The watch starts at CNY 1299 for the Vitality Edition, which is around $191. Other versions rise to CNY 1699, depending on colour and strap choice. The range includes Shadow Black, Racing Gray, Twilight Brown and Flying Blue.

The battery is the main hook

The headline spec is the 1000mAh battery. Honor says the Watch 6 Plus can run for up to 17 days in standard Bluetooth mode, or up to 35 days in its long battery mode.

That puts it in a different place from Wear OS watches and other full smartwatches that need charging every day or two. Real-world use will, of course, depend on GPS, notifications, screen settings and health tracking. But the capacity itself is large for this category.

The display is a 1.46-inch AMOLED panel with a 464 x 464 resolution. Honor also claims up to 3000 nits peak brightness, which should help with outdoor visibility.

Dual-band GPS and 120 plus sport modes

The Watch 6 Plus supports dual-band L1 plus L5 GPS. It also works with GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS and NavIC, so the positioning setup looks strong on paper.

Honor is also pushing the sports side harder than usual. The timepiece supports more than 120 sport modes, with more detailed reports for running, badminton and football.

Badminton gets some of the more unusual tracking. Honor says the watch can measure swing count, swing speed, hitting power and shot distribution. That is more specific than the generic indoor workout modes we usually see on watches in this price range.

Running also gets extra attention. The watch includes AI Coach and AI running posture analysis, which suggests Honor wants this to be seen as more than a lifestyle wearable with a few training modes attached.

Health features need careful wording

Honor is making fairly big health claims with the Watch 6 Plus. The watch tracks heart rate, blood pressure risk, sleep apnea risk and broader cardiac indicators.

A feature we have not seen before on a smartwatch is Heart Rate Reduction. Honor says this metric can help evaluate sudden cardiac arrest risk in real time. That sounds serious, so it needs to be treated carefully. This is still a smartwatch, not a diagnostic medical device.

The watch can also provide proactive reports and high-risk prompts. Some of this may be tied closely to China-specific services, so it may not arrive in the same form if Honor launches the watch globally.

Sensor support includes an accelerometer, gyroscope, geomagnetic sensor, PPG heart-rate sensor, ambient light sensor and barometric pressure sensor. There is also a speaker and microphone for Bluetooth calls.

MagicOS, DeepSeek and IP69 protection

The Watch 6 Plus runs MagicOS and includes Honor’s YOYO voice assistant, with DeepSeek LLM support. It also has NFC, Bluetooth 5.4, voice recording and support for video watch faces.

The hardware looks solid for the price. Honor lists 5ATM water resistance and IP69 dust and water protection, which gives the watch a stronger spec sheet than many basic smartwatches.

A strong spec sheet for the price

The Honor Watch 6 Plus looks like a lot of watch for the money. It brings a bright AMOLED display, large battery, dual-band GPS, IP69 protection, Bluetooth calling and a heavier health-tracking pitch than expected at this price.

The main question is how much of this package leaves China. DeepSeek support, YOYO, health reports and expert follow-up features may stay local or change heavily for other markets.

For now, the Watch 6 Plus is another sign that the mid-range smartwatch category is getting more aggressive. Long battery life is no longer enough on its own, so Honor is adding sport-specific data, AI coaching and stronger health claims around it.

The post Honor Watch 6 Plus brings a big battery and serious health tracking claims appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

The update package is listed at 13.18MB, so it is fairly small. But the change log itself is quite broad. It touches recovery, workouts, activity reminders, weather, maps, Zepp Coach and even how the digital crown behaves on the watch face.

We actually knew this update was coming. The company has started publishing a roadmap of upcoming firmware refreshes, and this was scheduled for May.

BioCharge replaces Readiness

The main change for Balance is the long awaited arrival of BioCharge. This replaces the Readiness score and delivers a more accurate body energy evaluation and recovery experience.

The new crop of watches has had this metric for a while. And real-world tests show that is it a bit better than the old metric.

Interestingly, Zepp Health has started rolling an even newer version of this called HybridCharge. Presumably, this will be coming to Balance, as well, considering it is an update to the smartphone app.

Helio Strap gets a more useful role

Another upgrade as part of the new firmware is support for using Helio Strap as a heart rate monitor during workouts. That is interesting wording. It suggests you can pair the Helio Strap to your Balance device, as you would a heart rate chest strap.

