The Mi Band 6 global edition is now available to buy, and we’re getting our first look at official pricing.
We had predicted that Xiaomi would stick to previous pricing – and while that is true for some regions, US shoppers might get a shock.
Amazon US has the Mi Band 6 Global edition officially on sale via the Xiaomi Store, and it has got a whopping $59.99 price tag at launch. It’s available for pre-order shipping 17 May.
That price represents a hike on previous versions of the Mi Band, which started for as little as $25 back in 2015. As each generation has got more sophisticated, the price has escalated.
The Mi Band 5 went on sale for $49.99 and the Mi Band 4 was $39.99. While both of those dropped closer to $30 after launch. To put that pricing into context of its competitors, the Amazfit Band 5 costs , the Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 launch price was and the Fitbit Inspire 2 costs . So it's now out-priced by some of the competition in the US, and isn’t much of a saving on a Fitbit.
A big part of the blame should go to the on-going US/China trade dispute. In the EU and UK the Mi Band 6 is priced at on the official Mi Store, which is the same as the Mi Band 5.
The official United States Mi Store doesn’t show any of Xiaomi’s wearables, and only stocks its smart home products and electric scooter.
For the uninitiated, the Xiaomi Mi Band 6 offers a 50% bigger display than the Mi Band 5, with a 1.56-inch AMOLED display, with a 152 x 486 resolution that punches out at 450 nits. The real-world difference is the colors feel more punchy and sharp.
It also adds SpO2 tracking for the first time and bumps workout modes from 11 to 30, with core sports like running, cycling, swimming (pool only) joining indoor rowing and jump rope.
Read our full Mi Band 6 review.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.