The Xiaomi Mi Band 9 should be released soon

The next iteration of the popular Xiaomi Mi Band is coming soon. We know that because the device was certified by the United Arab Emirates' TDRA telecommunication and digital agency and the telecommunications agency of Indonesia. We should see Xiaomi release a regular version of the band and one that supports NFC allowing the band to support mobile payments. Considering that last year's Mi Band 8 launched in China last April, there is a good chance that the Mi Band 9 will be released this month in the same country.

The Mi Band 9 is expected to carry a 1.62-inch AMOLED display, the same size as last year's model, but with a brighter and higher resolution screen. The battery will still go as long as two weeks between charges. According to GizChina, it is unclear whether the Mi Band 9 will offer built-in GPS support. Based on the multiple certifications, the Mi Band 9 will carry a model number of M2345B1.

One of the Mi Band's endearing qualities over the years has been its low price. Last year the Mi Band 8 was priced at 239 yuan (equivalent to $34) for the regular version, and 279 yuan (equivalent to $39) for the NFC model in China. Xiaomi could decide to hike the price a little in 2024 but you should expect the same 40 yuan differentiation between the price of the regular version and the NFC variant.

Last year, Xiaomi was the second largest shipper of wearable band devices worldwide after Apple. The Chinese manufacturer has been stuck behind Apple for years thanks to the Mi Band. In 2023, the Apple Watch held a leading 19% slice of the wearable band pie despite a 14% year-over-year decline in shipments. Xiaomi had a market share of 11% and saw its deliveries increase 21% on an annual basis. It should be pointed out that following Xiaomi on the list was countrymate Huawei with a 9% share and a 13% year-over-year increase in shipments.

The Mi Band is one of the few products that Xiaomi sells in the U.S. Last year, the global version of the Mi Band 8 was available in late October.