you purchase the standard version of the model.
On a note! NFC is present, but Mi Band 5 is additionally equipped with a microphone.
Data transfer
Xiaomi has data transfer indicators a level higher.
This function works via Bluetooth, but Xiaomi has a newer version, so other indicators are a level higher. These include: the scale of signal reception, the level of energy saving, regularity of updates and firmware, data transfer speed and loading. Some Xiaomi Mi Band 5 models are equipped with an NFC module and can even control a smart home, which makes Xiaomi a leader in this category.
Olga Klepikova
Author and expert
In my opinion, the differences are insignificant. In addition, for those people who have an outdated model smartphone, it is better to purchase Honor, then there will be no problems with data transfer.
Comparison of characteristics
Both Chinese manufacturers have endowed their smart gadgets with approximately the same set of parameters. Here you have a pedometer, a heart rate monitor, the ability to choose the dial to suit your taste, and the ability to swim without removing the gadget to a depth of 50 meters. The devices also count your calories, can serve as a stopwatch, timer and notify you of calls and SMS.
A decent set of functions that perfectly matches the ratio of price to quality. If we compare the differences, Honor has received a smart alarm function, which Xiaomi does not have. The latter can control the music playing on your smartphone, but the opponent cannot.
On the other hand, these differences in both devices can be negated by installing additional applications or downloading the latest update, so it’s not critical.
| Options | Honor Band 5 | Xiaomi Mi Band 4 |
| Product type | Fitness tracker | Fitness bracelet |
| Model | Fifth | Fourth |
| Colors | Black (basic from the manufacturer) | Black is available in the manufacturer's configuration |
| Strap | Silicone, black (default) | Black silicone, but available in any color |
| Interaction with devices on different operating systems | iPhone - iOS 9 or more, Android - from version 4.4 | iPhone - iOS 9 or more, Android - from version 4.4 |
| Tracker management typology | Via touch display | The entire display is fully touch-sensitive and responds to the owner’s commands |
| Clock face | Type TFT | Type TFT |
| Fitness bracelet screen | AMOLED, color | AMOLED, color |
| Screen working surface diagonal | 0.95 | 0.95 |
| Waterproof | Eat | Eat |
| Protection level | IP68 | IP68 |
| RAM | 500 kb | 384 kb |
| Amount of built-in space | 16 megabytes | 16 megabytes |
| Telephone connection | Via Bluetooth communication | Via Bluetooth port modification 5.0 |
| SIM card compartment | Absent in this model (not in earlier versions either) | No |
| Camera | No | No |
| Fitness bracelet battery capacity | 100 mAh | 135 mAh |
Dust and moisture protection
Waterproof and dustproof has a standard level of IP68/WR50B. Therefore, a person can take a shower and swim in the pool together with the watch, without diving or diving to great depths.
Olga Klepikova
Author and expert
My personal testing has shown that hand washing with these devices is safe, but swimming is not recommended. If the bracelet has been dropped and received microcracks that are not visible to the eye, then the watch will malfunction if it comes into contact with water.
Notifications
After synchronizing with the phone and setting it up in the application, both devices send SMS messages, letters from email addresses/messengers, as well as call alerts. When compared, it was found that Xiaomi provides more detailed information about who and where the notification came from, because Honor is limited to 90 characters, and Xiaomi provides a field of 500 characters.
On a note! There is no display of emoticons and other images, for example, if a person is sent a video or picture.
Functions
In terms of basic functionality, the bracelets are identical. In both cases, notifications from applications, tracking of physical activity and sleep, alarms and timers, weather information, a “smartphone search” function and various reminders are available.
Bracelets can differ only in their set of sports functions. For example, Honor Band 4 should have separate modes for cycling in open areas and exercise on an exercise bike, as well as a special mode for swimmers with automatic recognition of swimming style.
Heart rate monitor and oxygen sensor
To test the performance of the most important sensors, comparison tests between both models were carried out over several days.
The results revealed:
| Field of study | Xiaomi indicators | Honor indicators |
| Error in heart rate monitor readings at rest | 1.2 beats per minute. This data is 1.5% | 2.3 beats per minute |
| Heart rate error during training | 2.2 beats per minute or 1.7% | 1.7 beats per minute, that is, about 1.3% |
| Error during heavy physical activity | 6% | 5% |
| Inaccuracy indicators of the sensor that scans blood oxygen data | 2% | 2% |
General conclusion: both bracelets have passed technical tests and correctly display data from the heart rate monitor and ECG sensor. This fact once again confirms the reliability of the models, because the accuracy of these sensors is much more important than sleep monitoring or a pedometer.
