Redmi, the Chinese brand which is a subsidiary of Xiaomi, has launched its first fitness band in India. The company is known for its budget smartphones but has now decided to enter the fitness market in the country as well through this product offering. It is interesting that Xiaomi already has the Mi series of bands in the market, and indeed the Redmi Band takes a lot of features from its parent company’s product.
This product launch comes in the midst of a global pandemic, where more and more people are taking greater notice of their health, and are looking for ways to keep track of vital statistics and indicators. These gadgets are a very good way to do so, while it is also a reflection of a wider trend where more and more services have been going online, especially as physical stores and locations have had to be closed due to the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. One of the best examples of this increasing trend of going online has been seen in the online casino market, with new Indian casinos online generating a lot of eyeballs and visits from people looking for entertainment options during the pandemic.
Coming back to the product itself, the Redmi Band is priced at Rs 1599, which makes it a competitive option in the market. As mentioned, there are many similar features to the Mi Band, but there are enough unique options that make this a decent choice for customers as well. It has a bigger and wider display than the Mi Band 3, for example, while the price is much lesser than the Mi Band 3 and Mi Band 4 which are currently on sale in India. The Rs 1599 price point puts it in direct competition with the Realme Band, which was launched in March 2020 and is another example of a Chinese smartphone manufacturer entering the fitness wearables sector.
Another highlight of the product is the fact that it has a built-in USB in-line charger, meaning that customers will not need a separate USB cable to charge the band. It has a long battery life, with Redmi claiming that the band will last up to 14 days on a single full charge. As mentioned earlier, it has a large display, coming in at 1.08 inches, in a rectangular shape. The display is in color, while the design looks similar to the Huawei and Honor smart bands which have been launched in the past. Other features of the Redmi Band include various sports modes to accurately track heart rate while playing different sports, a 24/7 heart rate monitor, a step counter for those who prefer to set daily step targets, and it is also 5 ATM waterproof for those who want to go for a swim with this on their wrists. There are up to 70 customizable watch faces available, which can be selected through the Redmi app, while the app can also be used to change settings and monitor the logs for heart rate and other indicators on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
The Redmi Band is an excellent example of a company pivoting to provide a product which is in demand, by using its expertise in a related sector. The fact that Redmi is owned by Xiaomi, itself a leading smartphone and fitness band manufacturer, means that there is already a lot of experience and know-how which has gone into the development of this product. Indian customers now have a multitude of options to choose their fitness accessories from, at various price points to cater to every budget.
