Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Review | 171 Data compared

The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is a highly affordable fitness band that acts as a basic gateway to smart wearables, offering significant hardware upgrades over its predecessors for around $30. Key positive features include a touchscreen display that is double the size of the previous generation, making everyday navigation much easier. It also features a 50-meter waterproof rating, an upgraded 110 mAh battery yielding an impressive 10 to 15 days of life on a single one-hour charge, and precise step-tracking functionality when supported by a smartphone's GPS. Additionally, it offers useful built-in extras like a three-day weather forecast, a stopwatch, a phone-finder tool, and basic sleep tracking via the accompanying Mi Fit app. Despite its high value, the device suffers from notable design and software drawbacks. The most significant flaw is its unreliable notification system, which frequently stops pushing phone notifications to the band entirely and requires frustrating troubleshooting like clearing the app cache or reinstalling. Furthermore, the 128 x 80 pixel screen is highly reflective and nearly impossible to read under direct sunlight. Other hardware limitations include a capacitive...

The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is a highly affordable, minimal fitness tracker that stands out as an exceptional companion to Google Fit, syncing seamless activity data directly through its companion Mi Fit app. Its sleek, lightweight design features a comfortable, swappable silicone strap and a small 0.78-inch monochrome OLED touchscreen that provides responsive navigation via simple gestures and a single capacitive button. A major highlight of the device is its incredible battery life, which can easily last up to 20 days on a single charge of its 110mAh battery. Additionally, it offers robust durability for swimmers with 50-meter (5 ATM) water resistance, providing basic notifications and essential tracking for steps, calories, heart rate, sleep habits, and basic running or cycling workouts. Despite its strong value, the device comes with distinct limitations that prevent it from being a full smartwatch replacement. Its workout tracking capabilities are strictly limited to running and outdoor cycling, failing to natively log other specific exercises like weightlifting without third-party app interventions. The display is very small and basic, and enabling continuous heart rate tracking at one-minute...

The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is a highly affordable fitness tracker priced around $25 to $30 that delivers exceptional value, rivaling much more expensive competitors like Fitbit. It features an upgraded design with a premium, responsive curved glass OLED display, a lightweight and comfortable build, and full water resistance suitable for swimming or showering. In terms of performance, it tracks steps, calories, and automatic sleep accurately. Its standout feature is highly granular heart rate monitoring that can be set to 1-minute intervals, though this reduces the otherwise excellent multi-week battery life down to about two days. It also provides basic smartwatch utilities, including a stopwatch, weather updates, and phone notifications. Despite its strengths, the tracker requires several compromises, particularly regarding its software and activity tracking. The display suffers from severe visibility issues under direct sunlight, and the screen occasionally freezes. Activity profiles are limited to just four options (running, treadmill, walking, cycling), completely ignoring gym workouts or sports; furthermore, runs can only be initiated directly through the smartphone app. The Mi Fit app lacks native third-party integration with platforms like...

Shashank Srivastava’s review characterizes the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 as a smooth, lag-free budget tracker featuring an elegant, slim design and comfortable, washable strap. Key strengths include detailed sleep analytics, health suggestions, and efficient weight tracking. Conversely, the review identifies the awkward charging process, requiring the core capsule to be removed from the strap, as a major drawback, along with a need for user interface refinements in the companion app. The tracker is described as a good value, though not for those seeking high-end aesthetics. Medium ·Shashank Srivastava

The Vulcan Post review of the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 highlights it as an exceptional, back-to-basics fitness tracker tailored for budget-conscious individuals who prioritize essential health metrics over unnecessary premium features. The device features a lightweight, interchangeable strap design and handles standard tasks like step counting, heart rate monitoring, calorie tracking, and night-time sleep analysis. Its companion Mi Fit app (available on iOS and Android) is highly praised for presenting structured daily summaries alongside motherly health advice and lifestyle suggestions. Most notably, the reviewer commends its outstanding battery life; after more than three weeks of non-continuous smartphone connection, the 110mAh battery retained 32% of its charge. Retailing at a highly affordable price of approximately RM100 to RM129, it is positioned as a definitive "bang for buck" wearable for average users. Despite its high value, the review identifies several notable downsides regarding design and feature depth. On the hardware side, the physical latch on the silicone strap is described as flimsy, and the responsive OLED display suffers from poor visibility when exposed to direct sunlight. In terms of tracking capability, the...