A wrist-based watch can struggle during certain sessions. Strength training, cycling and workouts with lots of wrist flexion can all make optical heart rate more messy. A strap worn higher on the arm can often sit more securely and produce cleaner readings.

Stryd support is another running-focused addition

Zepp Health has also added support for the Stryd accessory. This gives runners another way to pull more detailed running data into the Balance experience after connection.

Stryd is already well known among runners who train with running power and extra footpod metrics. Bringing that support to Amazfit Balance makes the watch a little more serious for structured running. It also fits with Zepp Health’s recent push into coaching tools, lactate threshold features and more advanced training guidance.

This does not suddenly turn the Balance into a pure running watch. But it does make the platform feel more open to external sensors, which is exactly where a lot of wearable ecosystems need to go. A watch can do plenty on its own, but serious training often benefits from better sensor placement and more specialised accessories.

Digital crown and smaller fixes

The update also adds a new digital crown interaction for Button Mode on the watch face. Rotating the crown up opens Notifications, while rotating it down opens Control Center.

The rest of the change log focuses on fixes and optimisations. Zepp Health says it has improved activity reminders, fixed abnormal pushes when the app was not initialised and improved scoring for Zepp Coach running training plans. You can see the full change-log below.

The update is rolling out now to Amazfit Balance users. As usual, availability may vary by region and app version, so it may not appear for everyone at the exact same time.

Change-log

[New]

• Added the new BioCharge app to replace the Readiness app, delivering more accurate body energy evaluation and an optimized recovery experience.
• Added digital crown interaction: In Button Mode on the watch face, rotate up for Notifications and down for Control Center.
• Added support for using the Helio Strap as a heart rate monitor during workouts, enabling more accurate training data.
• Added support for the Stryd accessory, providing more comprehensive and accurate data after connection.

[Optimizations]

• Improved Activity reminders and fixed abnormal pushes when the app was not initialized.
• Improved scoring for Zepp Coach running training plans.
• Improved the maximum limit for workout training templates, now supporting the creation of up to 100 training templates.
• Improved the maximum cadence and average cadence calculation features for treadmill running workouts.
• Improved sleep algorithm, fixing known issues in certain scenarios and enhancing accuracy.
• Improved the Weather app interface with added support for displaying nighttime weather conditions.
• Improved weather data sources and update mechanisms for more accurate and timely weather information.
• Improved map-related experiences.
• Fixed issues with abnormal Zepp Coach training plans caused by time zone inconsistencies.
• Fixed other known issues to improve overall system stability and smoothness.

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An example spotted in Australia shows WHOOP 5.0 listed with a separate AUD$139 device price, alongside an annual membership of AUD$300 for new members. That is different from the familiar WHOOP model, where users pay for membership and the hardware is presented as part of the package.

Another example is Spain. Now you have to pay 69 euro in that country plus 199 euros per year for the cheapest plan.

This does not appear to be a global rollout. WHOOP support has reportedly described it as a limited-time trial in select markets.

“…prices shown on our website are offers specifically for new members. This pricing is part of an ongoing, limited-time trial in select markets. As we learn from this test, availability may change. Please note that any membership purchase remains subject to the specific terms presented during checkout and setup. With this test, the device is purchased first, and the membership is selected separately, which is why the annual membership price is lower than the standard price.” (source)

Why WHOOP might be testing this

There is a reasonable business logic behind the move. Separating the device and membership could give WHOOP more flexibility with regional pricing, promotions and hardware upgrades. It also lets the company show a lower annual membership price in markets where the full subscription cost may feel steep.

That does not necessarily mean users will pay less overall. Or more. It simply changes how the cost is presented. The device becomes a visible upfront purchase, while the membership sits beside it as the ongoing service.

The US looks unchanged for now

The US caveat is important. From what we can see, WHOOP is not testing this separate device pricing in that country at the moment. The device still appears to be included with membership in the usual way. The same applies to most of Europe.

That makes this more of a regional experiment than a firm signal of what WHOOP plans to do everywhere. It may remain limited. It may also give the company useful data on whether people respond better to a lower-looking membership price when the hardware cost is shown separately.

