New version of Band 5 supports USB-A charging
Huawei spin-off Honor is ramping up its attempts to dethrone Xiaomi as the king of budget fitness trackers with the unveiling of the Honor Band 5i.
The slightly cheaper version of the Honor Band 5 offers a lot of the same features with the key addition of USB-A charging. The charging connector is built into the band’s design letting you plug it straight into a USB-A port like you’d find on a laptop.
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It’s not the first time we’ve seen a charging connector built into the design of a fitness band. We can definitely get on board with not having to worry about keeping an eye on another charging cradle or cable.
Other than simpler charging method, the Band 5i’s design is incredibly similar to the main version of the tracker. You’re getting the same silicon band housing a 0.95-inch display, but it’s clear that some compromises have been made to lower the price.
For one, that display’s resolution has gone down, from 240 x 120 pixels on the Honor Band 5 to 160 x 80 on the 5i. The battery life has also dropped, going down from an excellent 14 days to a still entirely decent 7-9 days depending on use.
However, in other areas the features are matched. The Band 5i also has heart rate tracking and SpO2 monitoring, along with 5ATM waterproofing to cover your swimming action. It’ll track all the same activities as the original model, too.
Honor says that the budget fitness tracker will be available from 1 November in China, in three colors: Coral Pink, Olive Green, and Meteorite Black. It will cost around , undercutting the original Honor Band 5 by around .
Given the outstanding value offered by the original version, that represents some pretty excellent value, if the Honor Band 5i can come good on its promises.
Via: GSMArena
