Today is a great day for geeks because Xiaomi officially launched the Mi Band 5: the fifth generation of its best-selling series of smart bands. The new wearable comes with plenty of improvements and new features, including improved software and features thought to provide a better user experience. But in 2020 the Mi Band 5 has a lot of rivals from other smartphone manufacturers. Since smart bands are currently a very important niche of the hi-tech world, we chose two of the most valid ones for a specs comparison with the new Mi Band 5. We are referring to the Honor Band 5 and the Realme Band, both among the cheapest and most functional fitness tracker you can find out there.
Xiaomi Mi Band 5 vs Huawei Honor Band 5 vs Realme Band
| Xiaomi Mi Band 5 | Huawei Honor Band 5 | Realme Band | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DISPLAY | 1.1 inches color, AMOLED, curved glass | 0.95 inches, AMOLED, curved glass | 0.96 inches color, flat glass |
| WATER RESISTANCE | Up to 5 ATM (50m) | Up to 5 ATM (50m) | IP68 (1.5m) |
| NOTIFICATIONS SUPPORT | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes (optional) | Yes (optional) | No |
| BATTERY LIFE | Up to 14 days | Up to 14 days | Up to 9 days |
| CHARGING PORT | Custom | Custom | USB-A |
| HEART RATE SENSOR | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | HR sensor | SpO2 sensor | HR sensor |
| NUMBER OF SPORT MODES | 11 | 10 | 9 |
Design and display
When it comes to the design, it is all a matter of taste. I personally prefer the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 due to its curved shape making it more attractive, in my honest opinion. But some may prefer the Realme Band because it is more similar to a bracelet since its display looks like an extension of the strap. Mi Band 5, Honor Band 5, and Realme Band are waterproof smart bands, but Realme Band is less waterproof than its rivals.
With the Realme Band, you can go up to 1.5 meters deep without damages (and it is enough for people who want to use it in the swimming pool), while Xiaomi Mi Band 5 and Honor Band 5 can go up to 50 meters deep. Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is very elegant, but Honor Band 5 and Realme Band are more compact. Mi Band 5 is bigger because it has a wider display with a 1.1-inch diagonal. And it is also the most attractive panel due to its quality and very interesting software features allowing the users to use all of its potentialities.
Software and features
Xiaomi Mi Band 5 has the highest number of sports modes: it can monitor up to 11 different activities. On the other hand, Honor Band 5 offers 10 sports modes, but unlike the Mi Band 5, it sports a SpO2 sensor to monitor the oxygen level in the blood. Realme Band does not feature a SpO2 sensor as well. Mi Band 5 has a very accurate PPG sensor: unfortunately, we still did not test it, but we believe it is likely the most accurate since Xiaomi says it offers 50% more accuracy compared to the Mi Band 4.
The Mi Band 5 also supports animated watch face and third-party designs, which you can not get on its two opponents. Besides the SpO2 sensor (Honor Band 5 only), on these smart bands, you can find an accelerometer, a heart rate monitor, a barometer, and a gyroscope. There are variants of the Mi Band 5 and Honor Band 5 with NFC connectivity, while you do not get it with the Realme Band.
Battery
Despite they provide more features, Xiaomi Mi Band 5 and Honor Band 5 offer a longer battery life than Realme Band: up to 14 days on a single charge. Realme Band has a 9 days battery life, but it offers an important advantage: it does not need an external charger since it includes a USB-A connector which can be directly plugged to a USB-A port. On the other hand, Mi Band 5 supports magnetic charging thanks to a pin placed on the rear side: you do not even need to remove the wearable from its strap in order to charge it. But it needs a custom charger (included in the box, naturally).
Price
Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is priced $26 in the base variant without NFC and $30 in its NFC version. It just launched in the Chinese market, in which it will be available to purchase starting from June 18. We still do not know what will be the price of the Mi Band 5 for the global market. Honor Band 5 has a listing price of $28, while Realme Band is priced just €12. Unless you need the SpO2 sensor, we recommend the Xiaomi Mi Band 5. But if you want to save money and you only need essential features, Realme Band is enough since it has accurate measurements and it does not lack common features.
Xiaomi Mi Band 5 vs Huawei Honor Band 5 vs Realme Band: PRO and CONS
Realme Band
PROS
- Very affordable
- No need for an external charger
- Compact
CONS
- Shorter battery life
Xiaomi Mi Band 5
PROS
- Wide display
- More sport modes
- Magnetic charging
- Optional NFC
CONS
- Nothing particular
Huawei Honor Band 5
PROS
- Optional NFC
- SpO2 sensor
- Many sport modes
- Compact
CONS
- Nothing particular