The challenge is keeping the message clear. WHOOP’s value sits in the full platform, not just the strap. If the device and membership are separated too strongly, users may start asking what they own and what remains locked behind the subscription.

For now, this looks like a pricing test. Still, it is worth watching because it shows WHOOP exploring ways to make its membership model more flexible as the screenless recovery tracker space becomes more competitive.

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BioCharge gets a broader rethink

Zepp app 10.4.0 introduces HybridCharge as the new version of BioCharge. The app describes it as a daily energy score that combines training and recovery data to assess how ready you are for the day.

The interesting bit is not just the new name. HybridCharge brings subjective inputs into the mix through LifeLoad and RPE. That means Zepp Health is no longer relying only on sleep, heart rate, activity and recovery data. It also wants to know what happened in your actual day.

That is a sensible direction. Wearables can estimate plenty from the wrist, but they still miss context. A watch might see decent sleep and a normal resting heart rate, but it does not automatically know you feel sick, sore, stressed, mentally drained or unusually motivated.

LifeLoad gives the score more context

The new LifeLoad log lets users record daily factors that could affect recovery and readiness. The screenshots show options such as feeling sick, muscle soreness, joint pain, injury, feeling fatigued and feeling energized. Each can be marked as low, medium or high impact.

There is also a chat-style logging option, which could make the feature easier to use if Zepp Health keeps it simple. It might be easier than manual logs whichoften sound useful at launch, then quietly disappear from people’s routines after a week.

Still, the thinking is solid. HybridCharge tries to combine objective signals from the watch with subjective context from the user. That should give the score a better chance of matching how someone actually feels.

Training Focus adds a practical layer

Training Focus is the other useful part of this update. Rather than treating readiness as a single daily score, Zepp Health is now trying to steer users toward the type of training that best fits their recent load.

The app breaks the past seven days into endurance and strength work, with a goal marker showing the intended balance. That should make it easier to spot when training has become too one-sided, especially for users mixing running, gym work and hybrid events.

The Zepp app 10.4.0 notes also mention a HYROX Training Library and HYROX Race Analysis. The Training Library promises structured workouts for different fitness levels and goals, while Race Analysis is designed to review race performance and highlight strengths and weaknesses.

Still early, but worth watching

The rollout still feels unfinished. HybridCharge now appears in the app, but some watches still show BioCharge. That is not a major issue, but it does suggest Zepp Health is changing the app first and will probably clean up the device wording later.

The bigger question is whether users will keep logging LifeLoad events. If they do, HybridCharge could become more useful than BioCharge. If they do not, it may end up as a cleaner name wrapped around a familiar readiness score.

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The HRV detail changes things

When the Smart Band 11 specs leak first appeared online, it was difficult to know what to make of it. Some of the specs sounded realistic, while others felt a bit too ambitious for Xiaomi’s regular fitness band line.

The important detail was HRV. The leak claimed Smart Band 11 would add Heart Rate Variability tracking alongside more advanced recovery analysis. At the time, that felt uncertain because Xiaomi had never really pushed HRV on its Smart Bands.

But Smart Band 10 Pro changes the picture. Xiaomi has now officially added HRV to that device, which suddenly makes the same Smart Band 11 claim feel much less random.

That does not mean the leak is definitely real. But it now lines up much more closely with Xiaomi’s current direction.

A brighter display with slimmer borders

The design claims are more specific than they first look. Smart Band 11 is said to move to a 1.78-inch display with an 8% higher screen-to-body ratio, which suggests Xiaomi may be shrinking the black border around the screen rather than making the tracker itself much bigger.

The leak also mentions 2200 nits peak brightness, Outdoor Strong Light Adaptive Mode and smoother font edges. That would make the display easier to read outdoors and help messages and sports data fit more cleanly on the small screen.

The body may slim down too. The leak points to an 8.99mm thin metal frame, while the weight stays at 15.95g, matching Smart Band 10 without the strap.

The strap changes are also notable. The leaked Konger leather magnetic strap and half-chain option make Smart Band 11 sound less like a pure fitness tracker and more like an everyday wearable.

Here is a render we put together of what Smart Band 11 may look like based on the leaked specs.

