There are so many smartwatches available on the market today, which is divided between quality wearable devices with a certainly high cost, and devices from a few euros, which often disappoint expectations. In the middle there are, then, the various Xiaomi and Honor smartbands, which manage to offer quality and savings at the same time.
On test today Mibro Air, the smartwatch that tries to fit into this landscape with a really aggressive price. Let's see if it manages to win an exceptional place, or if it will get confused in this now very rich panorama.
First of all the brand and the name. It is certainly not known on the market, yet Mibro is a brand of Zhenshi Technology, in which Xiaomi and Longqi have invested, and is one of the main members of Xiaomi's ecological chain.
In fact, from the sales package you immediately notice a certain minimalism, which recalls the most famous Chinese brand, even if it is when you open the package that you find yourself in front of a real surprise.
From the design point of view Xiaomi Mibro Air smartwatch is really well done. It is simple, elegant and minimal, but it has all the credentials to have nothing to fear compared to competitors with a much higher cost. The matte metal dial features an interchangeable 20 mm silicone strap with quick release.
It fits comfortably, and is so light you don't even notice it on your wrist. It is delicate, also suitable for a female audience, and with a single side button, which in addition to turning the screen on / off, brings the user back to the main watchface.
Aesthetically it is passed with full marks, and with honors, also thanks to a thickness of less than 9 millimeters. We are sure that looking at the design and aesthetics it would not come close to such a low price list, which is about $ 29.
Even more surprised, then, after switching on. Usually, in fact, watches that cost so little show all their limits when switched on, with absolutely poor displays. We did not expect to see such a well done display.
This is a 1.28-inch panel, with a resolution of 240 × 240: absolutely incredible considering the selling price. The colors are vivid, far from dull, and overall the screen quality is absolutely excellent for the selling price. Also in this case, with the display on, it would certainly not be approached with a product worth just under 30 dollars.
It includes three different watch faces, all very valid, even if through the app you can install (in turn) another four, plus create your own. To tell the truth on the official product page we have seen photos with different dials, of which there is no trace in the app. We have tried to write about it, and we hope it will soon become clear on where to find more quadrants.
in terms of features, the watch does not have integrated GPS (and it could not be otherwise considering the truly negligible cost). It has IP68 certification, and among its features, that of sleep monitoring, weather, pedometer, find phone, timer, remote music control, heart rate calculation, and the ability to track 12 different sports disciplines.
Moreover, all these options can be selected within a circular menu, which is very reminiscent of Samsung's, and which works really well, thanks to an absolutely responsive and precise touchscreen. Also from this point of view it would certainly not be associated with such a cheap smartwatch.
All very nice, even if there is certainly no lack of compromises. We immediately noticed an absolutely inaccurate step count. Mibro Air tends to overestimate the steps a lot, and at the end of the day the count can be really excessive.
We noticed the problem from the first day, considering that in an office day, where we usually count just over 6000 steps, Mibro Air scored over 10,000 thousand. On closer inspection, where Mibro Air exceeds is in counting steps that in reality do not exist, therefore in simple wrist movements, which lead to false positives.
A firmware update could almost certainly fix the problem. We are really waiting for it, because Xiaomi Mibro Air is extremely valid in terms of aesthetics and screen quality.
On the other hand, the heartbeat sensor was more precise, which does not struggle to record the data, even when the strap is not particularly tight.
Good the app, from the point of view of the graphic interface, even if the translation into Italian leaves completely to be desired. However, it is an app that can be used very well, and that on the first screen immediately highlights the most important data, through large tiles with a white background.
There is also the notification department from the main messaging apps, where fortunately WhatsApp is present. If, however, more notifications arrive, you will have to be content with seeing the number of messages, without being able to read them in their entirety. The battery is also good, which with the continuous and automatic monitoring of the heartbeat still led us to over a week of use.
Conclusions
Xiaomi Mibro Air really amazes for materials and construction. From an aesthetic point of view, it has nothing to envy to much more expensive competitors, just as the screen is really enjoyable and functional: good resolution, colors and responsive touch, which allows you to use the watch without any problems whatsoever. However, the problem of the overestimation of the steps has to be solved.
PRO
Price
VERSUS
At the moment you buy at 29.99 dollars thanks to the discount code IMIBROFITSALE, to be inserted in the cart. You can buy it directly on the official store at this address, complete with an additional strap as a gift.
