Comparison Xiaomi Smart Band 8 vs Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro

The main way to connect a wearable gadget with external devices. For smartwatches and fitness bands (see "Type"), this refers to a connection to a smartphone or tablet, while in the case of watch-phones, it usually refers to headsets.

— Bluetooth. Wireless technology for direct communication of various devices with each other. This is the most popular interface in smartwatches and bracelets: Bluetooth modules can be made very tiny, the communication range even in the earliest versions reaches 10 m, and different generations of Bluetooth are mutually compatible in terms of basic functionality. Specifically, the versions nowadays are as follows:

• v2.0. The earliest standard used in modern wearable gadgets. The possibilities of such a connection are more modest than those of more advanced versions, but they are often quite enough.
• v3.0. A standard that combines classic Bluetooth v 2.0 and a high-speed “add-on” for transferring large amounts of data.
• v4.0. Further, after 3.0, improvement of Bluetooth: in addition to the classic and high-speed format, this version added Bluetooth Low Energy technology. Support of this technology is especially useful in fitness trackers, which usually transmit small amounts of data, but constantly.
• v4.1. Modification of the 4.0 standard described above with improved protection against interference while working with LTE mobile communications. ...i> v4.2. Another improvement of the 4.0 standard, which introduced, in particular, improved data protection and increased connection speed.
• — v 5. The fifth generation of Bluetooth was released in 2016. The key innovation in version 5.0 was the expansion of capabilities related to the Internet of Things. Thus, in the Bluetooth Low Energy protocol, it became possible to double the data transfer rate (up to 2 Mbit/s) at the cost of reducing the range, and also quadruple the range at the cost of reducing the speed; In addition, a number of improvements have been introduced regarding simultaneous work with a large number of connected devices.
• — v 5.1. Update of the version described above v 5.0. In addition to general improvements in the quality and reliability of communication, this update introduced such an interesting feature as determining the direction from which the Bluetooth signal is coming. This makes it possible to determine the location of connected devices with centimeter accuracy.
• —v 5.2. The next, after 5.1, is the fifth generation Bluetooth update. The main innovations in this version are a number of security improvements, additional optimization of power consumption in LE mode and a new audio signal format for synchronizing parallel playback on multiple devices.
• —v 5.3. The Bluetooth v 5.3 wireless communication protocol was introduced at the dawn of 2022. Among the innovations in it, they accelerated the process of negotiating a communication channel between the controller and the device, implemented the function of quickly switching between the operating state in a low duty cycle and a high-speed mode, and improved the throughput and stability of the connection by reducing susceptibility to interference. When unexpected interference occurs in Low Energy mode, the procedure for selecting a communication channel to switch from now on has been accelerated. There are no fundamental innovations in protocol 5.3, but a number of qualitative improvements are evident in it.
  
  Of course, to use all the capabilities of a particular version of Bluetooth, it must be supported not only by the gadget itself, but also by the smartphone/tablet to which it is connected.

Types of sports and medical data collected by the gadget (plus some features of a similar purpose, such as sleep tracking, smart alarms, stress levels and women's calendar). Note that the features from this list can be found not only in specialized fitness trackers (see "Type"), but also in more traditional devices like smartwatches. Here are the most popular options:

— Pulse rate. Heart rate is one of the most important physiological parameters of a person. So that sports training is as effective as possible, the heart rate must be in a certain range (the specific value depends on the purpose of the training and the personal data of the user). And for some illnesses and treatments, a faster or slower heart rate can be an important signal, including a warning of danger.

— Pressure (tonometer). A sensor that measures the user's blood pressure. Note that the accuracy of such a sensor is usually quite low, the measurement error can be 10% or even more; so it will not replace a full-fledged medical tonometer. On the other hand, a gadget with this feature is quite capable of detecting a critical increase or decrease in pressure, which will allow you to take the necessary measures in a timely manner.

