Xiaomi Waltzes Into Wearables With $13 Fitness Band That Can Unlock Your Smartphone

It seems hard to fathom at this point, but there was actually a time when it wasn't certain if a tablet market could exist outside of Apple's iPad. Once low-cost Android tablets started to roll out (as opposed to Android tablets priced the same as the iPad), consumers reacted in a big way. Fast forward to today and we're staring at an emerging wearables market that has yet to gain major traction, though perhaps Xiaomi's announcement of a $13 fitness band will get things going.

That's right -- Xiaomi's "Mi Band," as it's called, is a measly $13. Xiaomi announced the product on its Facebook page, noting that it can unlock your phone without a password. Other tricks include fitness level monitoring, the ability to track the quality of your sleep, and a sleep-cycle smart alarm feature.


There are different color band options, including wrap-around and leather. Regardless of style, the Mi Band is water resistant (IP67) and boasts 30 days of standby power, according to Xiaomi. And it supposedly has the industry's most power efficient Bluetooth chip and accelerometer.


Xiaomi also unveiled a new smartphone, the Mi 4. Billed as "the fastest and most gorgeous Mi phone ever," the Mi 4 features a 5-inch Full HD 1080p IPS display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz, 3GB of RAM, 16GB or 64GB of internal storage, 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, and a 3080 mAh battery hidden behind a swappable back plate. All this comes wrapped in a stainless steel frame.

The 16GB Mi 4 will retail for $322 and the 64GB Mi 4 for $402.