Xiaomi’s Mi Band line of fitness trackers already offer some of the best bang for the buck in the wearable space. But what’s better than a $35 activity tracker with a color display and long battery life? How about a $14 one.
The Chinese device maker’s latest wearable is the Redmi Band, which features a 1.08 inch color display, heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, and up to two weeks of battery life.
It goes on sale in China April 9 for 99 yuan, or about $14.
A few things to keep in mind about that price — first, it’s described as a launch promotion, so the retail price might go up a bit in the future. And second, there’s no word on international availability, but it’s likely that if and when the Redmi Band finds its way to North America, Europe, or other markets, it will cost a bit more.
You also don’t get some of the features available in higher-priced wearables — there’s no NFC support for payments, for example.
But $14 is still kind of a crazy price for a wearable gadget that:
- Track steps, sleep, and heart rate
- Is water resistant at depths up to 50 meters
- Has a color display
The Redmi Band has a built-in USB port for charging, which means you don’t need a special cradle to top up the battery.
Update: As expected, the international price is significantly higher. Geekbuying is taking pre-orders for $28. That’s still a pretty low price for a wearable activity tracker with a heart rate sensor, water resistant design, and a color display. But it’s about twice as much as you’d pay if you were in China.Â
Update 2: Giztop is selling the Redmi Band for $20.Â
via WinFuture, xda-developers, and GizmoChina
Forget the fitness tracking. How about just a dumb watch with built-in data storage accessed via the USB port?
I need linux on this device 😉
Are these devices very usable without connecting them to an app? That is the only way I will use a fitness tracker.
Great question.