Xiaomi's Smart Band series, recognized as the Mi Band internationally, has garnered a substantial following due to its highly competitive pricing and robust feature lineup. Now in its eighth generation, the latest iteration places a significant emphasis on style, introducing an expanded range of first-party straps in various styles and incorporating several under-the-hood enhancements.

The Smart Band 8 maintains a visual resemblance to its predecessor, but it introduces two notable changes – a metal frame and a novel strap design that directly connects to the tracker. It's worth noting that older watchstraps from the Band 7 are not compatible with this new model.

Concerning health tracking, the Band 8 retains the same core features as its forerunner, encompassing 24/7 heart rate monitoring, continuous SpO2 tracking, and comprehensive sleep and stress monitoring. Notably, the Band 8 lacks a GNSS sensor, necessitating reliance on the paired smartphone's GPS for detailed running or walking data.

Familiar to long-time Mi Band users, the Band 8's software interface allows access to the watch face through wrist gestures or a double-tap on the screen. Navigating further, swiping down reveals notifications, while swiping up unveils the app drawer.

Xiaomi asserts that the Band 8 offers up to 16 days of usage with its 190mAh battery and extends to 6 days with Always On Display (AOD) enabled. In practical use, my unit managed to last for 7 days and 6 hours, encompassing continuous health tracking features without notifications or AOD activated.

In its price segment, the Xiaomi Band 8 stands out as arguably the top choice for a smart wearable, featuring an expansive AMOLED display with a seamless 60Hz refresh rate, automatic brightness adjustment, and an enhanced premium design.