Xiaomi released the much anticipated Mi Band 5 on 18 June 2020 in China. Shortly after, on 15 July 2020, the global version was released. Now, if you are a tech enthusiast such as me, then certainly you must have wanted to know the differences between these two versions.
Xiaomi revealed that the Global version of Mi Band 5 would lack NFC, spO2, and voice assistant features that are present in its Chinese counterpart. Other than that, there is a slight shape change on the home button shape and a bit price difference too.
Stay tuned, as we are going to explore these features along with few other factors that make the global version of MI Band 5 different from the Chinese version.
How Are The Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Global Version And Global Version Different?
The global version and the Chinese version have many identical upgrades, features, and functions. But, Xiaomi continuing its tradition since Mi Band 3 has skimmed on some attributes and features on the global version.
As a result, we can find some differences between the global and the Chinese versions in terms of features, upgrades, and price. The following are the factors that make the global version of Mi Band 5 different from the Chinese version.
Language
When you purchase a global version of Mi Band 5, then you will have the English language as the default. At the same time, the Chinese version of the fitness tracker will have the Chinese language as the default.
But, both versions consist of 19 other languages apart from the default language. In total, Mi Band 5 supports 21 different languages. Besides, you can change the default language as per your choice with the help of the Mi Fit app on your respective cell.
SpO2 Monitoring
The Mi Band 5 global variant lacks the spO2 (Saturation of Peripheral Oxygen) sensor used for blood oxygen level tracking. The Chinese variant is well equipped with the same feature.
Specifically, oxygen level tracking is a major plus point feature for the people suffering from special conditions related to breathing. Similarly, the technology is also used in training by athletes and fitness enthusiasts. People can immediately be aware of the dynamics of the oxygen level in our blood. As a result, You can manage your fitness and health more efficiently with a proper track of oxygen level in your blood.
Also, the sleep tracking of the global variant of Mi Band 5 will suffer due to the absence of the spO2 sensor. Because PPG (Photoplethysmogram) sensor jointly works with the spO2 sensor to provide accurate sleep tracking. In contrast, the Chinese version has this feature installed in it.
Voice Assistant
Before the launch of Mi Band 5, there were rumors Amazon Alexa will be supported in the device. People were excited about the prospect of operating the fitness band through the popular voice assistant.
The rumors were quickly laid to rest after the launch because the global variant did not support any voice assistant.
Likewise, the Chinese version was installed with the perk of supporting Xiaomi’s homegrown voice assistant XiaoAI. The voice assistant currently supports only the Chinese language, but the tech giants aim to change the current situation and add the English language to XIaoAi’s arsenal. But, the voice assistant has 102 kinds of intelligent voice scenes.
Due to which, XiaoAI is not limited to encyclopedias, weather, and news but is also enabled to control different smart devices.
NFC Support
If you are a user of a global version of Mi Band 5, then you will not be getting the NFC (Near Field Communication) feature on your fitness tracker.
Fundamentally, the NFC feature is for non-cash payments through tap and pay convenience. In the global context, people could have benefited from NFC enabled Mi Band 5 on a large scale.
Because the feature makes it a lot easier for payments of electronic tickets while traveling and at the credit card terminal, but sadly, the NFC feature of Mi Bands is only installed in the Chinese version and works only inside China.
Microphone
The Chinese version Mi Band 5 is equipped with a microphone sensor. Xiaomi has installed Digital MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) microphone sensors in the Chinese variant of the device to support the Voice assistant feature and its interaction with the user.
The global variant does not have any microphone facility in the fitness band. Now, you must be thinking, can we receive and execute calls in the Chinese variant?. Mi Band 5 does not support call functions yet.
Home Button
Looking at the Mi Band 5 home button, Xiaomi has made minor changes.
The home button of both versions is less visible to the user’s eyes, unlike its predecessor Mi Band 4. But, there is an interesting difference you will notice while comparing global and the NFC enabled Chinese versions.