— ECG. A sen...sor that allows you to get detailed data about the work of the user's heart. Note that such a sensor is not a full-fledged electrocardiograph — in fact, it is an advanced type of heart rate monitor that can track the features of the heart rhythm. However, even this is enough to detect some dangerous phenomena — for example, atrial fibrillation, which at first is imperceptible to a person — and take appropriate measures in time.

— The blood oxygen. A sensor (the so-called pulse oximeter) that determines the saturation of the blood with oxygen (saturation); at the same time, the measurement is carried out by a non-invasive method — without punctures and other damage to the skin. Like most medical sensors in wearable gadgets, it is not accurate and is not a full-fledged medical device, but it is quite capable of responding to a critical decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood. It is believed that the presence of a pulse oximeter is relevant primarily for certain diseases, when saturation may decrease due to the disease itself or the characteristics of the treatment being taken. However, this feature can also be useful for quite healthy users who often travel at high altitudes — primarily climbers and aeronauts.

— Body temperature. The presence of a sensor for measuring temperature allows you to take measurements without the use of thermometers. Naturally, errors can occur, so a slight deviation from the norm may not be determined, but the device will easily fix a significant increase in temperature.

— T° of the environment. Even though smartwatches are worn on the body, the built-in sensors in them are usually designed to measure the ambient temperature. This information can be useful both for a general assessment of the surrounding conditions, and for specific purposes — in particular, weather forecasting. It is not uncommon for watches with this feature to also have a barometer (see "Navigation").

— Number of steps. The traditional pedometer is a feature for counting the number of steps taken by the user. These measurements usually use data from the accelerometer, and the results are quite accurate: most modern accelerometers are well calibrated and are quite capable of distinguishing tremors during steps from hand waves and other extraneous movements. The exception is trips in land transport: many wearable gadgets perceive shaking as steps, which should be taken into account when evaluating the results.

— Distance travelled. Measurement of the total distance traveled by the user. For this, either data from a pedometer or a GPS module are usually used (see "Navigation"); each option has its own merits. So, the pedometer is cheaper, it can be used even in rooms without windows, where the signal from satellites does not reach, and on simulators like treadmills, where the user does not move relative to the ground. GPS, in turn, gives higher accuracy, especially over long distances, and is not prone to false positives in vehicles. In some advanced gadgets, these methods can be combined — this is not cheap, but it allows you to combine the advantages of both options and achieve maximum accuracy.

— Movement speed. Determining the speed of the user's movement. As with distance travelled, measurement can be done in a variety of ways; see above for more details. Also note here that many gadgets with this feature are able not only to determine the current speed, but also to constantly record its value and display various indicators: the maximum achieved speed, the average value for training, etc.

— Energy spent (calories). Measurement of the number of calories burned by the user in the process of movement. These data are rather approximate, as they are calculated by indirect parameters (speed and range of movement, personal specs of a person, etc.). However, even this accuracy is quite enough to determine the overall effectiveness of training.

— The amount of fat burned. Measuring the amount of fat burned per workout. As in the case of calories (see above), the result of such measurements is quite approximate. However, in fact, absolute accuracy is not required, and fat loss data can be a powerful motivator.

— Activity time. A measurement of the total time during which the user is actively moving. In many models, such metering may provide additional options, such as fixing several periods of activity with breaks between them and determining the ratio between the time of movement and the time of rest.

— Smart alarm. An alarm clock that monitors the user's sleep phases and gives a signal to wake up at the optimal time for this. Human sleep consists of alternating phases, and waking up in the unfortunate phase creates a feeling of lethargy and fatigue, even if there was enough time to sleep. A smart alarm clock avoids such situations; its work is based on tracking the pulse, breathing rate and other parameters that differ depending on the phase of sleep. Note that the deviation of the signal from the set time can be up to half an hour, but this is usually a deviation towards an earlier rise. As a result, the risk of being late with a smart alarm clock is close to zero, and the lack of sleep time is compensated by the optimal moment of awakening.