More sensors, more recovery

The leak mentions a three-axis magnetometer and barometric altitude dual sensor. That would help Smart Band 11 record climbing height and give it better outdoor tracking context.

It also mentions a new body temperature sensor and electrodermal activity monitoring. If accurate, those additions would push the band further into stress, sleep and recovery tracking, rather than just basic fitness logging.

The menstrual cycle prediction claim also fits that direction. The leak says the band could monitor night-time body temperature fluctuations to provide earlier period warnings.

Sports and charging get a boost

Reportedly, the new device will have 200+ sports modes, up from the 150+ modes on Smart Band 10. It also mentions AI Motion Correction and Post-Workout Recovery Scoring, with HIIT and Pilates called out as new examples.

That sounds like Xiaomi wants to give the band more guidance after exercise, not just record the session and move on. Recovery scoring would also fit with HRV if Xiaomi decides to build a broader readiness-style feature around it.

Battery life is listed at up to 10 days with heavy use. The more interesting claim is magnetic fast charging, with 10 minutes of charging giving up to three days of use.

What this probably means

If all of this accurate, Smart Band 11 could be one of the more ambitious updates in Xiaomi’s regular band line. Not because it changes the whole design, but because it may bring the standard model closer to recovery tracking, better outdoor use and more polished everyday wear. It would actually bring it close to the likes of Fitbit Charge 6 – at least in terms of the sensor hardware.

For now, this still belongs in the leak bucket. The Pro model has shown where Xiaomi is heading, and Smart Band 11 may be the device that brings more of that direction to the regular band.

As far as a possible launch date, we usually get the next gen Smart Band in May or early June. There’s no reason to think this year will be any different.

Tech specs comparison – Smart Band 11 (leak) vs Smart Band 10

Source of original leak: Chinese forums via Reddit

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Why this is useful

Most wearables still lean heavily on cardiovascular effort. That works well for running, cycling and endurance training, but it misses a big part of the picture in the gym. Lifting places stress on muscles, joints, bones and connective tissue, even when heart rate looks fairly controlled.

WHOOP’s approach is to combine cardiovascular load with muscular load. The user enters exercises, weights, reps and sets, while the device uses wrist-based motion data from the accelerometer and gyroscope. The system then applies different movement profiles, because a back squat clearly places a different demand on the body than a calf raise.

That is the bit that makes this more interesting than a glorified workout diary. WHOOP is not only asking what you lifted. It is trying to understand how much of the body a movement involves and how much stress that session added overall.

It still needs proper logging

There is a catch, of course. Strength Trainer works best when users log workouts properly. You can build a workout in advance, select a pre-built option or add Strength Trainer data to an activity after the session.

That makes sense for serious gym users, but it also adds a complication. Runners can usually press start and go. Strength training still needs structure, because the device cannot magically know the weight on the bar or the difference between a warm-up set and a working set.

WHOOP also says the feature currently needs wrist-based wear. That is important, because WHOOP Body apparel placements will not give the same movement data for this feature. So if you normally wear the sensor in clothing during workouts, Strength Trainer may require a habit change. The same applies to upper arm bands.

WHOOP AI joins the gym side too

The feature also plugs into WHOOP AI. Users can ask it to build strength workouts around goals, equipment, muscle groups or limitations. That could be useful for travel, minimal equipment sessions or training around injury, although the quality will depend on how sensible the generated workout actually is.

WHOOP is also adding Exercise Trends, which shows volume, history and personal records for individual exercises. That gives the feature a more practical angle. Instead of only seeing a single Strain number, users can track whether they are progressing on specific lifts over time.

For WHOOP, this feels like a necessary move. Recovery wearables have spent years explaining endurance load in great detail, while treating strength work as a secondary category. Strength Trainer gives lifting a clearer place inside the WHOOP system, and that should make the platform more useful for people who split their training between cardio and the gym.

The bigger question is whether users will stick with the logging. If they do, this could make WHOOP’s recovery guidance feel more realistic after heavy lifting blocks. If they do not, it risks becoming another clever feature that only the most disciplined users bother to feed with enough data.

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Let’s dive into the specifics.

A sharper looking budget smartwatch

The Realme Watch S5 comes with a 1.43-inch AMOLED display with 466 x 466 resolution, a 60Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of up to 1,500 nits. Always-on display support is included, although battery life drops from around 16 days to roughly five days when that mode is enabled.

