Face-off: Huawei Band 9 vs Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro

The fitness tracker market is constantly evolving, and two of the latest contenders vying for your wrist are the Huawei Band 9 and the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro. The first was just released a few days ago. The second has been available in China for a few months now, but has just received its global debut in February 2024. In fact we have been testing the Band 8 Pro for about a couple of weeks, so look for our review to drop any day now.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

If you’re trying to decide between these two capable fitness trackers, this side-by-side comparison will explore their key differences. It turns out there’s quite a bit to separate them.

Key takeaways

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro boasts a larger display, built-in GPS, and more advanced features, while the Huawei Band 9 provides outstanding value for the price. If you want a budget-friendly tracker with the essentials, the Huawei Band 9 is a great pick, but if you desire more features and a bigger screen, the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro is clearly the one to go for

View on Huawei, Xiaomi.

Jump to

Hardware
Technical specs
Features
Price
Bottom line

Huawei Band 9 vs Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro: Hardware

Look & feel

Both the Huawei Band 9 and the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro adopt the typical rectangular fitness tracker shape. Mind you, neither is very slim. This seems to be a trend where the visual difference between fitness bands and smartwatches is blurring. Both devices are constructed from durable materials – the Huawei Band 9 with polymer materials and a glossy bezel, while the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro uses high strength fiber polymer.

There are no significant size differences between the two. The Huawei Band 9 comes in at 43.45 x 24.86 x 8.99 mm, while Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro is slightly larger at 46 x 33.35 x 9.99 mm. As you can see both devices are quite thin. While they will not win any beauty competitions, the duo has a no-nonsense design.

Regarding physical buttons, there’s an important difference. Huawei Band 9 features a single side button, providing users with easy access to navigation and control functionalities.

In contrast, Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro opts for a buttonless design. Which means, that one relies entirely on touchscreen interactions. Which it can be a bit tricky if you are trying to end that run and your fingers are sweaty.

Display, colour options, water resistance

In terms of the screen, the devices feature AMOLED color displays with 2.5D curved glass. However, the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro has a much larger 1.74-inch screen compared to the Huawei Band 9’s 1.47-inch display. That’s mostly due to the fact that it is wider. It also boasts a higher resolution, giving it a slightly sharper and more detailed picture.

In terms of water resistance, the fitness trackers are equipped with 5 ATM water resistance. So no worries on that count.

Finally, let’s talk a little bit about color options. The Huawei Band 9 offers a vibrant selection with Lemon Yellow, Light Pink, Electric Blue, Sand White, and Stellar Black. The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro provides a more subdued palette with Black and Grey choices.

Sensor technology

Both the Huawei Band 9 and Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro pack a basic suite of sensors to track your health and fitness activities. The Huawei Band 9 features a 9-axis IMU (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer), an optical heart rate sensor, and an ambient light sensor. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro includes a 6-axis sensor (accelerometer and gyroscope), a PPG heart rate sensor, and an ambient light sensor. Which means there’s little difference between them.

However, when it comes to tracking outdoor workouts, the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro holds a clear advantage. It features built-in GPS, including support for Galileo, Glonass, and QZSS, allowing it to track your location independently of your smartphone. The Huawei Band 9, on the other hand, still relies on connected GPS, requiring you to carry your phone during workouts.

Unfortunately, in our testing we found that it can be difficult to obtain a GPS signal on the Mi Band. Which doesn’t take away its advantage. Particularly as we are testing in heavily built-up areas in central London.

While both devices include NFC functionality, it’s currently only usable in China. Additionally, neither tracker offers onboard music storage, so you’ll still need to carry your phone if you want to listen to music during your workouts.

Battery life

Both the Huawei Band 9 and Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro boast impressive battery lives, lasting up to 14 days on a single charge under ideal conditions. However, how you use your fitness tracker can significantly impact this number.

For the Huawei Band 9, if you prioritize continuous heart rate monitoring but turn off sleep tracking at night, you can expect around 9 days of battery life. Enabling the always-on display further reduces it to just 3 days. But there’s good news for those who forget to charge frequently: a quick five-minute charge can provide up to two days of use, perfect for getting you through a workout or two.

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro seems to have a slight edge here, lasting up to 6 days with the always-on display on compared to the Huawei Band 9’s 3 days. Overall, both trackers offer long battery life, but the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro might be a better option if you prefer the always-on display.

Huawei Band 9 vs Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro: Technical specs

Here’s a tech specs comparison table between the Huawei Band 9 and the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro:

Huawei Band 9 vs Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro: Features

When it comes to health and fitness tracking, both the Huawei Band 9 and Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro offer a comprehensive set of features. Both devices track the basics like steps taken, calories burned, sleep, continuous heart rate monitoring, and include SpO2 sensors for blood oxygen monitoring. This is everything you’d expect from a budget fitness tracker. No altimeter, but even some more higher priced devices lack that tech.

Beyond the basics, the trackers provide workout modes for a variety of activities, from running and cycling to more specialized options. The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro edges out slightly with a wider selection of trackable sports. Huawei makes up for this with its TruSleep technology, promising more detailed analysis of your sleep stages including light, deep, and REM sleep.

For the more competitive, both trackers offer fitness metrics like VO2 Max estimation and training load analysis. These features provide insights into your cardiovascular fitness and how your workouts impact your body, helping you optimize your training plan.

Smartwatch-type features

Outside of health and fitness, both the Huawei Band 9 and Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro provide a range of basic smartwatch-like features. These include notification mirroring from your smartphone, weather forecasts, alarms, timers, and the ability to control music playback on your phone. The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro adds the convenience of a built-in microphone, allowing you to answer calls directly from your wrist (though without a speaker, you’ll still need your phone nearby for the conversation).

Huawei Band 9 vs Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro: Price

Price-wise, the Huawei Band 9 has a slight advantage, coming in at a more affordable $60 compared to the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro’s $75 price tag. Of course, prices can fluctuate depending on location and retailers, so it’s always worth checking for the latest deals. Also, the price difference shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Fitness devices with built-in GPS are always a bit more expensive.

Huawei Band 9 vs Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro: Final thoughts

Both the Huawei Band 9 and Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro are excellent fitness trackers packed with features to suit most active lifestyles. They offer long-lasting batteries, a range of health monitoring sensors, and a comfortable, water-resistant design. Plus they will work with both iPhones and Android phones.

The Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro edges ahead with its larger display, built-in GPS, more extensive workout modes, and the ability to answer calls from your wrist. However, these advantages come at a slightly higher price point.

If you want the most feature-packed option and don’t mind spending a little extra, the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro is a fantastic choice. However, if you’re looking for a solid all-around tracker with excellent value, the Huawei Band 9 won’t disappoint.

• Buy the Huawei Band 9 if: You prioritize affordability, all-day comfort, and essential health tracking features.
• Buy the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro if: You want a larger, sharper display, built-in GPS for phone-free workouts, and more advanced fitness tracking.

View on Huawei, Xiaomi.

You may also be interested in:

Huawei Band 9 vs 8
Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro vs 7 Pro
Redmi Watch 4 vs Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8 Pro
Xiaomi Smart Band 8 vs 7 Pro

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!