— Sleep tracking. Sleep quality assessment is based on data from on-board sensors of fitness trackers or smartwatches. In particular, the heart rate monitor controls the number of contractions of the heart muscle, the accelerometer controls the user's movements. A blood oxygen sensor, if available on the wearable, improves the accuracy of sleep quality data collection. According to the readings of the sensors, the moments of entering and exiting the deep sleep phase are recorded. It is during this period that the restoration of the nervous system and the accumulation of energy for the coming day take place. In deep sleep, a person can completely reboot and gain strength, while in REM sleep, brain activity practically does not differ from the state of wakefulness. The sleep quality analysis feature helps you determine the best time to go to sleep and provides personalized recommendations to improve your night's sleep.

— The level of stress. The level of stress of the body allows you to evaluate the metric that determines the variability of the heartbeat — the difference in time between successive contractions of the heart muscle. Respiration rate, maximum oxygen consumption and excess oxygen consumption after exercise are also taken into account. The stress level score gives a clear picture of the user's experience during the day, however, the value of this parameter is in determining the most optimal body regimen for training. A high heart rate variability usually indicates you are in good shape for playing sports, while a low one can indicate fatigue, dehydration, or feeling unwell. All this directly affects the ability to train effectively. There are no clear units for measuring the level of stress — in smartwatches, the parameter is usually shown as a scale from 0 to 100, often indicating the number of hours the body is under stress and the time it takes to recover to a normal state.

— Women's calendar. The tool for tracking the menstrual cycle keeps abreast of the events of the expected dates of the menstrual period, allows you to determine the most favorable days for conception, helps to notice alarming symptoms in time and prevent many diseases in case of cycle disorders. Based on your total cycle length, the device calculates a predicted date for your next period. The women's calendar records cycle dates, fertility windows, and the day of ovulation. By adding your own notes to it, you can track fluctuations in sleep, appetite, fitness, mood changes and predict well-being for a particular day.

In addition to those described above, more specific types of measurements can be found in modern wearable gadgets.

The number of types of sports training supported by the smartwatch. The more of them, the wider the coverage of the potential audience is provided by a wearable gadget on the wrist.

The most common sports modes include running, walking, cycling, swimming, elliptical exercise, and so on. The quantity and quality of data for different sports depends on the technical level of equipment of a particular device. While some models only record heart rate and roughly calculate the number of calories burned, other smartwatches evaluate the effectiveness of a workout using a detailed list of data and even draw a conditional run track based on information from GPS satellites.

This block contains both various navigation systems ( GPS, Galileo) and auxiliary features for them ( aGPS, GPS tracking, maps, compass, altimeter , barometer). More about them:

— GPS module. GPS satellite navigation module built right into the watch/tracker. The initial purpose of such a module is to determine the current geographic coordinates; but how this information will be used depends on the specific type and model of the gadget. For example, in some devices GPS is used only for measuring the distance traveled and/or speed of movement, while more advanced models support full navigation and are equipped with built-in maps. In addition, this feature is almost mandatory in children's beacons (see "Type") — it is GPS that is responsible for determining the location of the child.

— aGPS. An auxiliary feature that allows you to speed up the start of the main GPS receiver. To work for its main purpose, such a receiver must update data on the location of navigation satellites; Obtaining this data in the classical way, directly from the satellites themselves, can take quite a long time (up to several minutes). This is especially true for the so-called "cold start" — when the receiver starts up after a long break in opera...tion, and the data stored in it has become completely outdated. aGPS (Assisted GPS) allows you to receive up-to-date service information from a mobile operator — from the nearest base station (this feature is supported by most operators nowadays). This can greatly speed up the startup process.

— GLONASS. This system is a Russian alternative to the American GPS. However it provides somewhat less accuracy, so GLONASS support is usually provided in addition to the GPS module. Simultaneous use of two systems, in turn, improves positioning accuracy.