The home button in the Chinese version is inverted “U” shape rather than the traditional “O” shape. This difference in design can help the buyers to distinguish between the version easily.
Xiaomi Smart Control
Mi Band 5 Chinese version supports smart control of the home appliance products from Xiaomi.
Basically, you will just have to connect your fitness band with the Mi Fit app. The Voice assistant feature in your device helps you to control home appliances through XiaoAI. The same voice assistant uses the MIoT (Mobile Internet Of Things) to connect to the intelligent devices.
Devices like air purifier, rice cooker, intelligent lamps, lanterns millet floor, sweeping robots, intelligent gateway, air condition can be controlled. This is an outstanding feature, but there is an important condition, the devices must be the product of Xiaomi.
Sadly, the global version users can not use this feature due to their device missing NFC and voice assistant features.
Mi Band 5 Customization
As a Mi Band 5 user, you are provided with several different watch faces and dynamic displays to choose from. But, comparatively, the global version has 65 watch faces, while the Chinese version has 100 dynamic watch faces to choose from. It is the same case with the straps, while the Chinese version of the fitness band has 8 straps of color variety. The colors are as follows:
- Black
- Navy blue
- Yellow
- Black
- Teal
- Mint green
- Pink
- Orange
However, the Global version has the availability of all the colors mentioned above other than teal and pink. Xiaomi’s strap bands are very customizable, as you will find different designs printed straps in the market easily. Moreover, I do not find the unavailability of 2 basic colors as a big issue.
Price
The global version of Mi Band 5 is cheaper than the NFC Enabled Chinese Version. You will find the price of the global version is $41.99, while the price of the Chinese version is $49.99. At the same time, the sole reason for the higher price of the Chinese version is the presence of NFC support, spO2 sensor, and Voice assistant attributes
What Are The Similarities Between Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Global Version And Chinese Version?
Finally, after going through the dissimilarities between the two variants previously, let us dive into the factors that make the global and the Chinese variants similar to each other. The similarities are as follows:
Display
Both the Chinese and the global versions come with a 1.1 inch AMOLED touch screen with 126×129 resolution. Both have larger display areas and resolution, giving you a larger visual convenience in comparison to most of its competitors.
The 2.5D reinforced glass with AF (Ant-Fingerprint) coating to prevent your accidental scratches and fingerprint stains. You will find the home button on both versions below the touch screen as usual. The functionality of the home, i.e., to wake up the fitness tracker and return, is the same on both versions.
Moreover, both versions offer 450 nits of brightness. Now, you can easily have a glance at your fitness band on a sunny day outdoors without any problem.
Appearance
Xiaomi’s Mi Band 5 has pretty much the same design and appearance in both the global and Chinese versions. Apart from the inverted “U” shape in the NFC enabled Chinese version, both the devices are extremely hard to distinguish through visual prowess.
Furthermore, the capsule tracker case is made of the same polycarbonate material with the same TPU plastic for straps. Both versions depend upon the Mi Fit app changing the watch faces of the screen.
The dimension and the weight of both the global and the Chinese version is 155-219mm adjustable length and 11.9 grams of weight. The Heart is on the backside of the fitness tracker as usual.
Additionally, the overall appearance of the band is simple and classic. I, for one, find the simple look of this fitness tracker very attractive in comparison to the flashy designs of its competitors.
Battery And Charging
The battery cell present on Mi Band 5 of both the global and the Chinese versions is a Lithium-ion polymer battery of 125 mAh capacity. The advertised battery life of both the versions is 14 days in normal mode and 20 days in power saving mode.
You will get the same impressive magnetic charger, which automatically snaps in the charging port in both versions. As a result, you will feel easier to charge your fitness tracker, as you will not need to separate the tracker capsule from the strap.
Water Resistance
Xiaomi provides the same water-resistant capacity up to 50m on both versions for your convenience.
