Dan
The Huawei Band 4 Pro and the Mi Band 4 are the top fitness bands from two of the largest Chinese tech giants. These smart bands are small, cheap, comfortable and able to track a variety of health and fitness metrics. Smart bands are a great alternative to full smartwatches for people more interested in tracking their health rather than downloading apps.
In this comparison of the Huawei Band 4 Pro and the Mi Band 4 we will be looking at the technical specifications of both watches, the tracking features, software and design. I’ve used and owned both of these smart bands and have plenty of experience using them. By the end of this article you should have a clear idea which of these smart bands is best for you.
Huawei Band 4 Pro vs Mi Band 4
| Specs | Huawai Band 4 Pro | Mi Band 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Image |  |
 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen Size | 0.95 inches (21.6 mm x 10.8 mm) | 0.95 inches (21.6 mm x 10.8 mm) |
| Screen Type | AMOLED colour screen | OLED colour screen |
| Resolution | 240 x 120 pixels | 240 x 120 pixels |
| Body | ||
| Size | 45 mm (span of main body) x 19 mm (width) x 11 mm (maximum thickness of the main body) | |
| Weight | 25 g | 20 g |
| Materials | Hardened Plastic | Plastic |
| Sensors | ||
| Heart Rate Sensor | ||
| Accelerometer | ||
| Infrared | ||
| Barometric Sensor | ||
| ECG | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| GPS | ||
| Bluetooth | ||
| Microphone | ||
| Speaker | ||
| Misc | ||
| Waterproof | ||
| Battery Life | 100mAh | 120mAh |
| Notifications | Display Phone Messages & Calls | Display Phone Messages & Calls |
| Review | ||
| Where to Buy | Amazon | Check on Gearbest.com |
Screen & Design
Huawei Band 4 Pro
Tha Band 4 Pro features a 0.95 inch AMOLED display which is part of a 45mm long body which is 19mm thick and 19mm wide. The screen is bright, colorful and very responsive and with a resolution of 240 x 120 pixels there icons and text are both sharp. When swiping between menus and icons the transitions are smooth.
The body is slightly curved as is the screen. Huawei used hardened plastic for the body which doesn’t look or feel cheap. The strap that comes with the watch is rubber and fairly basic, however the strap is removable and there are many options.
Mi Band 4
The Mi Band 4 also features a 0.95 inch display using OLED technology. The size of the band is 47mm long, 12mm thick and 18mm wide. The screen has an identacle resolution os 240 x 120 pixels and the icons are also pretty sharp and easy to read.
The Mi band 4 body is oblong shaped and not curved. The tiny device is easy to remove from the rubber straps which it comes with. The plastic body is solid, well built and features a glossy finish.
Who wins?
In my opinion the Huawei band 4 pro features to superior screen and design thanks to the more advanced screen technology and curved body. While the Mi Band 4 and Band 4 Pro feature near identical size and resolution screen, the AMOLED display allows for brighter colors.
I also prefer the slightly curved display on the Band 4 Pro and is more comfortable to wear on a day to day basis, however I would also so the Mi Band 4 is very comfortable to wear and is slightly lighter.
Sensors & Tracking
Huawei Band 4 Pro
Inside the Band 4 Pro you’ll find an accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate monitor and an infrared sensor. This is an impressive array of sensors for such a small device. This allows the band 4 pro to measure your continuous heart rate, movement, steps, calories, distance travelled as well as SpO2.
You’ll also find an array of in built tracking modes for specific activities such as swimming, cycling, running, treadmill etc. Each uses all of the sensors to collect data and send that to the Huawei health app where you can view results and long term trends.
I’ve found the sensors to be very accurate and among the best sensors in any fitness tracker I’ve used.
Mi Band 4
The Mi Band 4 features an accelerometer and heart rate monitor. It can track steps, movement, heart rate, calories and distance travelled. You;ll also find a similar number of in built tracking modes for a variety of activities. The accuracy of the sensors is hit and miss, particularly the heart rate monitor which can be slow to detect change.
Who wins?
The Huawai Band 4 Pro is without doubt the superior fitness and health tracker thanks to its more numerous sensors and improved accuracy. The Mi Band 4 lacks the ability to measure SpO2 (blood oxygen saturation) as it does not have an infrared sensor. I also find the Mi Band 4 to be less accurate in tracking steps and heart rate consistently.
Connectivity
Huawei Band 4 Pro
Like all fitness bands the Huawei Band 4 Pro works best when connected to your phone via bluetooth. The Band 4 Pro ues Bluetooth 4.2 to maintain connection to your phone. I find the connection to be reliable and constant and allows the Band 4 Pro to sync data to the Health App and display your phone notifications.
The Band 4 Pro features integrated GPS which allows you to use location tracking features without connecting to your phone. Integrated GPS is preferable and considered superior.
Mi Band 4
The Mi Band 4 also uses bluetooth 4.2 to connect to the Mi Fit app, which is equally reliable and constant. The Mi Band 4 requires a connection to your phone to use GPS tracking features and I’ve found it to be unreliable and sometimes doesn’t work at all.
Who wins?
Once again the Huawei Band 4 Pro is the superior device thanks to integrated GPS which is more reliable and accurate compared to the Mi Band 4 which requires a phone connection.
Software
Huawei Band 4 Pro
The Huawei health app allows you to view the data collected by the Band 4 Pro. It displays a grid of data showing heart rate, distance travelled, sleep quality and a few other metrics. You can then take a closer look at specific workouts that you have tracked.
The App will display an impressive amount of data, from the intensity of your workouts to your average heart rate. You can also see a map of your workouts if you activated the GPS. It’s more than enough for the most people to track their health and fitness.
Mi Band 4
The Mi Fit app features almost incidental information for anyone interested in tracking their fitness progression. The menu’s and graphs are displayed slightly differently but the data is pretty much the same. One advantage the Mi Fit app has is that it will compare your metrics to others that use the app, so it can tell you how well you slept compared to the millions of ither who used the app, or how your fitness compares to others.
Who wins?
In this case the software is pretty much tied as they both offer the same data. You will find more health information on the Huawei health app as the Band 4 Pro has the extra infrared sensor.
Other Features
Battery Life: Both the Mi Band 4 and the Huawei Band 4 pro feature excellent battery life’s. The Mi band 4 features slightly larger capacity battery and tends to last for around a week, albeit with less tracking abilities. I’ve found the Band 4 Pro to last around 5 days with the brightness set to medium and all tracking abilities turned on.
Notifications
Both devices are identical when it comes to notifications. Both can display messages and calls from your phone when connected via bluetooth.
Water Resistance
Again, bot devices are identically water resistant with a rating of 5 ATM which means they can survive up to 50m depth.
Verdict
The Huawei Band 4 Pro is the superior fitness band in this comparison. It is able to monitor more health and fitness metrics more accurately thanks to its more numerable sensors. The screen is also superior to the Mi Band 4 thanks to the AMOLED technology and curved body.
The Mi Band 4 is the cheaper and older device and when it was first released I found it to be a great value fitness band, but it just cant’t compete with the newer Huawei with its more accurate sensors and superior screen technology.
Where to Buy
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