Informal magazine July 2018 09 Informal Magazine JULY 18 | Page 30

GADGETS
By: Abd-ur-Rehman
Xiaomi Mi Band 2
Astonishing
Watch Band…!!
The Mi Band 2 is the latest wearable
fitness tracker from Chinese hardware
giant Xiaomi. It follows the cheap but
feature-rich Mi Band and Mi Band 1S and
introduces a screen for the first time in the
well as improved pedometer tech, which Xiaomi
to the battery.
range,
as
claims is kinder
Despite its low price point, the Mi Band 2 feels solid enough and looks a lot more
impressive than the rather dull earlier models. As with previous Mi Bands, the Mi Band
2 comes in two distinct parts the module itself and the wrist strap it slots into.
Assembling these two elements is the first thing you’ll have to do when opening the
packaging, and you’ll need to repeat the trick every time you want to charge it, as the
proprietary USB cable can’t be connected when the main module is fixed to the strap.
The introduction of a screen might lead you to assume that Xiaomi is dipping its toe into
smart watch territory with the Mi Band 2, but the focus here is still very much on fitness.
Out of the box the first thing shown on the screen, after the time of day, is your total
steps taken. Finally, it’s possible to use the Mi Band 2 to bypass your phone’s lock screen
security. You can tell the phone to disable the lock when it senses that the device is
nearby, which is quite a time-saver, but might not be of much use if you utilize
fingerprint security, which only requires a touch anyway.
Mi Fit tracks and collates all of the data captured by the Mi Band 2 and presents it in a
manner which makes it easy to see how you can improve your general fitness regime.
The app isn’t as great for giving health and fitness guidance,
aspects you get
from the likes of Jawbone’s Smart Coach feature. You’ll need
the app if you
want the Mi Band 2 to track your heart rate, as there’s
no way
of doing this with the device on its own.
While the Mi Band 2 provides plenty of
data, the app could be stronger in
presenting this information in actionable
ways beyond just seeing historical
patterns.
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