If Xiaomi‘s fitness trackers weren’t already cheap enough, it’s set to launch the Xiaomi Mi Band 4C, an even more wallet friendly version of its big selling wearable.
We’re all eagerly waiting for the Xiaomi Mi Band 5, which is set to launch at some point this year, but it seems the Mi Band 4C will come first.
Eagle-eyed Xiaomi watcher Xiaomishka spotted that a forthcoming model number matched that of the Xiaomi-made RedMi band, that launched for the Chinese market in April 2020.
How does it compare: Fitbit vs Xiaomi
The RedMi band really is a no-frills fitness tracker with a large rectangular 1.08-inch color LCD (128x220), heart rate monitor and 5ATM water resistance. It also has five built in profiles for sports tracking, though of course, no GPS.
The screen is larger and the band itself is bulkier than the Mi Band 4 – though for some people, that will be part of the attraction.
It will also boast a battery life of around 14 days – and you won’t need a charger. The band actually integrates USB into the module itself – so just plug and charge.
But naturally, it’s all about price. The RedMi band has been retailing for as little as $20 on reseller sites, so expect the Xiaomi Mi Band 4C to fetch about the same. By way of comparison, the standard Mi Band 4 costs around $35.
Xiaomi’s bands have always undercut the likes of the Fitbit Charge 4, but over the four generations prices have crept up to keep pace with every-expanding feature sets. And it’s indicative of the state of the fitness tracking market that a $35 price tag now seems mid-range.
We’ve seen the likes of RealMe and RedMi surge in popularity in the developing world, and now the likes of Xiaomi can simply rebadge those for launch in the West.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.