Xiaomi Smart Band 8: it can be a necklace, a watch and even shoes

The new Xiaomi 13 Ultra is official, but it was not the only announcement of the Chinese company. The long-awaited Xiaomi Smart Band 8 was officially unveiled. The device will no longer be limited to use as a smart bracelet, but can also be used as a pendant or step meter.

Without a doubt, this is a very peculiar bet on the part of Xiaomi. The Asian company is now looking to give one of its most popular products more versatility. Of course, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 can still be worn as a smart bracelet, offering a wide range of straps to choose from.

In fact, one of the notable changes to Xiaomi's eighth-generation bracelet is the strap attachment system. Unlike its predecessors, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 can not only use straps that wrap around the body of the device, but also has a pair of attachment points at each end of the central capsule. In this way, you can adapt its use to pendants or straps with different ends.

The design of the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 is not too different from what we have already seen in the Smart Band 7, introduced in 2022, although with a better metal finish. The Chinese firm has paid special attention to the possibility of using it as a fashion accessory through the use of straps with an emphasis on design, thanks to a greater choice of materials and colors.

Xiaomi Smart Band 8 focuses on fashion, but doesn't forget its roots

The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 continues to offer support for more than 150 sports, and its developers ensure that its exercise recording accuracy is on par with that of professional-grade hardware.

In addition, by connecting it to a cell phone or tablet, you can use a smart bracelet to perform special workouts. During the presentation event, you could see a kind of interactive boxing session, in which physical activity was combined with a game.

Speaking of entertainment, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 will also allow you to play directly from the device. A curious fact that, again, speaks to how the manufacturer is trying to take the gadget into new territories beyond its initial use.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 features a 60 Hz refresh rate display. As for the battery, it promises a maximum battery life of 16 days. However, if the Always On Display option is activated, the battery life is reduced to six days. It is worth noting that it can be fully charged in just one hour.

In the near future, the new version of the Xiaomi smart bracelet will go on sale only in China. It was not mentioned when it will appear in international markets, but probably in the coming months. As for pricing, there will be two variants. The cheapest will cost 239 yuan (about 32 euros), and the most expensive will sell for 279 yuan (37 euros). The difference will be that the more expensive model will come with NFC.