Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 revealed with larger display, better monitoring

Xiaomi is expanding its wearables line today with the introduction of the Mi Smart Band 5. The company promises a number of improvements and new features over the previous-generation Mi Band, with this new watch launching in standard and NFC versions. One of the biggest upgrades over the Smart Band 4 comes in the display, which has increased in size to 1.1 inches with the Smart Band 5.

That may not seem like a huge increase when the display on the Smart Band 4 was 0.95 inches, but even that small jump up in size could make a big difference on a smartwatch. Xiaomi says that the AMOLED display on the Smart Band 5 has a maximum brightness of 450 nits and has been outfitted with a 2.5D tempered glass panel to keep it safe.

The company says that monitoring will also be improved in the Smart Band 5 thanks to a new PPG and an improved heart rate monitoring algorithm. Sleep monitoring accuracy has improved by 40% while "heart rate monitoring of irregular movements" has been improved by up to 50%. The watch is also capable of tracking menstrual cycles and stress levels, with the latter feature suggesting when users should adjust their breathing or try to relax.

The Smart Band 5 charges using a magnetic cable and the battery – the size of which hasn't been revealed – can apparently last for 14 days on a single charge. That, of course, depends on how you use the smartwatch, but it sounds like we can expect a decent amount of use time out of the battery regardless. There are 11 types of exercise modes included on the Smart Band 5 (up from 6 on the Smart Band 4), the watch is compatible with both Android and iOS, and, just like its predecessor, it's water resistant up to 50 meters.

The NFC version of the watch comes equipped with Xiaomi's XiaoAI smart assistant, which will allow you to manage AIoT devices and carry out a lot of tasks – checking the weather, setting alarms, measuring your heart rate, etc. – using voice controls. The NFC functionality also allows for contactless payment through UnionPay, though that won't be available until an OTA update in August.

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 5 will be launching in mainland China on June 18th, with the standard version running RMB 189 (US $27) and the NFC version priced at RMB 229 (US $32). There's no word on an international release date for these watches, but Xiaomi suggests that's coming soon.