REVIEW: Xiaomi Smart Band 10 (2025 Release) - Smarter, Sharper, and Surprisingly Stylish

Images provided by Xiaomi Press

Review by Jon Donnis

With each new version, Xiaomi's smart bands edge closer to full smartwatch territory. The Smart Band 10 continues that trend. It's not just another fitness tracker. It's a polished, well-designed wearable that leans into style and customisation without ditching the fundamentals. Now that it's landed in the UK, it arrives with a sense of purpose and a price that undercuts most of the competition.

Right away, the 1.72-inch AMOLED display makes a strong impression. It's bigger than ever, but still sleek on the wrist. The 326 PPI resolution and 1500 nits brightness make everything pop. Texts are sharp, colours punch through, and the 60Hz refresh rate makes swiping feel fluid, not jittery. This display doesn't just look good in a shop window. It holds up in real life too, whether you're checking a notification in bright sunlight or skipping tracks mid-run. The 2mm bezels are barely noticeable. It's one of the rare bands that genuinely looks good worn every day.

There's some surprising versatility baked in too. The new Pearl White ceramic option feels premium. The band now supports four different wearing styles, including a pearl-chain pendant. That alone makes it stand out in a sea of plastic fitness trackers. With over 200 watch faces and even a few interactive mini-games, there's a definite sense that Xiaomi wants this to feel like more than a data collector.

As for performance, it holds its own. With 150+ workout modes, from running to rowing to things like zumba, it caters for casual users and data obsessives alike. Six of those modes are automatically detected, which removes the need for constant fiddling. The upgraded swim tracking is impressive, not just for the real-time heart rate monitoring, but for how reliably it counts laps. A 9-axis motion sensor helps here. The 5ATM rating means you can confidently take it into the pool without babying it.

Heart rate, stress, SpO₂, and sleep tracking are all here, and done well. What's new this time is a deeper dive into sleep quality. Xiaomi's added sleep efficiency and distribution metrics. These sound like minor tweaks, but they're useful if you're trying to spot patterns. It also kicks off a 21-day sleep improvement programme that ties in with guidance from sleep medicine experts. This might be one of the first smart bands to feel like it's genuinely trying to improve your habits, not just collect numbers.

Battery life continues to be one of Xiaomi's strongest cards. The 233mAh cell lasts up to three weeks in regular use. It still manages around nine days with the always-on display active. You only need an hour to fully charge it. That's rare for a device in this price range. It's the kind of battery performance that means you just stop thinking about it, which is how it should be.

Smart features are well integrated. It connects easily to Xiaomi HyperOS 2 devices. Even outside that ecosystem, syncing with a smartphone is straightforward. Notifications show up reliably. You can reply with short custom messages, and there's a precision linear motor inside that gives some surprisingly decent haptic feedback. It also supports silent mode toggles, calendar syncing, and real-time Bluetooth heart rate broadcasting to compatible devices. That opens up its usefulness beyond solo workouts.

Comfort is another strong point. Even with the bigger display, the band doesn't feel bulky or awkward. Whether you go for the TPU strap options in Black, Silver, or Rose, or the more premium Ceramic version with a Fluororubber strap, it sits snugly without digging in. At £39.99 for the standard model or £54.99 for the upgraded edition, the value is hard to argue with.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 doesn't just meet expectations. It quietly exceeds them. It connects without hassle, looks better than you'd expect, and delivers meaningful health and fitness insights without overcomplicating things. You'd be hard-pressed to find another band this complete at this price. If you're in the market for something that balances cost, features, and style, it's probably the easiest recommendation around.

Out Now at https://www.mi.com/uk/product/xiaomi-smart-band-10/

Thank you to Xiaomi for providing a review sample.

REVIEW: Redmi Watch 5 (2025 Release)

Images provided by Xiaomi 

Review by Jon Donnis

There's something really satisfying about a gadget that just does exactly what it promises. No weird setup. No clunky menus. Just clean, solid performance right out of the box. That's basically been my experience with the Redmi Watch 5, Xiaomi's latest entry in the smartwatch game. It's the top model in a slightly confusing trio of watches, so if you're thinking of picking one up, double-check you're not looking at the Watch 5 Active or the Lite version by mistake. This one's the proper one, the full-fat edition.

First thing you notice is the display. It's massive. Genuinely feels like a small screen on your wrist, not just a token little square for notifications. The 2.07-inch AMOLED panel is probably the brightest I've ever used on a smartwatch, which actually makes a difference outdoors. No more cupping your hand to squint at your steps. It hits 1500 nits at full blast, with a 60Hz refresh rate and really crisp resolution. The bezels are tiny too, which adds to that sort of seamless, edge-to-edge feel. It looks more expensive than it is, and it wears nicely thanks to the aluminium alloy frame. Doesn't dig into your wrist, doesn't feel like plastic pretending to be metal.

Comfort-wise, the watch sits well. Not too chunky, and the strap range means it'll fit most wrists without issue. It only weighs 33.5g without the strap, so you forget it's there after a while, which is kind of the dream. The crown's been updated too, which sounds minor, but if you've ever used a laggy or fiddly one, you'll know how frustrating that gets. This one's smooth, no misfires, no delay.

What properly sold me though is the functionality. You can answer calls on it. Not just see the call, but actually lift your wrist and talk into it. The dual-mic setup with noise cancellation means you're not shouting into the wind either. It holds up fine even when you're out walking or jogging. As someone who grew up watching Knight Rider, I'm not even going to pretend that didn't feel cool.

There's also this really handy built-in Recorder app. You don't need to pair your phone to use it either. Just tap and go. It's perfect if you're in the middle of something and an idea pops into your head, or if you hear a tune you want to remember later. You can just talk into your watch and capture the moment. Small feature, big convenience.

Then you've got all the health and fitness tracking stuff you'd expect. Heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen levels, sleep tracking, and it all works reliably. Nothing felt gimmicky or half-baked. The watch uses a new heart rate algorithm that's supposed to improve accuracy, and I didn't notice any weird spikes or dropouts when testing it. It syncs up well with exercise routines, and with more than 150 sports modes, you'll be covered whether you're a runner, swimmer or just walking a lot. The 5-system GNSS makes sure outdoor tracking stays accurate too, and it's water resistant enough for swimming.

Battery life's another win. Xiaomi say up to 24 days on typical use, and it's not just marketing fluff. Even after several days of fiddling and testing everything, I barely saw the battery dip. For anyone sick of charging every night, that alone makes this a decent upgrade.

There's a library of over 200 watch faces to mess around with, or you can use your own photos. That kind of personalisation's always welcome, even if it's not essential. Just makes it feel like your watch.

If I had to nitpick, it's not about the watch itself, but the naming system. There are three versions with nearly identical names. It would be easy to end up buying the wrong one unless you're paying close attention. Not a massive deal, but worth flagging.

Bottom line? The Redmi Watch 5 delivers where it counts. It looks great, runs smoothly, and packs in the kind of features that actually make daily life easier. It's not trying to be flashy, it's just quietly excellent at what it does. If you're after a watch that won't drain your wallet but still gives you that top-tier experience, this one's hard to ignore. I was genuinely impressed, and it's easily taken the place of my old smartwatch without missing a beat.

The Redmi Watch 5 was provided by Xiaomi for review, and is out now

https://www.mi.com/uk/product/redmi-watch-5/