The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is a highly budget-friendly fitness tracker focused on delivering essential health tracking features for a very low price (around $30 / £23). It features an improved, lightweight 20g design that remains comfortable even during sweaty workouts, alongside an upgraded 0.78-inch OLED touchscreen display and 50-meter water resistance suitable for swimming. However, the device has notable drawbacks, including a total lack of built-in GPS and a screen that is highly difficult to read when exposed to direct sunlight. When it comes to overall performance, the device offers a mixed experience. Its key advantages include the addition of a built-in heart rate monitor, waterproofing, and a slimline build that makes it barely noticeable on the wrist. On the downside, the interface can feel temperamental and unresponsive, requiring repeated swipes or taps to navigate menus. Additionally, the heart rate tracker can be quite inconsistent during use, meaning those who need advanced, highly accurate biometric statistics may want to look toward more expensive alternatives.

The Trusted Reviews evaluation of the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 highlights it as an affordable, durable entry-level tracker featuring a comfortable design and 50-meter water resistance. While praised for basic step tracking and sedentary alerts, it lacks built-in GPS and an altimeter for mapping or elevation tracking. The device is recommended as a budget-friendly option, though it is considered too basic for serious fitness enthusiasts.

The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is a budget-friendly fitness tracker praised for its incredible comfort, ease of use, and exceptional value, costing significantly less than top-tier competitors. In performance testing, it proved highly accurate for step counting and distance tracking, and its water resistance of up to 50 meters makes it suitable for swimming. The device features a responsive touchscreen and a small, low-profile design that avoids snagging on clothing, making it a discreet option for daily wear. Additionally, the mobile app is noted for being intuitive, and the device can receive basic push notifications from a smartphone. However, the tracker has several notable drawbacks, particularly regarding advanced health and fitness metrics. Its heart rate monitoring was found to be inconsistent and often undercounted, while sleep tracking data appeared suspect compared to other devices. The screen is difficult to read in bright sunlight, and the device lacks a wide variety of workout profiles, often functioning only as a basic stopwatch unless paired with a smartphone. Furthermore, while the battery life is solid, it falls short of the manufacturer's 20-day claim,...

The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is a highly affordable fitness and sleep tracker that delivers excellent value, featuring a 0.78-inch OLED touchscreen, a built-in heart-rate scanner, and an impressive 20-day battery life from its 110mAh battery. It provides intuitive touch navigation to view at-a-glance information such as the time, weather, and full notification messages. Fitness tracking is enhanced with 5ATM waterproofing—making it safe for swimming pools and showers—and the ability to accurately differentiate activities like walking, running, and cycling via the free Mi Fit app. Additionally, it introduces practical smartwatch features, such as a "find your phone" tool that triggers an audible alarm even if the phone is set to silent mode. Despite its standout value, the tracker has several notable drawbacks, including a super-glossy screen that is difficult to read in direct sunlight and prone to collecting dust. The physical design is bulkier than its predecessor, weighing 20g, and the tracking pod must be repeatedly removed from its silicon band to charge, which loosens the band's grip over time and risks the tracker falling out. Furthermore, English-speaking users may...

The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 features a sleek, curved OLED touchscreen, 5ATM waterproofing, and a secure strap, offering impressive functionality at a low price point. It provides basic fitness tracking, notifications, and an improved Mi Fit app experience. However, the review highlights that core tracking accuracy has not improved, and it lacks built-in GPS, requiring a connected phone for map data. Additionally, despite being waterproof, the device lacks dedicated swimming metrics, and the module can be difficult to remove for charging.