Mi Band 3 vs Mi Band 2: Worth The Upgrade?

The new Mi Band 3 has arrived in India at a great price of Rs. 1,999 and it brings a new touch display, fitness features, notifications and more. However, does it bring enough enhancements to be worthy of an upgrade for someone who already owns a Mi Band 2? Well, that is the question we will be answering here as we put Xiaomi’s latest fitness tracker, the Mi Band 3, against its predecessor. So, if you were wondering whether you should upgrade to a Mi Band 3 or stick with your Mi Band 2 (Rs. 1,799), let us find out if the Mi Band 3 is a worthy upgrade or not:

Mi Band 3 vs Mi Band 2: Specs

Before we get into the real comparison, let us first check out the paper specs. In the table below, you will find everything that you need to know about these two fitness bands:

Design and Build Quality

On first look, Mi Band 3 looks almost exactly like the Mi Band 2, however, look a little bit closer and you will find that the Mi Band 3 brings a ton of changes. Firstly, the tracker on the Mi Band 3 is a little bit bigger and now sports a rounded shape, different from the flat shape sported by the Mi Band 2. Although the strap on the Mi Band 3 is made from the similar thermoplastic elastomer material which was used in the Mi Band 2, somehow it feels a bit more solid and durable.

I also love the fact that Xiaomi has made it a little harder to remove the tracker from the straps which will surely prevent accidental tracker removal. Overall, the Mi Band 3 is constructed very well and evokes more confidence when it comes to the durability of the device than the Mi Band 2.

Display

One of the biggest improvements that the Mi Band 3 is bringing over the Mi Band 2 has to do with its display. Although the Mi Band 3 is sticking to the same PMOLED panel which was found on the Mi Band 2, the panel itself has become larger which allows the tracker to display more information. The display is also fully touch-sensitive which means that instead of interacting with the little touchpad at the bottom, you can interact with the entire display on the Mi Band 3. This makes it really easy to swipe between the different screens.

Coming to the size of the display itself, the Mi Band 3 sports a 0.78 inches PMOLED display with a resolution of 128 x 80 pixels which gives it a pixel density of almost 193 PPI. The text, although still monochromatic, looks crisps and is really easy to read. I have been using the both the Mi Band 2 and Mi Band 3 side by side for a a week now, and I can certainly say that the Mi Band 3 also feels brighter and is easier to view in the direct sunlight. Overall, the display on the Mi Band 3 is far better than the one on the Mi band 2.

Improved Water Resistance

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 comes with a water resistance rating of 5ATM which means that the fitness tracker is resistance to water even when immersed up to 50 meters. That’s a huge improvement over the IP67 rating sported by the Mi Band 2 which could only withstand water immersion up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. What this means in normal life for you is that you can now take your Mi Band 3 for swimming if you want to without having to worry about the damages caused by water ingress.

Battery

The Mi Band 3 is bringing a 110 mAh battery which is almost 60% larger than the 70 mAh battery found on the Mi Band 2. That said, the larger battery doesn’t necessary means that you will be getting a better battery life as the Mi Band 3 also brings a larger and brighter display. As a consequence of the new display, the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is rated for the same 20 days of battery life as the Mi Band 2. However, I am not disappointed as the 20 days of battery life is more than enough for me.

Features

Apart from the above-mentioned hardware improvements, the Mi Band 3 is also bringing a number of new features which were previously not present on the Mi Band 2. Apart from counting your steps, reading your heart-rate, and keeping track of calories burnt like the Mi Band 2, the Mi Band 3 can accurately track your sleep, show you real-time data while playing sports or exercising, and more. I am especially excited about the real-time sports data feature as it will allow you  to monitor the physical state of your heart and speed during exercises, and adjust their intensity to avoid injuries.

Other than fitness tracking, the Mi Band 3 will also act as your smartwatch as it can deliver notifications for calls, messages, alarms, reminders, and more. You can even decide to pick or reject calls directly from the Mi Band 3 itself, as it supports caller ID which can show you the name and the number of your caller. Mi Band 3 also brings sedentary reminders where the band will tap you on your wrist to let you know if you have been sitting for a long time. Finally, now you can set up daily goals and when you achieve them, the Mi Band 3 will give you a gentle reward reminder.

Connectivity

Mi Band 3 is also bringing a bunch of improvements to the connectivity side of things. First of all, the Mi Band 3 uses Bluetooth 4.2 instead of the Bluetooth 4.0 found on the Mi Band 2. The newer Bluetooth standard in the Mi Band 3 will mean longer range and more importantly a better connection.

SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Yuemi MK01 Mechanical Keyboard Review: Great for Typing, Bad for Gaming

Mi Band 3 vs Mi Band 2: Worth The Upgrade?

As you can see, the Mi Band 3 is better than the Mi Band 2 in every aspect that matters. It has a better display, better build quality, better sensors, and it brings a number of extra features which were not found on the Mi Band 2. It’s clear that even if you own a Mi Band 2, investing in the newer Mi Band 3 will be a wise decision, especially since it’s priced at Rs. 1,999, which is not a huge price jump from the Rs. 1,799 price tag of the Mi Band 2.

So, if you have been waiting for the Mi Band 3 and you were wondering if it’s better than the Mi Band 2, well, the answer is, yes, you should go for the Mi Band 3.

Buy Mi Band 3 from Amazon: (Rs. 1,999)