Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro announced, Smart Band 8 goes global
Xiaomi held its global September launch event in Berlin today where we got the Xiaomi 13T series but they weren’t the only new devices on stage. We also got the latest smartwatch from the brand dubbed Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro and the global release of the Smart Band 8.
Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro
Watch 2 Pro is a full-fledged Google Wear OS smartwatch with a wide selection of third-party apps available to download. The watch comes in Bluetooth only or LTE models with the latter allowing you to take and receive calls, texts and stay connected even without a paired smartphone.
Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro brings a 1.43-inch AMOLED display with 466 x 466px resolution and up to 600 nits peak brightness. The watch comes with Always-on-Display functionality and 20 pre-installed watch faces.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon W5 + Gen 1 wearable platform sits at the helm paired with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage. You also get dual-band GNSS positioning, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2 and NFC connectivity. Watch 2 Pro is also 5ATM water resistant and weighs 54.5 grams without its strap.
Watch 2 Pro features dual-band GNSS positioning and NFC
Xiaomi offers 24/7 heart rate and blood oxygen tracking on the Watch 2 Pro as well as sleep and stress tracking. Watch 2 Pro also supports activity tracking for over 150 sports modes and features a Bioelectrical impedance sensor for estimating body composition metrics like body fat percentage and muscle mass.
There’s a 495 mAh battery rated at up to 65 hours of usage on the Bluetooth-only model and 55 hours on the LTE variant. Charging is done via the proprietary two-pin magnetic charger.
Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro starts at €270 for the Bluetooth-only model and €330 for the LTE model.
Smart Band 8
The Smart Band 8 aka Mi Band 8 debuted in China back in April and features a 1.62-inch AMOLED pill shaped screen with 490 x 192 px resolution. Band 8 supports Always on Display functionality and can crank out 600 nits peak brightness.
You get the same health and fitness tracking as on the Band 7 with the new interactive fitness courses that leverage Band 8’s accelerometer to help track your movements in real time.
Xiaomi Band 8 is available with various watch bands
Xiaomi is also betting big on style with Band 8 by offering multiple official strap options with materials such as leather, nylon fabric and metal in various styles. Xiaomi is also offering a pendant accessory as well as a clip that can be attached to your shoes for more advanced tracking and posture monitoring.
Battery life is rated at 16 days with typical use and 6 days with AOD mode on. Charging is done via the proprietary two-pin charger which promises a full charge in one hour.
Xiaomi Band 8 is priced at €40.