MI Band 5 is the latest fitness tracker from Xiaomi, it was announced on June 11th in China as it succeeds the popular Mi Band 4 that was released last year. And on 16 July, it arrived in the UK and Europe. Price in UK and Europe starts at $50 and $35 in China. As expected, Mi Band 5 is smarter than its predecessor and packs new features such as more fitness tracking features, a larger and brighter display, and the introduction of a convenient charging option. In this post, I compare the specs and features of Mi Band 4 vs 5 to find out what’s new, so you know the differences.
Mi Band 4 vs 5 Full Specs Compared
| Mi Band 4 | Mi Band 5 | |
|---|---|---|
 |  | |
ABOUT DEVICE | ||
| Device name | Mi Band 4 | Mi Band 5 |
| Device type | Fitness smartband | Fitness smartband |
| Predessesor | MI BAND 3 | MI Band 4 |
| Successor | Mi Band 5 | __ |
| Released date | June, 2019 | June, 2020 |
| Ideal for | Unisex | Unisex |
DISPLAY | ||
| Display type | AMOLED (400nits) | AMOLED |
| Display size | 0.95 inch | 1.1 inches |
| Display resolution | 240 x 120 pixel | 294 x 126 pixel |
| Pixel density | _ | _ |
| Input type | Touchkey | Touchkey, Touchscreen |
| Always-on | Yes | No |
| Customizable watch face | Yes | Yes |
BODY | ||
| Shape | Rectangular/curved | Rectangular/curved |
| Dimension | 47 x 21.6 x 10.8 mm | 46.95 x 18.15 x 12.45mm |
| Weight | 22.1 grams | 11.9g (excluding straps) |
| Casing material | Polycarbonate | Polycarbonate |
| Strap/band material | TPU | TPU |
| Bezel Material | Polycarbonate | Polycarbonate |
| Strap size | 155 - 216mm | 155 - 219mm |
| Interchangeable band | 155 - 216mm | 155 - 219mm |
| Screen protection | 2.5D Tempered glass | 2.5D Tempered glass |
| Water resistant/Protection | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Swim-proof | Recommended | Recommended |
| Color(s) | Black Blue Red Orange Gray | Yellow, teal, navy blue, mint, green, orange and black |
MEMORY | ||
| RAM | 512KB | 512KB |
| Internal storage | 16MB | 16MB |
| Memory card slot | No | No |
CONNECTIVITY | ||
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth v5.0 | Bluetooth v5.0 |
| Bluetooth calling | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | No | No |
| NFC | Yes (China) | Yes (China) |
| Payment system | Ali Pay(China) | Ali Pay Union Pay (China) |
| GPS | No (Connected GPS) | No (Connected GPS) |
CELLULAR TECHNOLOGY | ||
| Technology | None | None |
| SIM | None | None |
| Band | No | No |
NOTIFICATIONS | ||
| Email alert | Yes | Yes |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes |
| Weather | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps | Yes | Yes |
| Text response | No | No |
FITNESS TRACKING | ||
| Sleep apnea | No | No |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | No | No |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Calories | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes |
| Stress | No | Yes |
| VO2 Max. | No | Yes |
| Blood oxygen | No | No |
| Blood pressure | No | No |
| Menstrual cycle tracking | No | Yes |
| Swim tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Under-water heart rate tracking | No | No |
| Preloaded maps | No | No |
| On-screen workout modes | No | No |
| Triathlon mode | No | No |
| ECG Tracking | No | No |
| Preloaded sport modes | Yes, 6 | Yes, 11 |
| Safety tracking | No | No |
MEDIA | ||
| Audio | No | No |
| Music streaming | No | No |
| Bluetooth music | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | No | No |
| Microphone | No | MEMS microphone |
| Camera | No | No |
SENSORS | ||
PLATFORM | ||
| Operating system (OS) | Proprietary OS | Proprietary OS |
| Chipset | -- | -- |
| CPU | -- | -- |
| GPU | -- | -- |
BATTERY | ||
| Type of battery | Non-removable Li-Polymer battery | Non-removable Li-Polymer battery |
| Battery capacity | 135mAh | 125mAh |
| Battery life | Standby: 3 Weeks+ Mixed usage: 20 days | Standby: 3 Weeks+ Mixed usage: 20 days+ Continuous Usage: 14 days |
| Charging type | 2Pin pogo-pin | Magnetic charger |
| Charging time | About 1-2 hours | About 1hr+ |
| Battery saver mode | No | No |
| Solar power | No | No |
| Rapid charging | No | Yes |
CLOCK FEATURES | ||
| Time/Date | Yes | Yes |
| Stopwatch | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm | Yes | Yes |
OTHER FUNCTIONS | ||
| Control camera | No | Yes |
| Music control | Yes | Yes |
| Find phone | Yes | Yes |
MISC | ||
| Compatibility | Android 4.4+ iOS 9.0+ | Android 5.0+ iOS 10.0+ |
| Companion app | Mi Fit App | Mi Fit App |
| Voice command | Xiao AI (China) | Xiao AI Voice(China) |
BOX CONTENTS | ||
| Mi Band 4 | Mi Band 5 | |
| Straps | Straps | |
| Charger | Charger | |
| Quick start guide | Quick start guide | |
| NOTE: We can't guarantee that all the information on this table are 100% correct. Read full disclaimer. Please, report an error. | ||
| Official Site | Official Site | |
Mi Band 4 vs 5 – The Differences
[table “Miband4vs5” not found /]- Larger and Brighter Display
- More Fitness Tracking Features
- Walking
- Pool swimming
- Outdoor running
- Treadmill
- Outdoor cycling
- Freestyle
- Jump rope New
- Indoor cycling New
- Elliptical New
- Rowing machine New
- Yoga New
- Mi Band 5 Is Smarter
- Improved Battery Life
Starting with the design, AMOLED still powers the display of both smartbands, however, Mi Band 5 is brighter with 450nits maximum brightness compared to 400nits of Mi Band 4. Both bracelets also have the same case material made of polycarbonate, while the 2.5D screen is protected by a tempered glass material to help prevent scratch. Both bracelets are also rated 5ATM (50 meters waterproof rating) which makes it safe to wear any of these two to the pool or shower.
