Xiaomi and Honor are popular due to rich functionality at a budget price tag. While fans of brands are arguing for the title of the main sports tracker, the editors of the MOYO blog analyze in detail the characteristics of each of them.

Package contents: a miracle out of the box

Compare the delivery set of smart bracelets. For both devices, it is typical for middle-class models:

• the tracker itself;
• charging to it;
• documentation set.

There are no additional items (spare straps or storage cases) in the kits. To customize (customize) the device, you will have to buy accessories separately.

Read: 5 reasons to buy a fitness bracelet

Design: glossy and chic on the wrist

Appearance, consider, commodity. Because, as you know, they meet by clothes. The design features of sports bracelets do not give much room for imagination, but manufacturers manage to customize their models.

Xiaomi Mi Band 4

Thanks to the oval capsule, this watch will appear more elegant. For those who prefer business style — just right. The color scheme is restrained and versatile. Xiaomi only has black, white, red and blue models. The edges of the strap are fastened with a clip, which even a child can handle.

To the topic: Instructions for choosing a smart watch with pressure and heart rate measurement in 4 points

Honor Band 5

The devices are distinguished by a non-standard color scheme of the strap. Honor has black, blue and red models. They are suitable for adults and children. Thanks to the many holes on the strap, they can be worn even on a thin wrist.

On the back side of the ring, compressing the edge of the strap, there is a “clove” that sinks into the holes on the strap. Therefore, the bracelet does not fidget on the arm even during exhausting workouts.

In this comparison, Honor watches win. Yes, it takes more time to put them on, but they sit on the wrist like a glove. And this is what is valued in a fitness tracker. You can customize the design for yourself with the help of third-party accessories. As Ozaki O!coat did with the Apple Watch: these straps make their wearer stand out from the crowd.

Display: see all

Compare device displays. It is with their help that users check the time, monitor the pulse, calories burned, etc. We figure out whose screens are better.

Useful article: How to set up a smart watch: step by step instructions in 4 sections

Xiaomi tracker

The size and resolution are average for 2019-2020 smartwatches. AMOLED display of 0.95 inches and a resolution of 240x120px. The screen itself is covered with oleophobic 2.5D glass. But for reliability, it is better to install another protective glass.

Swipe up and down scrolls through the menu. Thus, the current status is determined: high, average or minimal physical activity, pulse, training modes, weather. You can set up additional functions such as alarm clock, timer, brightness control, etc. Side swipes launch music controls and AliPay.

The smart bracelet displays notifications from most apps, but no emoji. Instead of them, squares flaunt.

You can customize your “desktop” with one of 50+ designer watch faces from the Mi Fit app.

For the curious: How to set up the Internet on a smart watch: a step-by-step guide in 6 sections

Honor smart bracelet

The Band 5 tracker has a 0.95-inch AMOLED monitor with a resolution of 240×120 px. It does not have enough stars from the sky, but for a device of this size, such parameters are more than enough.

The brightness needs to be adjusted by yourself. When leaving a dark room in a bright area, you will have to spend a few seconds adjusting the display. But at the same time, you can reduce the brightness at night by setting the timer from 9 pm to 7 am.

The monitor’s color depth and brightness are so elaborated that it will be easy to control even under spotlights.

Note: Troubleshooting when using a smart watch — instructions in 3 sections

The display turns on in 2 ways.

• By pressing the circle below the display.
• By turning the brush to the face (this feature is pre-activated in the settings).

The image on the screen is displayed for 5-10 seconds: this duration of work will help prolong the operation of the device. You can also enable one-time activation of the display for 5 minutes. Then he will again enter the «sleep» and will turn on only on request.

For more customization, you can download the designer watch face from the Huawei Health app.

Both devices have a touch screen with medium sensitivity, which will help to avoid accidental clicks. In this comparison, the Mi Band 4 wins by a narrow margin. Its main functions are available by swipe (without digging into the menu). The user can read notifications without touching the phone.

Fitness functions: run, forest, run

It is clear that the key reason for buying fitness bracelets is to track health indicators. Which one is better for the intended purpose? Let’s figure out who measures oxygen in the blood and accurately determines the phases of sleep.

Useful article: 5-point guide to setting up a smart watch with a tonometer: how to measure blood pressure and pulse correctly

xiaomi

Like most trackers, the Mi Band 4 tracks your heart rate, steps, and sleep patterns. However, the Xiaomi brand appreciates the device more for its «smart alarm clock» that will wake the user up in the most favorable phase. MiFit does not have this feature, but it can be enabled through the Mi Band Smart Alarm app.

Man sits deep and superficial sleep. And if you wake him up during the first phase, he goes through the whole day «broken» and tired. Even if rested 8 hours in a row. Waking up in the second phase, a person will be full of energy, even if he slept only 4-5 hours.

Smart alarm clock works as follows.

1. The user sets the wake up time. For example, it will be 7 am.
2. He goes to bed with a bracelet on his wrist.
3. The tracker “sees” that at 6:45 a.m. the user will still be in a superficial sleep phase, but at 7:00 a.m. he will already be in a deep one.
4. The bracelet «makes a decision» about waking up at 6:45.

And even though the owner of the gadget sleeps 15 minutes less, he will be much more cheerful than if he woke up at the appointed hour.

Also, the tracker has as many as 10 exercise modes: from running on the street to swimming in the pool. This will help to more accurately calculate the required load and analyze physical activity.

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Honor

Like Xiaomi, Honor bracelets measure heart rate through optical sensors. A small area of ​​the hand is illuminated by LEDs: then the ultra-sensitive scanner determines the pulse based on mathematical calculations.