— Galileo. European satellite navigation system, created as an alternative to the American GPS. Note that it is under the control of civilian departments, not the military. With a full fleet of 24 active satellites, the system gives an accuracy of up to 1 m in public mode and up to 20 cm with the GHA service. Working in conjunction with GPS, the Galileo system provides a more accurate position measurement, especially in densely populated areas.

— Maps. The feature of displaying topographic maps of the area with heights, relief and types of vegetation on the clock screen. Preinstalled maps are used for visual GPS navigation without being tied to a smartphone. Often, the ability to display maps is implemented in tactical smartwatches with a focus on tourism.

— GPS tracking. Many watches with the possibility of laying routes have the feature of guiding by the GPS track. At the same time, the wearable gadget acts as a navigator around the area, showing the route on the screen and suggesting where it is necessary to turn in one direction or another. Some smartwatches with a pronounced touristic bias also have a “Return Route” programme that allows you to go back along an already traveled route. In GPS tracker mode, trackpoints are usually recorded automatically based on the selected fixing interval. You can also mark a track point manually at any time.

— Compass. A classic compass is a device that indicates the direction to the cardinal points. Wearable gadgets usually use an electronic compass — a miniature magnetic sensor, the data from which, if necessary, are displayed on the display.

— Altimeter. A feature that allows you to determine the current altitude of the user's location. Note that the principle and format of the altimeter may be different. So, some models use barometer data for height measurements, others use information from a GPS sensor; the height itself can be determined relative to sea level, relative to some reference point, or in any of these ways, at the choice of the user. These details should be clarified separately.

— Barometer. A feature that allows you to determine the current atmospheric pressure. One of the applications of the barometer is weather forecasting: for example, a sharp drop in pressure usually signals the approach of bad weather. In addition, information from this sensor can be used to operate the altimeter (see above); and even if the gadget does not have an altimeter, the height difference between two points on the ground can be easily calculated from the pressure difference between them.

The size of the display installed in the gadget; for round screens, respectively, the diameter is indicated.

A larger screen, on the one hand, is more convenient to use, on the other hand, it significantly affects the dimensions of the entire device, which is especially critical for wearable gadgets. Therefore, manufacturers choose the display size in accordance with the purpose and functionality of each specific model — so that there is enough space on the screen and the device itself is not too bulky.

It is also worth mentioning that screens with a similar size may have different aspect ratios. For example, traditional smartwatches are usually equipped with square or round panels, while in fitness trackers, screens are often made elongated in height.

Screen size in dots (pixels) horizontally and vertically. In general, this is one of the indicators that determine the image quality: the higher the resolution, the clearer and smoother the picture on the screen (with the same size), the less noticeable are the individual dots. On the other hand, an increase in the number of pixels affects the cost of displays, their power consumption and requirements for a hardware platform (more powerful hardware is required, which itself will cost more). In addition, the specifics of using smartwatches is such that there is simply no need to install high-resolution screens in them. Therefore, modern wrist accessories use displays with a relatively low resolution: for example, 320x320 with a size of about 1.6" is considered quite sufficient even for premium watches.

The density of dots on the screen of the gadget, namely, the number of pixels that are on each inch of the panel vertically or horizontally.

The higher the PPI, the higher the detail of the screen, the clearer and smoother the image is. On the other hand, this indicator affects the price accordingly. Therefore, the higher the density of points, the more advanced, usually, this gadget is in terms of general capabilities. However, when choosing a screen, manufacturers take into account the general purpose and functionality of the device; so that even a small number of PPIs usually does not interfere with comfortable use.

The maximum brightness in nits that the screen of the device produces.

The high-brightness displays remain legible under intense ambient light, which is important for quickly retrieving information from the dial outdoors on a clear sunny day. However, a large margin for this parameter affects the cost and power consumption of the display, which reduces the battery life of a wearable device.

— Built-in player. The presence of a player in the smartwatch allows you to use the gadget to listen to music. There is no need to connect to the phone for this. The songs will play directly from the watch. Therefore, these devices must necessarily have an impressive (as for a watch) amount of storage and be able to connect to headphones (for connection with headphones).