However, while Mi Band 5 has 1.1 inches display, Mi BAND 4 has a 0.95-inch display. Moreover, Mi Band 5 bezel is slimmer which represents a 20% increase in display size. This will allow you to see more at a glance.
As per the dimension, Mi Band 5 is slightly thicker than Mi Band 4, but each of these two is still very lightweight that you probably will forget you’re wearing it
Additionally, while Mi Band 4 features 77 custom watch faces, Mi Band 5 features 100+ watch faces including 54 IP such as Spongebob Squarepants, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Hatsune Miku, and Detective Conan. As a result, you get more options to customize the display of Mi Band 5.
Mi Band 5 is also equipped with more fitness tracking features and is also more accurate, thanks to the improved algorithm.
Sleep tracking has been improved, while Mi Band 4 tracks your sleep only at night in two stages (Deep and Light stages), Mi Band 5 features 24/7 sleep tracking and is now able to track your sleep in 3 stages (Deep, Light and REM stages). Mi Smart Band 5 calculates heart rate variability and respiratory information during sleep, providing analytics reports to give users more detailed information on their sleeping cycles.
Furthermore, while both bracelets feature 24/7 heart rate tracking, Mi Band 5 can now detect irregular heart rhythm and will alert you when an irregular heartbeat is detected.
Mi Band 5 now features blood oxygen tracking, this tracks how well your blood absorbs oxygen which helps in giving you a more detailed sleep tracking pattern.
Also new, Mi Band 5 features menstrual cycle tracking for females to help track period cycles with an alert feature.
Stress tracking has also been added, Mi Band 5 can help you reduce stress through guided breathing sessions.
Also new is Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) vitality index; a new, innovative system that converts your heart rate data into a personalized score that indicates the level of activity required in order to maintain good health
Lastly, while Mi Band 4 features 6 preset workout modes, Mi Band 5 features 11 sport modes.
More Preset Workout Modes
Besides these differences in fitness tracking, both bracelets will track your steps, calories, sedentary reminder, and can connect to your phone GPS to enable outdoor activity tracking.
While both bracelets feature music playback, find my phone, phone muting, do not disturb, phone unlocking, incoming call notification, count down timer, calendar reminder, event reminder, message alert, sedentary reminder, and weather forecast, Mi Band 5 features remote phone camera control.
Just like Mi Band 4, Mi Band 5 also comes with NFC. However, in addition to Ali Pay present on Mi Band 4, Union Pay has now been added which will be available via an OTA update in late August. You can also use Mi Band 5 to access XiaoAi AI Assistant which allows users can control smart AIoT devices, set alarm clocks, measure heart rate, check the weather, and start exercise routines using voice controls.
Mi Band 4 and 5 both have up to 20 days long battery life on standby, but the Mi Band 5 despite having more feature and a wider display will last up to 14 days with continuous usage which is about the same with Mi Band 4 (actual battery life may vary with usage).
Finally, instead of charging dock (pogo pin) for Mi Band 4, Mi Band 5 now features magnetic charging. This brings a significant level of convenience, as you’ll not need to remove the band from its bracelet, but rather just snap it at the back of Mi Band 5.
Should You Upgrade?
Clearly, Mi Band 5 is a better smartband than Mi Band 4, it has a larger and brighter display, more fitness tracking features, improved battery life and it’s smarter. In other words, Mi Band 5 is a better bargain, and if you already own Mi Band 4, you might want to upgrade considering the price, otherwise, Mi Band 4 remains an outstanding fitness tracker and companion.
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Hi! I’m Jude, the chief editor at Smartwatchseries.com
I’m a graduate of biochemistry, a 3D artist and a passionate fitness enthusiast. On here, I and other smartwatch fans work hard to help you find the right smartwatch for you with our guides, reviews, and comparisons.
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