Xiaomi Mi Band 7 vs 7 Pro: what’s the difference?

In this article we compare the Xiaomi Mi Band 7 vs Mi Band 7 Pro. The latter comes with some important improvements.

The Chinese tech giant continues to upgrade its fitness band offering. The seventh edition of Mi Band was unveiled in early June. It brings a larger display over its predecessor, an SpO2 sensor which can track blood oxygen continuously, a quadrupling of sports modes, additional performance metrics and more.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

A few days ago Xiaomi followed this up with a Pro version of Mi Band. This is the first time the company has released this type of addition. Once again, we get some important upgrades.

ou can read our detailed review of Mi Band 7 on this link. Or head over directly to Amazon to check its current price. The Pro can be picked up on this Amazon link.

So what exactly is the difference between Mi Band 7 and 7 Pro? Read on to find out.

Xiaomi Mi Band 7 vs 7 Pro: Design and technical specs

Looks

With each passing year we get a Xiaomi Mi Band with a larger display. 2022 was no exception.

Mi Band 7 packs a 1.62 inch AMOLED, so slightly bigger than the 1.56 inches of its predecessor. The display gains an always-on option which works for a selection of watch faces. The fact that it is optional means you can switch it off if you wish to preserve battery life.

The device has a pill shaped design so is not all-too-different from earlier editions. You can recognise that this is clearly a fitness band as it adopts a “traditional” look.

Mi Band 7 Pro on the other hand is a very different animal when it comes to design. It walks the line between an activity tracker and smartwatch due to its even larger 1.64 inch display. The fact that it has a square shape means that it actually has a much bigger viewing area than the non-Pro version. In terms of actual numbers, it increases screen real-estate by a whopping 84%.

The build is also better featuring a metal chassis. There is a version with a gold bezel around the display and one with a gunmetal bezel. These changes make the Pro version heavier than the non-Pro version. Although at around 20 grams you will barely feel it on your wrist.

Whichever iteration you choose, you’ll be able to make it your own. Each can be paired with a variety of colourful bands thanks to quick-release wristband support on Pro and simply popping out the pill on the non-Pro. Some bands feature traditional watch-style clasp mechanisms.

Water-resistance is excellent on both of these devices. 5 ATM should suffice for anyone as it means you can swim down to depths of 50 meters. Good water-resistance is a must have for something that is meant to track your health and fitness 24/7.

Sensors and battery life

As far as health and fitness sensors, there is no difference between the Pro and non-Pro. Both come with an accelerometer, gyroscope, optical heart rate sensor and SpO2. As compared to the predecessor generations, you can now track blood oxygen around the clock. Previously you could only take measurements on demand.

One difference worth pointing out is the addition of an ambient light sensor on Pro. It needs this to automatically adjust the screen brightness to surrounding conditions.

Another improvement that you get with Pro is built-in satellite connectivity (with support for 5 systems, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, GQSS, GNSS). This means it can acquire a satelite signal on its own. The regular iteration only has the ability to tap into your smartphone and piggy-back on its signal. This will be an important difference to those who exercise outdoors often.

All these upgrades man that Mi Band 7 Pro has slightly poorer life than 7. Its 235 mAh battery can keep it going for 12 days between charges or 6 days with heavy use. Mi Band 7, on the other hand, with its 180 mAh battery, can go for 15 days on a single charge or 9 days with heavy use.

These differences in battery life are mostly due to the display size. As you’ve probably guessed, a larger screen is more power-hungry.

Here’s an overview of the tech specs of Xiaomi Mi Band 7 and 7 Pro.

Xiaomi Mi Band 7 vs 7 Pro: Functionality

There is little difference when it comes to fitness and health tracking ability between these two devices. They both offer:

• Steps, distance, etc
• 24 hour heart rate monitoring
• 24 hour blood oxygen monitoring (optional)
• Low SpO2 alerts
• High and low heart rate alerts
• Sleep tracking with REM, Deep and Light stages
• Nap tracking
• PAI score
• Stress level monitoring
• Deep breathing exercises
• Female health management
• Support for around 120 sports modes, 5 of which with auto-detection
• Training performance metrics: Vo2 Max, Training Load, Training Effect, Recovery

What’s more, you can connect either of these two trackers with Zepp Life (formerly Mi Fit) or Mi Fitness (formerly Xiaomi Wear). In our review of Mi Band 7 we connected it with the latter and found it works well.

As you can see, both versions of Mi Band 7 should suffice for most people who are after a budget fitness band. The only sensor that is missing is an altimeter for counting floors climbed. To most people, that will not make the least bit of difference.

The additions that you get with Pro stem from the size of the display and sattelite connectivity. The fact that Mi Band 7 Pro has a larger screen and built-in support for GPS makes it more suitable for exercise tracking. It means it is easier to see your stats on the go, and it means you don’t need to carry your smartphone with you when working out outdoors.

Beyond this, both devices come with some smart functionality. This includes: Find my Phone, Countdown Timer, Stopwatch, World Clock, Flashlight, Do Not Disturb, Phone Silent Mode, Notifications, Unlock Phone, Incoming Call Notifications, Weather, Idle Alerts, Event Reminders, Pomodo Clock and more.

Mi Band 7 Pro packs NFC for contactless payments by default. Non-pro has this an an option when purchasing. But this type of functionality works only in China.

Xiaomi Mi Band 7 vs 7 Pro: The bottom line

It should not be too difficult to choose between Mi Band 7 and 7 Pro. This is because they pretty much come with the exact same health and fitness tracking smarts.

The most important difference is to do with design. Do you want something that looks like a smartwatch, or something that looks like a fitness band? The first camp will go for the Pro edition.

The other important difference is the addition of built-in GPS on Pro. It makes tracking your exercise outdoors much easier as you do not need to have your smartphone with you to obtain a satellite signal.

Of course, you do get slightly shorter life with Pro but not by much. Beyond that, both these devices offer similar smart functionality and the ability to customize with different color straps and a selection of watch-faces.

The non-Pro can be picked up for around $60. Have a read through our detailed review of Mi Band 7 on this link. Or head over directly to Amazon to check its current price. The Pro sells for around $120. It is also available on Amazon (check price).

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