[Experience] "Between Band and Watch"... Xiaomi 'Smart Band 7 Pro'

Improved Performance and Premium Features at Around 100,000 KRW
Xiaomi 'Smart Band 7 Pro' Review

On the night of the 3rd, wearing the 'Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro' while filming at Hangang Park. From the left, post-exercise body condition measurements, music playback mode, and exercise route measured based on GPS.

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] Xiaomi, which had emphasized cost-effectiveness with prices in the 20,000 to 30,000 KRW range, has introduced the 'Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro' priced in the 100,000 KRW range. The larger screen makes it closer to a smartwatch than a band, and the cost-effectiveness remains strong.

The 'Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro' differs in appearance from the 'Xiaomi Smart Band 7,' which has a longer vertical width and narrower horizontal width. It uses a rectangular 1.64-inch AMOLED display and features curved glass for a premium finish. It weighs only 20.5g. Although heavier than the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 (13.8g), it is lighter than Samsung Electronics' 'Galaxy Fit2' (21g). It is also lighter compared to the 'Apple Watch SE 2nd generation 40mm (26.4g)' and 'Galaxy Watch5 40mm (28.7g).'

Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro screen

By pressing the touchscreen, the initial setup began. The Xiaomi 'Mi Fitness' application (app) must be installed first. Since it uses only the touchscreen without buttons, operation was somewhat inconvenient. After installing the app, the time taken from initial setup to smartphone pairing was about 10 minutes, allowing even beginners to easily connect and use it.

The most notable health feature offers over 110 exercise modes including walking, hiking, treadmill, and indoor swimming. After performing the 'walking' exercise, the results showed the exercise route tracked by GPS, calories burned, and heart rate. The device’s back houses a heart rate sensor that allows real-time heart rate monitoring. Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring is also available, and if it falls below a certain threshold (90%), an alert sound is emitted.

Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro Screen

The smartphone-linked notification feature supports various apps such as KakaoTalk, Naver Band, and Telegram. The camera app can be used as a remote control button when taking selfies, etc. Functions like ending incoming calls or muting ringtones using the band are small but useful. However, there was an error where some special characters in message content were not displayed properly.

The Always On Display (AOD) feature can be used in various ways. When set to always-on mode, a simple analog clock design along with battery level is displayed. Some screens offer dedicated AOD designs. Even without activating the AOD feature, it is possible to unlock the screen by raising the wrist using the 'raise wrist to wake' mode.

The greatest advantage is the long battery life. After a full 100% charge, with AOD always-on mode and notification features via Bluetooth pairing activated, multiple functions were used. After one full day (24 hours) of use, about 67% battery remained. Charging speed is also fast. Starting charging at about 55% using a magnetic type C-type cable, charging was completed in 35 minutes.

Rear view of the Xiaomi Smart Band 7. The heart rate sensor in the center stands out.

The AI assistant 'Alexa' is pre-installed but was not available for use in Korea. Although it offers about 150 types of watch faces, it is still inferior compared to Galaxy Watch and Apple Watch. Another downside is that it is not based on a dedicated wearable operating system (OS), so third-party apps cannot be used. The most disappointing point is that even when connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth, health data must be manually synchronized one by one.