(Running)-Review:Mi Band 2

Mi Band 2 is the 3^rd wearable gadget and 1^st smartwatch released by Xiaomi. I define it as a smartwatch as it has advance features compared to conventional watches and it shows current time!

Mi Band 2 was officially released on 7 June 2016. It is the 2^nd generation of Mi Band, after Xiaomi released Mi Band and Mi Band Pulse. Let we start to sneak deeper on this product.

Before Mi Band 2

Mi Band 2 is the first wearable band launched by Xiaomi which can show current time and date. Previously, Xiaomi has launched their first wearable smart band, Mi Band. It can count your daily steps, record your sleeping pattern, be as an alarm clock and unlock your phone instantaneously. It shows all the details by connecting with app Mi Fit, which is available at Apps Store or Google Play.

However, the negative side of Mi Band is it doesn’t show current time. There is only three dots on the panel of the band that indicate you has reach 33%, 66% or 100% your daily steps. That’s mean you have to wear a watch that shows you the time and another steps-counter. Feels like an idiot huh?

After that Xiaomi launched Mi Band Pulse, which is almost identical to its predecessor, but equipped with heart beat sensor. Now, it may record your heartbeat. But still, it still cannot provide you exact time.

Now, with the launching of Mi Band 2, Xiaomi has produced a rich features wearable band with extremely low prices compared to other competitors. Seems like the development team has identify the weaknesses in the previous model.

Design

Mi Band 2 now has 0.42 inch OLED screen, which shows you specific detail on the watch. It is a major improvement, compared to previous model that has only 3 blipping points.

There is capacitor button inserted in the current model, which is used when users cycle over the modes available at the watch.

The strip of Mi Band 2 is has hypoallergenic properties. It is smooth to be touched and comfortable to be wear, even for people with sensitive skin.

The default colour of the strip is black, but you may change the colour of the strips by buying the strip separately. It is available in 4 colours, which is black, orange, green and blue. However, you cannot fit the new tracker into older Mi Band strip.

The new design of Mi Band 2 looks so elegant. In my opinion, it perfectly blended if you wear the band with the black strip. It shows a mysterious identity of the wearer, but at the same time looks elegant and modern.

Features

Finally, Xiaomi released a watch! Look, I mean now Mi Band 2 can provide you current time and date.

Steps-counter feature which is a Mi Band feature is retained. Now, you can see how many steps you have walk over the day through your watch. It reduces hassle, and save time.

Next, the band show distance covered for the whole day. You may change the units, either metric or imperial.

There is also calories burned panel. It shows you amount of calories burned by analysing your movement and steps over the time.

Again, a previous feature brought from previous model is retained, which is heart beat tracker. You need to cycle over the mode, lift your wrist up like you are reading the watch, and it will track your heart beat.

Lastly, there is battery mode that shows you amount of power left before you have to charge the band.

It is quite impressive that entry-level smartwatch have all those features. Simple but complete for daily use.

Mi Fit

To connect your phone to the band, you need to download app Mi Fit. Your phone need to have 4.0 Bluetooth type in order the connection to be stable. Mi Fit enhances the features of Mi Band 2 even more.

By adding using this app, it enhances the features of the Mi Band 2. You may scroll the history of your step counter. It also enables the users to track their sleeping pattern. It detected your deep sleep or light sleep pattern. You may compare your sleep pattern, either you sleep well, don’t get enough sleep or oversleep.

This band can also replace your alarm clock. You can set your alarm, and it will vibrate at the pre-set time. To switch off the alarm, you need to press the capacitor button once.

Then, you may set the band to vibrate when your phone receive any notifications. You may enable or disable this feature. In order it to properly functioned, you need to switch on the Bluetooth at your phone all the time in order the band may connect to the phone and receive the signals.

Another interesting feature of the band is it may unlock your phone automatically without passcode. Again, you need to switch on the Bluetooth at your phone so that this feature can be activated. Press standby button at your phone and bring the phone closer to the band. The phone will be unlocked. However, this feature can only be activated by Android phone users which has at least Android 5.0 with Bluetooth 4.0.

This feature is very useful, especially when your hand is wet and you can’t unlock your phone. Also, when your hand is wet, your phone cannot detect your fingerprint. By using the band, just put your phone close to the band, and your phone will be unlocked instantly.

Pros and cons

There are few aspect that Mi Band clearly has advantages compared to other competitors:

Value in money

The band has a price tag lower than RM200. To be clear, the price ranges from RM 100-RM150. The price is clearly lower compared to other smartwatches at the market. One Gadget had once do a promotion and sell the band at price only RM99. The price looks low, but you get a feature-rich smartwatch. Clearly value for every penny spent.

Long last battery

Every time you charge the band, it will last for around 20 to 30 days, depend on users’ usage style. If you think 20 days is a short period, let me clarify here. Other smartwatches last around 3-7 days only before they need to be charged.

Water resistant

Did I ever tell you that this band is water resistant? Mi Band 2 has IP67 splash resistant certificate. It is splash, dust and corrosion resistant. But don’t wear it when you are swimming or diving.

Lightweight

The watch is fairly light, and make you feel convenient especially when you are running.

However there are few flaws of this band:

Not durable

I used the watch since October 2016, which means around 4 month since I first used this watch. However, the strip now seems cannot fit the tracker properly.