One slightly unusual feature is a night vision mode that switches the display to red tones for low-light viewing. It could be useful for checking the time at night without blasting your eyes with a bright watch screen.

The body is also worth mentioning. Realme has gone with a flat-edged frame and large side buttons, which makes the Watch S5 stand out a little from the usual budget smartwatch design language. The watch weighs 32 grams without the strap and comes in Rock Grey and Sand White colour options.

GPS and sports tracking headline the fitness package

The bigger upgrade is built-in GPS with support for five satellite systems. That means users can track runs, walks and rides without carrying a phone all the time, which is still not guaranteed at this price level.

Realme says the watch supports 110 sports modes, along with features such as VO2 max, recovery duration, interval training and running courses. Whether those metrics prove genuinely useful will depend heavily on sensor accuracy, but at least Realme is offering more than just the basics.

The watch also includes heart rate, SpO2, sleep and stress tracking. Breathing exercises, sedentary reminders and women’s health tracking are part of the package too.

There are some obvious limits. The Watch S5 does not include ECG, skin temperature sensing or NFC for contactless payments. That helps explain the price positioning and keeps it away from the more advanced smartwatch category.

Gemini shortcut joins the smart features

Bluetooth calling is included, along with music controls, weather, timers, alarms and other standard smartwatch tools. One of the side buttons can also trigger Google Gemini, although this appears to work mainly as a shortcut through the connected smartphone rather than a deeply integrated on-watch AI system. Realme is also pushing voice replies for messaging, although support currently seems focused on WhatsApp.

The Watch S5 launches first in India at Rs 7,999, with a temporary launch offer dropping the price to Rs 7,499 from June 5 to June 7. Realme has not confirmed wider international availability yet, although the older Realme Watch 5 did eventually reach other markets.

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For example, you get the ability to sync with a user’s calendar. Luna says the Band can also offer haptic suggestions at relevant moments, such as reminding someone to get fresh air or have coffee before a long meeting.

The broader idea behind Luna is that most people already collect more health data than they know what to do with. Instead of showing endless charts and scores, the company wants LifeOS to interpret signals in the background and surface suggestions when they are actually useful.

LifeOS becomes the real product

The Band itself handles continuous tracking, while LifeOS acts as the intelligence layer behind the scenes. Luna says the platform can combine wearable data with other inputs such as blood markers, food habits and medical context to build a more personalised model around each user.

The app will also include micro-apps covering areas such as stress, nutrition, training, supplements and productivity. Luna says additional integrations and custom health modules will arrive over time, with the aim of replacing the collection of separate wellness apps many people currently juggle.

That sounds ambitious, but the simpler approach may end up being the smarter one. Small prompts delivered at the right moment are often more useful than another dashboard full of metrics people stop checking after a few weeks.

What comes next

Luna still needs to turn the idea into something people will want to wear every day. Calendar-aware nudges sound useful on paper, but the real test is whether they feel timely, specific and worth paying attention to.

The WHOOP lawsuit also remains part of the background, even if Luna is now leaning harder into LifeOS and daily guidance. Perhaps this is why the device now looks a bit different from the original concept shown in January. Nevertheless, the product still needs to show that its value comes from more than being another screenless wearable built around health tracking.

Drop 1 starts today and is invite-only, with shipping expected at the end of July 2026. You can join the waitlist through Luna’s website.

I reviewed Luna Ring 2 earlier this year, another product from the same company, and came away fairly impressed. The app is clean, sleep tracking is fairly solid and the AI tips are more useful than expected, especially around caffeine timing. Like with most rings, workout heart rate is the weak point – but at around $300 with no subscription, it felt like a sensible Oura alternative.

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I reviewed the Smart Band 9 Pro last year, so I was keen to see what Xiaomi had actually changed this time. On paper, the answer is a mix of sensible upgrades and some familiar carry-overs. For the longer answer, keep reading.

View on Xiaomi’s website.

The design gets a cleaner premium push

At first glance, Xiaomi has not ripped up the Smart Band Pro formula. Not even close.

The Smart Band 10 Pro still sits in that odd but useful space between a large fitness tracker and a small smartwatch. That was already true of the Smart Band 9 Pro, which felt much closer to a smartwatch than a traditional narrow fitness band.

