Xiaomi Band 7 Pro brings a watch-esque design, bigger display, and built-in GPS to the masses for the equivalent of US$60

Barely six weeks after releasing the Xiaomi Band 7 in China, Xiaomi has now entered the fitness tracker market again with the Xiaomi Band 7 Pro as a suave, more advanced sibling befitting its "Pro" branding.

Alongside the Xiaomi 12S series, Xiaomi unveiled the Xiaomi Band 7 Pro hours ago. The Band 7 Pro looks nothing like the regular Band 7, as it ditches its form factor for a more watch-like design, reminiscent of the Redmi Smart Band Pro. The display sees an increase in size from the Band 7's 1.62" to 1.64", along with more usable real estate thanks to a 70% screen-to-body ratio. Both fitness trackers tally up to 326 ppi, however. Design differences versus the vanilla Band 7 don't stop at the watches themselves, though, as the Band 7 Pro ditches the Band 7's strap for a buckle-style one.

The biggest change, however, is the inclusion of built-in GPS on the Band 7 Pro, as the regular Band 7 has to rely on its linked smartphone for that. Other features include NFC support as standard, Always-On Display, heart rate monitoring, SpO2 monitoring, 117 sports modes, 10 running courses, a "metal texture" frame, anti-bacterial faux-leather straps, hundreds of watch faces, intelligent brightness adjustment, and a 235 mAh battery rated for 12 days of regular usage or six days or heavy use.

The Xiaomi Band 7 Pro is an upgrade on the vanilla Band 7, and that reflects in its pricing. While the Band 7 with NFC costs CNY 379 (US$42), the Band 7 Pro will set buyers back CNY 399 (US$60). Early adopters get a discount that takes the price slightly lower to CNY 379 (US$57). Most would consider that a bargain for a device that mostly bridges the gap between smartwatch and fitness tracker. Information on global availability remains elusive, sadly.

Buy the Xiaomi Band 7 on Amazon.