Xiaomi debuted its latest wearables in Europe with the first NFC version of the Smart Band 11 a budget fitness band with a colourful AMOLED display, a host of health tracking features and a long battery life. Xiaomi has also launched the version of the Smart Band 11 with NFC to enable contactless payments from your wrist where supported.
The device is now available in Spain, with the standard version priced at 59.99 and the Smart Band 11 NFC offered at 79.99. This launch follows its earlier debut in China and subsequent release in other international markets, further strengthening Xiaomi’s position in the affordable wearable segment.
European release the greatest addition in the European version is the NFC connectivity as an option. Near-field communication (NFC) offers communications between devices at close proximity. It also enables contactless payments in supported terminals.
For someone who gets their daily workout, runs errands, or commutes to work, making payments from a wearable can be a convenient alternative to carrying a phone or a card. But NFC is no silver bullet when it comes to ensuring universal compatibility.
Like other members of Xiaomi’s fitness tracker family, the Smart Band 11 is a lightweight, slender device. The 1.72-inch AMOLED display (resolution: 212 520 pixels) is wide and slim, offering plenty of space to view notifications, health information and workout data.
With a top brightness of 2,000 nits available globally on the Xiaomi site, the display can be read easily in bright outdoor conditions. The tracker is roughly 9.99mm in thickness and weighs only 15.58g in weight without strap. This makes it suitable for long all-day wear.
European consumers will be able to select Midnight Black, Glacier Silver, and Mystic Rose options. A Ceramic Edition is indicated on the Xiaomi product website but was not available for purchase in Spain at launch time.
Apart from just a display and payment functionality, the Smart Band 11 has a focus on daily fitness and health management. It can help user monitor and analyze activity and sleep patterns by recording heart rate, blood oxygen level and stress levels.
The device offers more than 150 sports modes, including everything from walk and run to indoor activities and others. Beyond walking and running, its 5ATM water-resistance level allows for swimming and many other water-based activities, while not designed for all underwater activities.
Supported with both Android and iOS smartphones, the activity tracker syncs activity data, enables trend viewing, and also lets the users configure the device settings with the help of Xiaomi’s Mi Fitness app through a compatible smartphone.
Like other fitness wearables designed for consumers, it is optimized for overall wellness tracking and not substituting for medical grade equipment or diagnosis.
The length of time that the tracker will actually last will vary per usage. Heart-rate checks, continuous monitoring, alerts, and the always-on display can all affect battery life, and Xiaomi’s published advice says those that turn on the always-on feature should expect a shorter-lasting battery.