The fifth generation bracelet has a non-standard heart rate sensor: it will not glow so as not to interfere with the user. During training, the LED backlight is used, and in normal mode, the sensor is illuminated by IR rays. This feature eliminates the possibility of «light pollution» in the dark and significantly saves the charge level.

With constant wear, the device will report the number of steps, calories burned and training mileage. Continuous heart rate monitoring is enabled separately, but you can only see the results in the Huawei Health app.

The developers have provided several options for sports — from walking and exercise bikes to swimming and rowing. In different modes, the tracker will suggest different targets, work/rest cycles, etc. For example, in the «bicycle» mode, it will enable GPS tracking on the phone and will display the trip path and speed of movement.

Read: Apple Watch won’t turn on: what to do and how to fix — 3 sections to help

Band 5 also measures the level of oxygen in the blood. He will track changes in the human respiratory system, informing him of possible problems. A sharp decrease in oxygen levels is one of the symptoms of this disease.

Important: the bracelet will only show approximate data, so it cannot be used for medical purposes. To accurately measure the level of oxygen in the blood, you need to use a professional oximeter.

The TrueSleep function will allow you to track basic information about sleep: its duration, phases, etc. The system will analyze the results obtained and offer individual advice on setting up a sleep mode. «Smart Alarm» will allow you to be alert even if you have to travel between different time zones.

When buying a fitness bracelet, you should remember that hundreds of parameters affect the measurement accuracy: from the user’s weight to diseases and even skin color! Therefore, such gadgets are suitable for those for which the minimum errors of 2-5% will not play a special role.

In the fitness performance comparison, Honor wins. They are equally coping with Xiaomi with sleep, but at the same time, Huawei’s “daughter” still measures oxygen in the blood.

Lovers of «give jazz»: How to connect Bluetooth headphones to your watch: 3 options

Battery: powerful machine

Innovation is good. But each new chip «eats» the battery. Below you can find out how long fitness bracelets last in different situations, and whether it makes sense to overpay for a battery.

Xiaomi

The bracelet boasts a 135 mAh battery, which is 20-30% more than most devices in its price category. However, given the number of connected functions, the operating time remains approximately on par with competitors. On average, it can hold a charge from 5-6 days to a month. Such a run is due to constant listening to music, heart rate monitoring and synchronization with Android and iOS smartphones. They run the battery.

If you use Mi Band 4 as a watch, including fitness functions only during training, it will last for 3-4 weeks.

Interesting article: How to properly charge a smart watch: 3 ways to save battery

Honor

Unlike the Mi Band, there is no need to detach the strap while charging. This is much more convenient and will prevent accidental loss of the strap. The bracelet itself connects to the docking station, which connects to the network via USB.

The battery capacity is modest: only 100 mAh. But it lasts for the same time as Xiaomi. The autonomy of the device depends entirely on the loads: from 4-5 days to 2-3 weeks. If he constantly monitors his heart rate and oxygen levels, the battery will drain quickly. If you use it as a clock, and turn on the monitoring of parameters only during training, it can work up to 15-20 days.

And although the Mi Band has a slightly larger battery, during operation this difference is almost imperceptible. When calculating battery life, you need to take into account the number of enabled functions, as well as how often Bluetooth is turned on and basic menu settings. Changing the interface practically does not affect the performance of the device. All the same, he is almost always with the screen off.

Read: How to distinguish an original Apple Watch from a fake: a comparison of 10 parameters

Other benefits: listen to music and order sushi

Not just a sport! Modern bracelets have become serious competitors to smart watches. They also know how to control music, track the current location and even read SMS.

Mi Band 4

It works in conjunction with the Mi Fit application, which is synchronized with the mobile phone. Mi Fit displays information about calls and notifications from social networks and instant messengers.

Alas, there is no GPS tracker here: but at the same time, the bracelet connects to the phone. «Beacon» will show the distance traveled and help you find your location.

Informative article: How to insert a SIM card into a smart watch — instructions in 2 paragraphs

Music lovers will love this watch. They work with all music applications. Tracks from Apple Music and from the basic version of YouTube show equally well. In addition, they will help you find your lost smartphone.

To activate the search, you need:

1. go to the menu;
2. click «Find mobile».

Your phone will beep so you can find it.

The secret of this interesting mode is very simple. The bracelet connects to the phone via Bluetooth, sending a notification to the MiFIt application. It turns on the signal on the phone.

Band 5

Huawei does not have a GPS tracker. But it connects to the mobile and collects statistics on the distance traveled. Also, with the help of a beacon, you can observe the movement of a person. True, it must be borne in mind that in order to display movement in real-time, the watch must be synchronized with a smartphone that is nearby.

Interesting: What is a smart watch and why you need it — 5 useful functions

In Band 5, you can set an alarm via your phone or on the bracelet itself. It will wake up with vibrations from the back of the Honor watch.

Music lovers will not like this device. It can only listen to audio through the Music app on your phone. Perhaps future updates will fix this shortcoming.

The winner of this battle is Mi Band 4. It will help you find your phone in any environment and can connect to any music application.

Comparison of characteristics: which is better

In the previous sections, the key parameters of trackers from Xiaomi and Honor were analyzed. A visual overview-comparison was brought together in one table.

Price: it’s all about money

Both devices are of the middle price category — their cost is in the range of $30-40. It also happened that at sales went under the hammer for $20-25. In online stores, Mi Band 4 can be bought for 999 UAH, and Honor Band 5 for 899 UAH.

Read: How to connect a smart watch to a phone: ways for 2 smartphone operating systems

A difference of 100 hryvnia is not a reason to refuse a purchase. Especially applies to fans of the «ecosystem» of Xiaomi: the tracker will definitely appeal to those who love this company. To make a choice — honor band 5 or xiaomi mi band 4, you should understand the possible expectations to figure out which device satisfies them better.