Xiaomi shattered the notion that fitness trackers had to be expensive with last year's Mi Band. Despite not having a display, the minimalistic wearable included a number of embedded sensors and was even able to track sleep patterns. Sure, it wasn't as feature-packed as the competition but it sold for just $13.
The Chinese electronics maker recently unveiled its second-generation fitness tracker, the Mi Band Pulse, which adds a couple of worthwhile features that somehow only bump the price up by a couple of bucks.
As the name hints at, the Mi Band Pulse includes a light-based PPG (photoplethysmography) sensor to measure blood flow... or in other words, it now has a heart rate monitor. The company claims it's just as accurate as the much more expensive Apple Watch.
Xiaomi said the strap on its new wearable is stronger than before, remedying the easily broken strap problem of the original (their words, not mine). It's powered by a 45mAh battery that's good for about 20 days of use between charges. We're also told the band carries an IP67 rating against dust and liquid.
The Mi Band Pulse is compatible with Android devices running version 4.4 or newer as well as Apple mobile devices with iOS 7 or later. It goes on sale for just 99 Yuan ($15) in China from November 11. No word yet on when or if Xiaomi plans to sell the Pulse in other markets.