Xiaomi has ditched the Mi Fit app used by its iconic Mi Band fitness tracker range, in favor of the new Zepp Life app, from Amazfit parent company Zepp Health.
Moving forward newer Xiaomi wearables will use a new Mi Fitness app, which merges Xiaomi Health and Xiaomi Wear/Xiaomi Wear Lite app.
But users of Xiaomi older devices, such as the Mi Band 6, will move to the Zepp Life app. It will be used across all markets, including China, on iOS and Android and is available now.
Huami (which changed its name to Zepp Health in the West) is the manufacturing partner for Xiaomi’s wearables, as well as the parent coming of Amazfit – and it now seems the two companies are forging even closer ties.
It's not clear which app the forthcoming Mi Band 7 will use.
Xiaomi Smart Band devices will use the Zepp Health app, which has been redesigned to be richer – and work alongside Amazfit devices. That means users can see their Xiaomi steps and sleep data alongside things like Amazfit scales.
It seems a strange decision from Xiaomi’s point of view to have people interacting with a different brand, and from the wording of a statement from a spokesperson, it might not have been the company’s choice:
“Xiaomi will support Huami's decision to rebrand Mi Fit app as Zepp Life. While this app will continue to be operated by the Huami brand, rest assured that it will continue to support compatible Xiaomi devices, including Mi Smart Band Series and Mi Smart Scales.”
Analysis: What does it all mean?
This could indicate something of a land grab from Huami/Zepp, folding the millions of Xiaomi users into its stable.
And in a statement from Zepp Health, it points out the large scale of its ecosystem, and reaffirms that it's still working closely with Xiaomi.
“The new Zepp Life app focuses more on the health and daily activity of every user to deliver a better user experience,” a spokesperson told Wareable.
But the company's new Mi Fitness app looks to be its focus going forward.
“Zepp Health is dedicated to offering high-quality services to about 100 million of global users. The two parties are also committed to ongoing strategic partnerships in chip development, algorithm research, and technological advancement in the field of smart wearables.”
We’re only weeks away from a Xiaomi Mi Band 7, which is rumored to feature impressive new stats, and we’ve just had a pair of new smartwatches.
A better app is certainly welcome, and having Zepp Health power the software and analysis seems like a benefit for users.
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.