The difference is in the finish. The new model uses a 6M46 aviation aluminium alloy frame, while the Smart Band 9 Pro used an aluminium alloy frame with a fibre polymer rear. Xiaomi is also adding a ceramic edition this time, which gives the 10 Pro a slightly more premium angle without turning it into a full smartwatch. And you can opt for the edition with a Genuine Leather strap.

The dimensions tell a similar story. The metal Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro measures 42.84 × 32.16 × 9.7mm, while the ceramic edition comes in at 43.97 × 33.35 × 9.7mm. The Smart Band 9 Pro measures 46 × 33.35 × 9.99mm, so the new model is a little thinner and more compact, at least on paper.

Weight also improves. Xiaomi lists the 10 Pro at 21.6 grams without strap, compared with 24.5 grams for the 9 Pro. So some slight changes there, as well.

The display is the most obvious upgrade

Both models use a 1.74-inch AMOLED display with a 336 × 480 pixel resolution. That means Xiaomi has not increased the display size or pixel count. Instead, the company has focused on brightness and the way the panel sits inside the body.

The Smart Band 10 Pro gets a micro-curved AMOLED display with what Xiaomi describes as an ultra-narrow four-sided design. Peak brightness rises to 2000 nits, compared with 1200 nits on the Smart Band 9 Pro. That should be the easiest upgrade to notice outdoors.

In my Smart Band 9 Pro review, the display already stood out as one of the better parts of the device. It was bright, colourful and easy to read while running. The 10 Pro does not need to fix a weak point here. It simply pushes one of the 9 Pro’s strengths further.

That is probably the right move. Cheap fitness bands often feel cheap because of their screens, not because of the tracking. A brighter and cleaner panel helps the 10 Pro look more like a small smartwatch, even if the underlying experience remains closer to a tracker.

Health tracking finally gets HRV

The biggest health upgrade is not the sensor list itself, because both watches include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, optical heart rate sensor and geomagnetic sensor. The change is in the heart-rate hardware and the extra data Xiaomi is now surfacing.

The Smart Band 10 Pro uses a new dual-light, dual-PD sensor setup. Xiaomi’s promo material also mentions 98.2% heart-rate accuracy, although that number will need real-world testing before it means much. Lab claims rarely tell the full story when wrists move, sweat builds and workouts become messy.

The more useful addition is sleep HRV. The Smart Band 9 Pro covered the basics well, including heart rate, SpO2, stress, sleep and women’s health tracking. But HRV was one of the obvious missing pieces in my review. I was hoping Xiaomi would add it then, and the 10 Pro finally does.

This matters because HRV gives Xiaomi a better route into recovery tracking. It does not automatically make the 10 Pro a serious recovery wearable, but it gives the device a stronger foundation than the 9 Pro had. If Xiaomi handles the interpretation well in the app, this could be one of the more useful upgrades.

On the topic of sleep, you also get Algorithm 2.0. It is said to improve fall-asleep and wake-up detection accuracy by 11%.

Sports tracking stays familiar

For sports, Xiaomi has kept the broad structure intact. Both devices support more than 150 sports modes, and both include GNSS with BeiDou, GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS. So no surprises there.

In my testing, the 9 Pro locked onto GPS quickly and performed much better than its price would suggest. On runs, it tracked close to my Garmin Forerunner 955, with only small differences in distance and heart-rate readings. That gives the 9 Pro genuine credibility as a low-cost fitness device rather than just a notification band with workout modes.

The 10 Pro adds a new cycling mode angle, with real-time data synchronisation to the phone for easier viewing. That sounds useful, especially for riders who mount their phone on the bars and want larger live data without buying a separate cycling computer.

Battery improves in the right place

Battery life looks familiar at first because both models claim up to 21 days. The difference is that Xiaomi has moved from a 350mAh battery on the Smart Band 9 Pro to a 380mAh silicon-carbon battery on the Smart Band 10 Pro.

That extra capacity does not translate into a longer headline figure, but it may help offset the brighter display and added features. With the 9 Pro, real-world battery life depended heavily on settings. Always-on display, GPS sessions and continuous health tracking could bring it down, but it still lasted well over 10 days with heavier use in my testing.