Accuracy of work
I will not describe in detail the tests that I conducted with these fitness bracelets, but I will immediately tell you about their results.
Steps
As for the operation of the pedometer, everything is approximately the same. During a targeted walk, both bracelets count steps with high accuracy, the error is up to 2% (for 100 steps, Xiaomi counted 100, and Honor – 102; for 200 steps, Xiaomi counted 203, and Honor – 201; for 500 steps, Xiaomi counted 499, and Honor – 501).
In everyday use, both trackers are subject to occasional false positives, but Xiaomi still does a better job of filtering them out.
Let's take a closer look at what activities cause false positives. Showering: Xiaomi – periodically, Honor – not noticed; washing dishes: Xiaomi – not noticed; Honor – not noticed; active gestures: false positives occur rarely with Xiaomi, while with Honor they occur a little more often; working on a computer: Xiaomi and Honor – not noticed; driving: Xiaomi and Honor – not noticed; push-ups and pull-ups: Xiaomi and Honor – not noticed; squats, jumping in place, morning exercises: Xiaomi – often; Honor - often.
Still, at the end of the day, the Honor fitness bracelet counted 5-8% more steps than Xiaomi, so we can conclude that the Mi Band does a better job of filtering out false positives, and therefore looks preferable in this regard.
Xiaomi Mi Band 5
Pulse
To check the accuracy of the heart rate monitor, I took single measurements over several days at different times and with different activities and compared them with the tonometer readings. Here are the average results:
- At rest, the average error when measuring heart rate for Xiaomi was 1.2 beats/min (1.5%), and for Honor it was 2.3 beats/min (3%)
- During strength training, the average error of Xiaomi's heart rate monitor was 2.2 beats/min (1.7%), while Honor's was 1.7 beats/min (1.3%)
- When the heart rate threshold exceeds 150 beats/min, the measurement error for both bracelets increases. It can reach 5-10%.
Here are the results of constant heart rate measurements throughout the day:
In general, both bracelets measure heart rate correctly. Yes, there are moments when Xiaomi is much more accurate, but there are also opposite situations, which only proves the equality of competitors in this aspect.
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Dream
Both bracelets do a good job of determining sleep duration, phase changes, and the number of awakenings. Xiaomi and Honor analyze the quality of your sleep and assess its regularity. In general, a picky user will not find any significant difference between competitors, although there is one.
The fact is that Honor Band 5 is equipped with the smart Huawei TruSleep system, which rightfully bears the title of the best technology for sleep monitoring. TruSleep not only evaluates the user's overall sleep, but also separately evaluates the duration and quality of each sleep phase. Honor's bracelet also evaluates the quality of breathing during sleep. In addition, users of this device can familiarize themselves with a more detailed database of recommendations aimed at improving sleep.
Despite the fact that both devices cope with the basic tasks of sleep monitoring in the same way, Honor still offers a more “smart” and advanced system, which is why it takes the lead in this area.
Honor Band 5
Sleep monitoring
Honor Band 5 has the Huawei TruSleep system, which perfectly monitors sleep indicators.
Sleep tracker is a built-in feature in both smartwatches. They define:
- sleep duration;
- jumps in vital signs;
- phase changes;
- sleep quality;
- number of awakenings;
- general assessment of sleep regularity.
Testing did not reveal a clear leader, but there are nuances that speak for themselves. For example, Honor Band 5 has a built-in Huawei TruSleep system. This technology is recognized all over the world. Experts claim that it monitors sleep and sports performance better than others. Honor not only collects data, but also gives a phase breakdown and analyzes the quality of a person’s breathing. In the application, the user will be able to find general statistics in the “Sleep” section, as well as a lot of useful information and recommendations that will make a night’s rest much better.
Xiaomi defines 3 periods when a person sleeps: deep sleep, light nap, quick rest, while Honor defines six at once. Also determines daily rest and counts the actual number of awakenings. The Xiaomi app is a bit lacking and some features need improvement.
Attention! Based on the analysis of reviews, it was found that in terms of sleep monitoring, the differences are insignificant.
