Xiaomi's new Mi Band 4 is selling better than hotcakes
The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 fitness tracker was one of the top-selling wearables of 2018. According to IDC, Xiaomi shipped 23.3 million units last year giving the company a 13.5% share of the market. That placed the Mi Band 3 behind only the Apple Watch, which held a 26.8% slice of the wearables pie in 2018. One of the big reasons that the Mi Band has traditionally been a big seller is that like many Xiaomi products, it offers plenty of functionality for a low price; the Mi Band 3 has been available on Amazon for $30.
Last week, Xiaomi launched the Mi Band 4 in China, and in terms of popularity, it appears that the momentum is still there. The company posted an image on Weibo this morning (via GSMArena) stating that it has already sold 1 million units of the device in just eight days. Xiaomi says that at one point it was shipping 5,000 units per hour, the fastest rate it has ever achieved for a wearable device.
Xiaomi celebrates 1 million sales of the Mi Band 4 after just eight days
The Mi Band 4 can track physical activities like cycling, running, swimming and walking; monitor the wearer's heart rate; control streaming music on a paired smartphone (iOS or Android) and more. The big news this year is that the .95-inch AMOLED screen, with a 120 x 240 resolution, displays color text and images for the first time. A coating of 2.5D tempered glass protects it from scratches. Something else that is new this year is NFC support on one variant of the wearable. This model is sold in China only and will allow users to access the Alipay mobile payment system at participating stores. The battery still provides two weeks of power between charges, and the device is water resistant to 50 meters (164 feet). Xiaomi's fitness tracker is equipped with Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
Once again, Xiaomi's value for money pricing makes the Mi Band 4 quite enticing. The NFC model available only in China is priced at the equivalent of $33 USD, while the global model carries a price tag equivalent to $25 USD. If you want the Mi Band 4 and you live in the U.S., you'll have to pay more. AliExpress has the device for sale with free shipping to the U.S. for $38.99, although first-time customers in the states get a $3 coupon. Keep in mind that the global release doesn't take place until June 26th.
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