— Light sensor. A sensor that monitors the brightness of ambient light. One of the most popular ways to use this feature is to auto-adjust the brightness of the display: in bright light, it increases so that the image remains visible, and at dusk it decreases, which reduces eye strain and energy consumption. In addition, other more specific features may be provided — for example, turning on the screen when pulling back the sleeve of clothing.

— WiFi. A technology originally used to access the Internet via wireless access points, but more recently also used for direct communication between two devices (such a connection has several advantages over traditional Bluetooth). In wearable gadgets, the first option is most often provided, although the second is also found. However, the specific uses of Wi-Fi may be different depending on the device: accessing websites and various Internet services, remote communication with smart home systems, remote control of digital cameras and other electr...onics, transmission of the GPS- coordinates via Internet (in children's beacons), etc.

— NFC. Wireless communication technology over short distances (up to 10 cm). The methods of its application, including in wearable devices, may be different. One of the more popular options is using contactless payment (see below); however, the presence of such a function does not hurt to verify separately. Another common feature is the simplification of Bluetooth connection with a smartphone or tablet that also has NFC: instead of manual configuration, it is enough to bring one device to another — and they will automatically establish a connection, all that remains is to confirm it. Other ways of interaction may also be possible, for example, launching a “sports” application on a smartphone when bringing a fitness tracker to it. And theoretically, more specific options for using NFC are also allowed — for example, as a travel pass, ID, etc. Actually, in many models of wearable gadgets, the set of these methods is limited only by installed applications.

— Contactless payment. The possibility of using a wearable gadget for contactless payment. This feature is found only in models with NFC (see above); it actually turns the device into an analogue of a credit card with a chip and allows you to pay without taking the card out of your wallet — just bring your hand with the gadget to the terminal reader. This provides not only additional convenience, but also security. So, bringing the watch to the terminal is definitely easier than reaching into your pocket or purse for a credit card — especially if your hands are busy shopping. And instead of a traditional card, from which an attacker can copy basic details such as a number, CVV code and expiration date (for example, by “peeping” them with the built-in camera), a gadget is used that transmits this data in encrypted form and does not display it explicitly anywhere.
To use contactless payment, usually, you need to synchronize your gadget with your smartphone and set up such payment in the Google Pay or Apple Pay system. But to make payments, a smartphone is no longer required — many wearable devices are able to perform this feature completely autonomously (although this possibility still needs to be specified separately).

— Accelerometer. A sensor that determines the direction of gravity, as well as the accelerations acting on the device. This allows you to track two parameters at once: the current position in space and various physical influences (like tapping or shaking). Most often, the accelerometer is responsible for two main features: automatic rotation of the image on the screen, as well as the operation of the pedometer (in fact, the presence of such a sensor is almost guaranteed to mean the presence of a pedometer, see "Possible measurements"). However, there are other ways to use this sensor — for example, rejecting an incoming call when shaking the watch, turning on the screen when tapping on it, etc.

— Gyroscope. A device that allows you to track the turns of the gadget in one direction or another. Typically used in conjunction with an accelerometer. The gyroscope improves the accuracy of positioning in space (which has a positive effect on the quality of the pedometer and other similar functions), and also provides additional options for managing gestures. However, the specific applications of this sensor are highly dependent on the model.

— Camera. The watch/bracelet has its own built-in camera; its location and purpose differs from model to model. In some devices, the lens is located on the front panel, above the screen, and the matter is limited only to video communication and taking selfies, while others allow you to shoot “classic” photos or videos. At the same time, it is worth noting that anyway, the specs of such cameras are usually very limited — for example, the resolution rarely exceeds 2 megapixels, and autofocus is provided only in the most advanced models.

— Flashlight. Built-in flashlight — usually in the form of a small LED mounted directly in the case. Usually, it has a relatively modest brightness, but it can still be useful for simple tasks like lighting your path at night, lighting in a garage or basement, etc.