Andre Yoskowitz
27 Jul 2014 22:48
Chinese powerhouse startup Xiaomi has expanded into the fitness tracker market, unveiling the new Mi Band.
The tracker is ridiculously cheap at CN¥79 ($13 USD) although Xiaomi does not sell outside of China yet, so getting a Mi Band in the U.S. will require going through an unlicensed third party.
Mi Bands will track your steps, track your sleeping patterns, work as a smart alarm clock (vibrate to wake you) and can last up to 30 days on a single charge, putting the Fitbit to shame by a huge margin.
In addition, if you have a Xiaomi phone, the band can unlock it wirelessly if close enough.
Xiaomi currently has a value of over $10 billion, especially notable for a three-year old company.
Rumours become official as @xiaomi gets into #wearables with Mi Band. At 79 RMB ($13US) it cud shift serious volume pic.twitter.com/4ZimmdTqfX
-- Ben Wood (@benwood) July 22, 2014