There is two lining in the strip, which is inner and outer lining. Inner and outer lining has to fix properly so that it can fit the tracker properly. But, the inner and outer lining now has torn, and it cannot hold the tracker fit in the socket. The tracker now occasionally fell out from the socket. It is hard to find a missing tracker if it lost especially in a crowd place, and a strip without a tracker is just nothing.

Cannot be charged with USB cable

To charge the tracker, you need a special cable and it cannot be charged by USB cable. A little bit annoying thing when you live in an era where USB cable is used at almost gadgets and not at Mi Band 2.

Limited features

Although Mi Band 2 now shows current time, it can’t be used as a stopwatch. Compared to other smartwatches, some of them allow you to read the notifications through the watch. You can even take pictures by your smartphone camera or play games from your smartwatches. But, remember that most of those features are equipped at smartwatches which have price tag around RM400-RM1200. Hopefully the low price of the Mi Band can compensate those limitations.

Cannot be sync with other fitness apps

I read on an article in Internet that Mi Band developer team has not share the code publicly. So the band cannot properly connect and sync the data with other fitness apps such as Endomondo and Strava. The band can only properly functioned with Mi Fit. I assumed that there is locked features or the band still has extra potential if it has capability to connect and integrate with other apps.

 Inaccurate algorithm

Sometimes the algorithm not properly functioned. It track my sleep pattern inaccurately. It shows that I wake up in the middle of the night, although it is not. However, I only encounter those problems rarely.

Heart Beat Tracker doesn’t function properly

Remember that I have share the steps for Mi Band to track your heart beat at the top of my post? However, it is certainly impracticable. I had read few feedback at the comment section of Mi Fit, and most of users argued that update released in November has cause this problem to arise. The tracker can only read my heart beat when I put my index finger on the bottom of the tracker, and still there is only 50-50 chance that it will be successful.

So far, the watch works properly, except when I charge the band, I have to ensure the socket is properly connect with the charger so that it will be charged. Haish too much usage of words ‘charge’. Honestly I quite satisfied with the watch. For the watch strip’s problem, just buy a new strip. Problem solved.

The watch is sold at Lazada at vary prices, around RM107.90-RM129.99 There is also several online portal that sold the band such as One Gadget and Direct D. I am not so sure that there is any retail shop that sold the watch, but I certainly confident that major of the shop will sold it at higher price.

If you are looking for simple, value in money but rich-features smartwatch, you may take Mi Band 2 into your consideration.

(Running)-Introduction

Hello guys! How are you today? I hope you days are awesome.

Less than 100 days before SCKLM kick off. Wait, what is SCKLM?

SCKLM stands for Standard Chartered KL Marathon, a prestigious annual running event that has be held at KL. It compromise of Fun Run, Corporate Run, 10KM Run, 21KM Run and the highlight of the event, 42KM.

Wait, are you a runner?

Yes, I am a runner. I am actually a part time runner, and full time student, Major in ACCA and Degree in Procrastinating. LOL.

Inspiration that suddenly came

It has been a controversy issue, why a Malay boy would love to run? Why he doesn’t play futsal, like other typical boys out there?

Well, when I was a kid, I am not a runner. I am not an athlete. Even during when I am in secondary school, I rarely participated in any track and field events, or sports.

My father works as a policeman (now he has retired). During his young age, he actively exercised at gym. 

He was a bodybuilder. When he married, he had no longer went exercise at gym, as now his commitment 

will be his family.

Fun Fact: When a bodybuilder stop doing those sort of exercises, his muscle will slowly turn to fat and his kulit will be menggelebeh.

That’s happened to my father. I can say, he look fatter during that time, although I don’t even notice those changes.

To make it simpler, my father chose to run, as it required less commitment, compared to exercising at gym. You can just run anywhere, as long as there is land there. For a person who has already at 40s and want to 

start exercise at gym, it is actually harder to start from scratch.

My father started be a runner when I was in Standard 3 (or 4) in primary school. Do you think I was amazed with him? NO! I hate running during that time. My father usually start run around 6.30 a.m. , which means I had to walk to the school. Pppfft.

Sometimes my father participated in running event, and my mother will force me to accompany him, so that I would be inspired to be a runner also in the future. It means I had to wake up earlier in the morning at 5.20 a.m., take bath with icy cool water. Who wants to do that when you can qada’ your sleep after a long tiring weekdays?

When I was in Standard 6, I started to follow my father ran at the park (rarely), but enough to inspire me. Plus, when my father bought new running shoes, the older one will be passed to me. Gladly, my feet fit with the shoes.

I never imagine that I can reach this stage so far. I was just a typical 5km runner 2 years ago. Last year, I participated in my first 10km and 21km run, and I managed to finish the Half Marathon running event twice last year. This year I will be participating in my first Full Marathon event.

Running is actually boring. You may end up run alone at the park, or at the roadside. Boredom can kill your spirit to keep running. That’s why I choose to listen to the music when I run, so that it would not be boring at all.

So why I choose to run?

For me, why I choose to run is running is the easiest sport. You just have to wear running shoes (or even with barefoot), bring your determination, motivation, inspiration, and run. Another reason is, I may borrow my father’s running gear also if I want to run at home, such as running shoes and compression pants. Hehe.

You can be a futsal player. You can be a basketball player. You can be anything. It is not an offence if you are doing or being different from other people. As long as you practise a healthy lifestyle, you are already board on the correct ship.

In the next post, I will review about running gears that I used. So stay tuned!