You will not have to worry about your fitness band’s interaction with water, whether you own a global or Chinese version of the device. So, rest assured while jumping into the swimming pool with the Mi Band 5 on your wrist.
Sports Modes
Xiaomi has equipped 11 sports modes in both versions of Mi Band 5. You will get the following sports modes in your fitness band :
- Treadmilling
- Outdoor running
- Outdoor cycling
- Power walking
- Pool swimming
- Elliptical
- Yoga
- Freestyle
- Rowing machine
- Jump rope
- General tracking exercise modes
Both of the version’s mode accuracy for deriving the metrics of the trackings is highly dependable with the pairing of the device and Mi Fit app. Therefore, I recommend you connect your tracker with your Android/iOS cell to get accurate readings.
Women’s Health Tracking
It is quite commendable on the part of Xiaomi that they have included a feature concentrated on tracking women’s health. The fitness tracker comes with the women’s health tracking attribute on both the global and Chinese versions.
In addition, this feature helps the women to keep update with their menstrual cycle and their ovulation phase. As a result, the working and the highly active women will have a huge advantage from this feature.
Sensors
Apart from the NFC sensor, the global version of Mi Band 5 is well equipped with all the High-tech sensors installed by Xiaomi. The sensors include PPG heart rate sensor, 6-axis sensors(3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer), barometer, and digital MEMS microphone sensors are present in Mi Band 5 of both versions.
Furthermore, the accuracy of all the tracking done through the sensor by the fitness tracker needs the assistance of the Mi Fit app for accurate readings.
Health Tracking
Xiaomi has included identical health tracking features on the Global version as well as the Chinese version, respectively. As a result, You will get the same heart rate monitoring, Sleep monitoring, Women’s health tracking, stress monitoring, PAI(Personal Activity Intelligence) vitality index, and Step counter on both versions.
Similarly, in the health tracking attributes, both the global and the Chinese versions are identical in the functioning and the operating results. Your fitness expectations will be well met by both of the versions.
Common Features
You will not see any differences in this sector of Mi band 5 of either global or Chinese versions. As both consist of the same common features provided by Xiaomi. The common features are as follows:
- Remote Photo taking
- Find my Phone
- Playback Music
- Phone unlock
- Notifications
- Timer
- Calendar and Event Reminder
- Bluetooth broadcasting
- Weather Forecasting
- Different Dials options
- Choice of wearing methods
- OTA(Over the Air) upgrades
Mi Fit App Dependability
The line of Xiaomi’s Fitness trackers has been quite dependable on Xiaomi’s Mi Fit app when it comes to giving accurate readings.
Similarly, for the Mi Band 5, like its predecessor, this fitness tracker’s features like the blood oxygen tracking, footsteps, heart rate, etc. may give inconsistent results without pairing with the app.
In my opinion, the Mi Fit app assists the sensors in the Fitness tracker for more calculative processing of the data, respectively. The app also helps motivate the user in their fitness activity, as it provides many video tutorials and instructions.
Overall, we can say that the dependability on the Mi Fit app of both the global and the Chinese version is equal to each other.
