Xiaomi Smart Band 9: Popular fitness tracker series receives numerous improvements with new release

The Smart Band 9 is now official, having been subject to a detailed leak recently. As expected, the new fitness tracker resembles the Smart Band 8 (curr. $44 on Amazon), which is now over a year old. For example, the Smart Band 9 retains its predecessor's oval design.

Additionally, the new Smart Band can still be worn as a necklace, among other options. However, the Smart Band 9 has a metal housing, plus a 233 mAh battery that is rated for up to 21 days of battery life or 9 days with its always-on display (AOD) activated. On top of that, it is said to offer improved sleep and heart rate tracking, with 7.9% and 16% more accurate readings, respectively.

Furthermore, Xiaomi has installed a 1.62-inch OLED display that outputs 192 x 490 pixels with 1,200 nits peak brightness. For now, the Smart Band 9 is exclusive to China, as are the MIX Flip, MIX Fold 4 and Redmi K70 Extreme Edition, among the other devices that Xiaomi has announced today. With that being said, the Smart Band 9 is the most likely of those four to receive a direct global release, albeit probably not until later this year. For reference, the new fitness tracker retails for CNY 249 (~$34) in China and comes in multiple styles.