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Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Review: A Budget Fitness Tracker with Key Upgrades

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  Published in Health and Fitness on Sunday, December 28th 2025 at 20:33 GMT by Live Science

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10: A Budget-Friendly Fitness Tracker with Solid Features (But Some Tradeoffs)

The fitness tracker market is saturated, but Xiaomi continues to offer compelling options for budget-conscious consumers. LiveScience recently put the latest iteration, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10, through its paces, and their review reveals a device that delivers significant value for its price point – around $35 - while also highlighting some compromises inherent in its affordability. This article summarizes LiveScience's findings, exploring its features, performance, strengths, and weaknesses.

A Familiar Design with Key Improvements

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 builds upon the established design of previous models. It retains the slim, lightweight profile that makes it comfortable to wear around the clock – a crucial factor for consistent heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking. The band itself is easily interchangeable, allowing users to personalize its appearance. A key visual upgrade is the larger AMOLED display compared to earlier versions. This 1.47-inch screen (up from 1.1 inches on the Band 8) offers a significantly improved viewing experience with vibrant colors and good clarity even in bright sunlight. The increased size also allows for more information to be displayed at once, reducing the need for constant scrolling. LiveScience noted that while the design is familiar, this larger display truly elevates the user experience.

Feature-Rich Functionality – Beyond Basic Tracking

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 isn’t just about steps and calories. It boasts a comprehensive suite of features typically found in more expensive trackers. Heart rate monitoring remains a core function, providing continuous readings throughout the day and during workouts. Sleep tracking is also present, analyzing sleep stages (deep, light, REM) and offering insights into sleep quality. The band incorporates SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation) monitoring, although LiveScience cautions that these readings shouldn't be considered medical advice and aren’t a substitute for professional healthcare.

Beyond the basics, the Band 10 offers:

• Workout Tracking: It supports over 150 different workout modes, from running and cycling to yoga and swimming (it’s water-resistant up to 5 ATM). The tracker automatically detects some workouts, which is a convenient feature.
• Stress Monitoring: Using heart rate variability, the band attempts to gauge stress levels throughout the day.
• Breathing Exercises: Guided breathing exercises are available to help users manage stress and promote relaxation.
• Notifications: The Band 10 displays notifications from your smartphone (calls, texts, app alerts), although interaction is limited to quick glances – replying to messages directly on the band isn't possible.
• Music Control: You can control music playback on your phone directly from the tracker.

Performance & Accuracy: Generally Good, With Some Caveats

LiveScience’s testing revealed generally good performance across most metrics. Heart rate tracking was deemed accurate during both rest and exercise, comparable to more expensive devices. Step counting also appeared reliable. However, LiveScience did note that SpO2 readings can sometimes be inconsistent, a common issue with consumer-grade wearables. The accuracy of sleep tracking is also subject to interpretation; while it provides data on sleep stages, the band's assessment isn’t as sophisticated as dedicated sleep labs or medical devices.

The battery life is another strong point. Xiaomi claims up to 14 days on a single charge, and LiveScience’s testing largely corroborated this claim, even with continuous heart rate monitoring enabled. This impressive longevity significantly reduces the hassle of frequent charging. The band charges magnetically, which is convenient and secure.

The Tradeoffs: Limitations of Budget-Friendly Technology

While the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 offers a lot for its price, there are inherent limitations. LiveScience highlighted several areas where compromises were made to keep costs down:

• GPS: The band lacks built-in GPS. This means it relies on your smartphone's GPS signal during outdoor workouts, which can be less accurate and requires carrying your phone with you.
• Limited App Ecosystem: Unlike brands like Fitbit or Garmin, Xiaomi’s app ecosystem is relatively limited. While the Mi Fitness app provides a decent amount of data visualization and analysis, it lacks the depth and integration found in competing platforms.
• Basic Display Interaction: The display interaction is primarily based on swiping and tapping. There's no physical button for navigation, which some users might find less intuitive.
• Data Syncing: While syncing with the Mi Fitness app is generally reliable, LiveScience mentioned occasional hiccups in data transfer.

Conclusion: A Strong Contender for Value-Seeking Users

Overall, LiveScience concluded that the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 is an excellent choice for users seeking a feature-rich fitness tracker without breaking the bank. The larger display, improved design, and comprehensive tracking capabilities make it a significant upgrade over previous models. While the lack of built-in GPS and limited app ecosystem are drawbacks, they’re easily overlooked given its affordable price tag. It's particularly well-suited for beginners or those who want to track their basic fitness metrics without investing in a premium device. If you prioritize advanced features like offline maps, detailed training analysis, or seamless integration with third-party apps, you might need to consider alternatives; however, for everyday tracking and general wellness monitoring, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 delivers exceptional value. It’s a testament to how much functionality can be packed into a budget-friendly wearable.