Alarm
Honor is equipped with a smart alarm clock, thanks to the same Huawei TruSleep system. Having set a signal, awakening will occur at the most favorable phase in the area of the selected time period. You can determine the interval yourself. If a person needs to go to work, then you can choose a narrower range so as not to be late. Xiaomi is equipped with a standard alarm clock, which is found in any simple mobile phone, so the winner in this category is Honor.
Olga Klepikova
Author
The smart alarm clock didn't impress me at all. If I want to sleep, then I personally couldn’t find a more favorable time to wake up with the bracelet. He always honks at the wrong time.
NFC and contactless payment
Xiaomi Mi Band 5 has NFC function.
Xiaomi Mi Band 5 has a built-in NFC function, with which you can not only pay for purchases with your bank card, but also emulate transport cards and control your smart home. Honor Band 5 does not have such functionality at all, so for people who are used to using contactless payments, Xiaomi will be a priority. An important nuance: if the watch was purchased through a Chinese online store, then there is no guarantee that the function is Russified and will work correctly in Russia.
Olga Klepikova
Author
In my opinion, this is a useless function, because it does not work correctly, even if you buy the bracelet in a specialized store. After purchase, anyone can discover Chinese firmware that will not allow contactless payment.
Comparison of costs in Russia and other countries of the world
In Russia, the Mi Band 3 fitness tracker from Xiaomi costs about 2,000 rubles. With an NFC chip – 3,900-4,000 rubles. On the AliExpress site it is quite possible to purchase this bracelet for 1,500-1,600 rubles (without NFC). On eBay, prices are not much different from Russian ones. The device can be purchased for $26-29.
Its competitor costs a little more – 2,300-2,500 rubles. The Honor Band 4 Meteorite Black version is sold in online stores for 4,500 rubles. It is quite possible to order a tracker from Huawei for $30 on AliExpress, and for $36-38 on eBay.
Battery life
The battery capacity of Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is 25 mAh larger (battery life – 14 days). Honor Band 5 has a battery size of 100 mAh (battery life - 12 days). Xiaomi charges via a magnetic device; just attach the charger to the back of the case. Honor has a charger in the form of a cradle, the mount is on the back side of the capsule.
Attention! Despite the specified technical characteristics, practice shows that Xiaomi's battery life does not exceed 6 days if the device is actively used, and Honor's indicator is several hours less.
What do we see, how do we manage?
The main external “bend” is the screen. Honor has it larger ( 0.91 inches versus 0.78 ), but more elongated ( 128x32 versus 128x80 ). Pure taste, but I like the Xiaomi version better.
Why? More can fit on one line. And, importantly, Xiaomi has a higher ratio of front surface area to screen area than Honor. And this is good, because a fitness bracelet is a functional device, not a beauty accessory.
The approach to management is also different. If the Mi Band offers a touch depression, then the Honor Band offers a similar flat platform. Both options do not have tactile feedback.
However, the recess in the Mi Band allows you to unmistakably enter the touch zone. Yes, and more than that. So in this round, the Xiaomi product is again a plus.
Customizing the interface of Xiaomi Mi Band, 5 Honor Band 5
The Xiaomi interface is better designed.
Personalization in the fitness bracelet is incomplete, so the user will not be able to independently change the display background or change the appearance of the icons. The owner of the watch will have to be content with what the service offers. It is worth noting that the application has many options that will allow you to change the appearance of the dial.
The manufacturer Xiaomi, unlike Honor, has developed an additional function that allows you to customize the dials. The user will be able to change widgets. You can display the following data on the main screen:
- by the number of steps taken;
- heart rate monitor;
- calorie consumption;
- current PAI index;
- charging percentage;
- weather forecast;
- list of planned tasks;
- alarm;
- quick access to the “Training” folder.
Honor displays the current time on the main screen, and in order to see another position of the functionality, you need to go to the desired section.
IMPORTANT! Due to the presence of customization, we can come to the conclusion that Xiaomi’s interface is better designed.
Interface
As expected, full interface customization is not available in both trackers. But at the same time, you can install any interface you like. Mi Band 5 has 100 of them, and the model from Honor has 40 options.
Owners of the Xiaomi bracelet will also have access to watch faces customization. Now the tracker will have 3 options for the main screen, where you can independently select the displayed widgets. That is, the owner of the bracelet decides what exactly he wants to see on the display: the number of steps, heart rate, battery charge, weather, etc.
