Xiaomi Smart Band 11: What we know so far

When I first wrote about the Xiaomi Smart Band 11 last year, there was very little to go on. Most of it was simply a wishlist based on what I liked about the Smart Band 10 and what I thought Xiaomi still needed to improve.

Things have moved on quite a bit since then. Smart Band 11 has now started appearing in Xiaomi’s own software, and a leaked advertising card gives us a much better idea of what is coming, including sleep HRV, voice recording, new software, expanded NFC features and better support for people using more than one phone. 

Xiaomi is sticking with the familiar Band formula

The Smart Band 11 still looks very much like a Xiaomi fitness band. In fact, you can hardly tells the difference. That is probably a good thing, as the small size, light weight and relatively low price are a big part of the appeal.

There should be plenty of choice this time around. Xiaomi’s own Health Research app lists the regular Smart Band 11, Smart Band 11 NFC, Ceramic Edition and a new All-metal Edition. The regular and NFC models have also appeared in regulatory filings with a 233mAh battery, the same capacity as Smart Band 10. 

The All-metal Edition is the interesting addition. It is not yet clear exactly how much of the device will actually be metal, but Xiaomi appears to be offering a more upmarket version alongside the familiar standard and ceramic models. 

HRV is finally coming

One of the things I wanted Xiaomi to add when I originally wrote this article was HRV tracking. That now looks like it is happening.

The leaked advertising material specifically mentions sleep HRV. Rather than simply giving you an isolated nightly number, Xiaomi appears to be building a personal baseline around the data, which should make it more useful for spotting changes in recovery over time. Smart Band 10 Pro already introduced something similar, so this looks like another Pro feature moving down to the regular model. 

Heart rate, blood oxygen and sleep tracking are also shown, while Xiaomi appears to be putting more emphasis on daily scores and activity rings in the interface. There is also a gaming mode that can display heart rate, session duration and an “excitement” score while you play. 

There is a microphone now too

This is probably the least expected addition. Smart Band 11 appears to include a microphone and can make standalone audio recordings directly from the wrist.

Those recordings can then be synchronised to a Xiaomi phone. There is nothing in the leaked material suggesting the band is suddenly becoming a calling smartwatch, so for now the microphone seems to be primarily there for voice recording rather than phone calls. 

The software is getting a visual refresh at the same time. Xiaomi refers to “all-new visuals” for HyperOS, and the leaked screens show a rounder, more translucent interface than what we have on Smart Band 10. 

There is also better support for people carrying more than one phone. Xiaomi describes Smart Band 11 as “Apple ecosystem friendly”, with the advertising material showing notifications arriving in a setup involving both an Android phone and an iPhone. Smart Band 10 Pro already supports a similar arrangement, so it looks like that functionality is now moving to the regular band as well. 

NFC improves but GPS is still missing

NFC was another thing on my original wishlist, although the latest information is a bit of a mixed bag. Xiaomi mentions transit cards, access cards, car keys, Alipay, WeChat Pay and other payment functions for the NFC version.

Most of that is clearly aimed at China, though. There is still nothing showing Google Wallet or unrestricted contactless payments for the global version, so one of the longest-running limitations of Xiaomi’s fitness bands may remain outside its home market. 

And if you were hoping Xiaomi would finally squeeze GPS into the regular Smart Band, it does not look like that is happening either. Smart Band 11 still appears to rely on a connected phone for outdoor route tracking, leaving built-in GPS as one of the bigger differences between the regular band and Xiaomi’s more capable models. 

That is slightly disappointing because GPS was at the top of my wishlist last year. But Xiaomi seems to have decided that the regular Smart Band should remain a small everyday tracker rather than move too far into sports-watch territory.

Smart Band 11 is looking more interesting than expected

A year ago, my wishlist for Smart Band 11 included HRV, better sensors, improved NFC, GPS and a more useful software experience. We are not getting everything on that list, but Xiaomi does appear to be addressing quite a few of those areas.

Sleep HRV is probably the most useful addition for everyday health tracking, while voice recording, dual-phone support, the redesigned software and broader NFC functionality give the band a few features we would not normally expect at this end of the market. Built-in GPS remains the obvious omission.

There are still some important unknowns, including pricing, global availability and exactly which features will make it outside China. But Smart Band 11 has now moved well beyond the early speculation stage, and we have a much clearer picture of what Xiaomi is preparing.