Charging is where the 10 Pro makes a clearer move. The new model supports magnetic fast charging and can reach 80% in 25 minutes. The Smart Band 9 Pro takes around 75 minutes for a full charge.

Specs comparison: Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro vs 9 Pro

The smartwatch extras are still region-sensitive

Xiaomi is also talking up HyperOS 3, Apple ecosystem support, dual-device notifications, quick command access, game mode, NFC and 5ATM water resistance. Some of this looks genuinely useful, especially the improved iPhone friendliness. Xiaomi bands have always been strongest inside Xiaomi’s own ecosystem, so better Apple compatibility could widen the appeal.

The usual warning still applies. NFC depends on region and version, so buyers outside China should not assume they will get the same payment experience shown in Chinese launch material. This was one of the weaker points of the Smart Band 9 Pro, where NFC remained restricted and less useful for global buyers.

The game mode is a stranger addition. Xiaomi shows game progress display, game status monitoring and battle reports. It may appeal to a specific crowd, but it is probably not the reason most people will buy a fitness band.

For most users, the more useful smart features remain notifications, media controls, find phone, alarms and app integration. The 9 Pro handled these well enough, though it still lacked proper replies and full smartwatch depth. The 10 Pro seems to extend the formula rather than replace it.

Bottom line

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro looks like a continuation of a winning formula. The brighter 2000-nit display, thinner body, lower weight, ceramic option, faster charging and sleep HRV support all move the product in the right direction.

It is not a massive rethink. The display size and resolution stay the same. Battery life remains rated at up to 21 days. Sports modes remain at more than 150, and GNSS support appears broadly unchanged.

That is not a bad thing. The Smart Band 9 Pro already had a strong base, especially for GPS, heart-rate tracking, comfort and battery life. Xiaomi did not need to rebuild it from scratch. It needed to make it feel more refined, add a few missing health metrics and keep the price sensible.

The 10 Pro seems to do that. The biggest real-world questions are accuracy, app interpretation of HRV and how many of the China launch features survive the global version. If Xiaomi gets those right, this could be one of the stronger budget-friendly wearable upgrades of the year.

View on Xiaomi’s website.

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Garmin Connect starts borrowing from social media playbooks

Up to now, Garmin Connect mostly treated social interaction as a two-way relationship. You connected with someone and both sides gained access based on shared permissions. The new system changes that structure quite a bit.

Garmin now says existing “connections” are becoming followers. Users can follow people they want to engage with, while mutual follows become “friends” inside the app. It is a setup that feels immediately familiar if you have used Instagram, X or Strava.

The app repeatedly reassures users that “nothing will change” in how they interact with connections. But under the surface, this is an important shift because it separates following from friendship.

That opens the door to more public facing profiles and creator-style engagement. Someone could share workouts publicly, attract followers and interact with a broader audience without approving everyone as a full connection.

Privacy settings now sit at the centre of the experience

Garmin clearly knows social features can become sensitive very quickly in a fitness app. The onboarding process spends most of its time walking users through privacy settings.

Users can decide whether follower requests require approval or whether anyone can follow automatically. Separate controls exist for profile visibility, activity sharing, steps and badges.

Garmin also offers several visibility layers including “Only Me”, “My Followers”, “My Followers and Groups” and “Everyone”. Activity privacy even includes a custom setting for assigning different privacy levels to different activity types.

That is a noticeable expansion compared to Garmin’s older setup. The company seems to be trying to strike a balance between social discovery and tighter control over health and fitness data.

Some of the wording is also quite deliberate. Garmin specifically reminds users that shared activity data may include heart rate and activity location. That suggests the company wants to avoid confusion before people suddenly discover their morning runs are visible to a much wider audience.

This could change how Garmin communities work

Garmin has slowly been leaning harder into community features over the past couple of years. Challenges, group features, comments, reactions and event participation have all become more visible inside Connect.

A follower system fits perfectly into that direction. It also creates a structure that could support athlete pages, creator accounts, coaching communities or public training journals much more cleanly than the old mutual connection model.

Strava already built a huge part of its identity around this type of social graph. Garmin has traditionally focused more on training metrics and hardware. But the lines between fitness platform and social platform have been getting blurrier for a while.

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