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The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 fitness watch just dropped to $36

With improved sensors and 11 sport modes, the new model might be just right for your wrist. You can also get the very similar Amazfit Band 5 for $1 less.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
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The Mi Band 5 is now on sale for $36, the lowest price to date.  

Érika García/CNET

The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 is the latest fitness band to bring a wealth of impressive features to your wrist on the cheap. How impressive and how cheap? Let's start with the latter: Walmart has the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 for just $36. That's a couple bucks below the last time I shared this deal and the lowest price I've seen yet. Note that it's being offered via a third-party seller, not Walmart proper.

The Mi Band 5's predecessor, the Mi Band 4, was already a pretty solid product, selling for around the same price and standing toe-to-toe with the pricier Fitbit Inspire HR

The water-resistant Mi Band 5 features a 1.1-inch color AMOLED display (just slightly larger than the Mi Band 4's), heart rate and oxygen sensors, dozens of animated watch faces, a magnetic charge cord and a 14-day battery.

That battery represents a bit of a downgrade, as the Mi Band 4 was rated for up to 20 days -- though two weeks is still pretty fantastic. The Mi Band 5 adds several new sport modes, however, bringing the total to 11. It also adds menstrual tracking.

Although CNET's US team has yet to do a full-on review of the product, CNET en Español covered the Mi Band 5 back in August. You can use Google Translate to read an English version of that review. Verdict: "Interesting new features that together with its low price make it a great choice for those who want to start taking care of themselves."

Worth noting: The very similar Amazfit Band 5 is available for $35, and it adds onboard Amazon Alexa and an SpO2 sensor to the mix. I took a detailed look at that model back in November, when it was on sale for $30. (It usually sells for $40-$50, though, so $35 is still a good buy.)

Between the two, I'd probably choose the Amazfit. But you really can't go wrong with either one, especially if you're looking for an inexpensive wrist companion.

If you already own either of these, hit the comments and let me know what you think of it!

First published last year. Updated to reflect new sale price and availability.


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