If you’re looking for a functional yet budget-friendly smartwatch that delivers where it counts, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 might be the one for you. It combines practical fitness tracking, a solid design, and impressive battery life without breaking the bank.

We’ve been using it for a while now, and honestly, it’s been a pleasant surprise—especially considering its affordable price. Whether you’re into fitness or just need a gadget to keep tabs on notifications without constantly checking your phone, this could be what you’re looking for.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Review: Design

The first thing you’ll notice about the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is its minimalist design. It’s not flashy or over-the-top, but it’s sleek enough to blend into most situations, whether you’re at the gym or at the office. We tested out the Titan Gray model, which comes with a silicone strap that feels comfortable even during long wear. You won’t find premium materials here like stainless steel or leather, but the soft-touch silicone does the job without irritating the skin. Plus, it’s lightweight at just about 15.8g (without strap), so you’ll hardly notice it’s there, even during intense workouts.

The band itself is pretty small, and while it might not look as “premium” as some other smartwatches, it still manages to feel sturdy. We didn’t experience any problems with the build quality, and the strap is adjustable enough to fit most wrist sizes comfortably. If you’re after a smartwatch that looks simple and won’t draw too much attention, this design will likely appeal to you. That said, don’t expect it to turn heads either.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Review: Display

Meanwhile, one of the standout features of the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 is its AMOLED display. For a budget device, the screen is sharp and vibrant, making it easy to read your stats even in bright outdoor conditions. It has a 1.62-inch screen with a resolution of 490 x 192 pixels, which might not sound like much, but in use, it feels just right. Whether you’re checking notifications or glancing at your heart rate, the text is clear, and the colors pop enough to give the interface a pleasant look.

We found the touch responsiveness to be on point as well. Swiping through menus and tapping on options felt smooth, without any noticeable lag. One thing we appreciated was the “raise-to-wake” feature. It works almost instantly, which means you don’t have to awkwardly press any buttons just to check the time or your stats. There’s also an always-on display option, but we personally kept it off to conserve battery.

Customization is another area where the Smart Band 9 delivers. Xiaomi offers tons of watch faces, ranging from playful designs to more classic, understated ones. We particularly liked swapping between a fun, animated face for casual days and a cleaner, more professional look for when we needed something less playful. While you won’t get the deep customization that some pricier models offer, it’s more than enough to keep things fresh.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Review: Fitness Features and Health Monitoring

When it comes to fitness features, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 offers just about everything you need to track your health and workouts. It supports over 100 sports modes, including running, swimming, cycling, and even more niche activities like yoga and hiking.

We tested it during a few walks and runs, and the tracking seemed fairly accurate—especially considering the price point. It logged our pace, distance, and heart rate without any issues, and the heart rate monitor kept up even during interval training sessions.

What’s impressive is that it’s waterproof up to 50 meters, so we tested it, and it worked just fine. If you’re into swimming or water-based activities, this is a nice bonus that you don’t always find in this price range.

On the health monitoring side, you’ve got your usual features: heart rate tracking, sleep monitoring, and stress levels. The sleep tracking is fairly detailed, offering insights into your light, deep, and REM sleep. Over a week of use, it felt pretty consistent, even flagging a couple of late nights when we didn’t get enough rest. If you’re someone who likes keeping an eye on your sleep quality, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 does a decent job. Just keep in mind that, like all fitness trackers, it’s not going to be 100% accurate.

Another standout feature we found useful is the blood oxygen (SpO2) monitoring, which is a nice addition for this price. It’s not something we used every day, but it’s a handy tool if you’re into more detailed health tracking, especially during sleep or high-intensity workouts.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Review: Connectivity

Connecting the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 to your smartphone is simple and hassle-free. Whether you’re using an Android or iPhone, the Mi Fitness App guides you through a smooth setup process. Once connected, you can easily view detailed workout stats, health summaries, and customize the band to your liking.

The notifications feature works great, allowing you to get alerts for calls, texts, and app notifications directly on the band without constantly checking your phone.

In our experience, both iPhone and Android setups were seamless. There were no hiccups, and everything synced perfectly on the first try, making it easy to start using the band right away.

One thing we would’ve liked to see is NFC for contactless payments, which is becoming more common even in budget smartwatches. Unfortunately, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 doesn’t have it.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Review: Battery Life

The Xiaomi Smart Band 9 has a great battery life. It comes with a 233mAh battery, which Xiaomi claims can last up to 21 days on a single charge. In our experience, that’s not far off, even with active use. With regular usage—tracking workouts, receiving notifications, and checking health stats—we managed to get about 12-15 days before needing to recharge. This was with the always-on display turned off, so keep that in mind if you’re considering using it.

If you’re a heavier user who tracks longer workouts or keeps the brightness at a high level, you might find yourself charging it every 9-10 days. Still, this is far better than most smartwatches in this price range, where it’s often a win to get even a week of battery life.

Charging is also quick—less than two hours, and you’re set for another week or more. So if you tend to forget to charge your devices, you’ll definitely appreciate how low-maintenance the Smart Band 9 is when it comes to battery life.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Review: Verdict

For its price, the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 offers a solid balance of functionality and affordability. It’s not going to replace high-end smartwatches that come packed with advanced features, but it does a great job at covering the basics. The design is minimalist but functional, the display is bright and responsive, and the fitness and health tracking features are surprisingly comprehensive.

You can get yours for Php1,999.