Difference Table of Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Global And Chinese Versions
| Differential Factors | Mi Band 5 Global Version | Mi Band 5 NFC Enabled Chinese Version |
| Language | Default language English | Default language Chinese |
| SpO2 Sensor | Absence of SpO2 sensor and does not support blood oxygen tracking | Installed SpO2 sensor and supports blood oxygen tracking |
| Voice Assistant | Does not Support Voice Assistance | Supports XiaoAi voice assistant. |
| NFC | Does not Consist of NFC sensor | Consists of NFC support |
| Home Button | “O” shaped home button | “U” shaped home button |
| Smart Control | Does not support smart control | Supports smart control of Xiaomi’s home appliances. |
Specifications of Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Global And Chinese Versions
|
Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Chinese Version |
Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Global Version |
|
| Display | 1,1-inch AMOLED color
touch screen 126×294 resolution 2.5D reinforced glass and AF coating 450 nits of brightness |
1,1-inch AMOLED color
touch screen 126×294 resolution 2.5D reinforced glass and AF coating 450 nits of brightness |
|
Dimension and Weight |
46.95×18.15×12.45 mm 11.9 g weight |
46.95×18.15×12.45 mm 11.9 g weight |
| Colors and Material | Navy Blue, Yellow, Black, Teal, Mint Green, Pink, and Orange
Plastic case TPU strap Aluminum Alloy Wristband buckle |
Navy Blue, Yellow, Black, Teal, Mint Green, Pink, and Orange Plastic case TPU strap Aluminum Alloy Wristband buckle |
| Water-Resistant | 50m |
50m |
|
Memory |
512 of Ram
16 MB Flash Memory |
512 of Ram 16 MB Flash Memory |
| Sensor | PPG heart rate sensor
NFC sensor 3-axis Gyroscope 3-axis Accelerometer Barometer SpO2 sensor Digital MEMS microphone sensor Proximity sensor |
PPG heart rate sensor 3-axis Gyroscope 3-axis Accelerometer Barometer Proximity sensor |
| Battery | Lithium-ion polymer battery
120mAh capacity 14-day battery life(advertised) |
Lithium-ion polymer battery 120mAh capacity 14-day battery life(advertised) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0 |
Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Voice Assistant | Yes |
No |
|
Compatibility |
Android 5.0 and above
iOS 10.0 and above |
Android 5.0 and above iOS 10.0 and above |
| Price | $49.99 |
$41.99 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Xiaomi Mi Band 5
Is The Chinese Version Better Than The Global Version?
If the decision of the better version is based on the number of features, then the Chinese version can be considered the slightly better version because you are getting the NFC support, which aims to replace your wallet and provide a contactless payment feature.
Besides, you will also have the blood oxygen tracking with the help of a spO2 sensor along with Xiaomi’s own Voice AI feature. You will get more accurate sleep tracking with spO2 assisting PPG heart sensors. Furthermore, you will have control over Xiaomi’s smart appliances.
In my opinion, although the Mi Band 5 global version lacks these three features, it still consists of all the other features, perks, and upgrades that the Chinese version consists of. Also, keeping in mind the price and feature we get from the global version is still a bargain comparing with its competitors.
Should You Skip On Mi Band 5 And Wait For Mi Band 5 Pro?
Well, the market is buzzing with the rumors of Xiaomi launching the Mi Band 5 with a moniker “Pro.” But, the exact dates have not been revealed by the tech giant as of now.
In addition, this version is rumored to have NFC support that works outside of China, along with the presence of a spO2 sensor and Alexa.
Therefore, if you can get access to the NFC enabled Chinese version, you should probably get it. Otherwise, the decision to buying Mi band 5 or skipping it for Mi Band 5 Pro is completely based on your perspective and the urgency of your need.
Final Verdict On Xiaomi Mi Band 5 Global And Chinese Version
Based on the competitive comparison, you can consider both of these versions a bargain. It is because of the affordability and the feature you are getting with the product.
Likewise, the leaders of the fitness tracker market and even hardcore smartwatch market leaders have faced tough competition from this model of Xiaomi irrespective of the version.
As of now, you must have known the Chinese version slightly takes the win if we compare it with the global version. But that is no excuse to not appreciate the global version. Since looking at the price mentioned above, it is more affordable than the Chinese version.
Besides, the most important feature of the Chinese variant, the NFC support, does not work outside China, and XiaoAI only operated on the Chinese language.
Moreover, I consider both the global version and the Chinese version of Xiaomi’s Mi Band 5 have strong pointers and weak pointers in case of features, price, accessibility.
In the case of choosing between these two versions, I recommend you to buy the Chinese version if it is accessible to your convenience. But, as the Chinese version will not be easily accessible to all the buyers, the global version is still an impressive fitness tracker that you can depend on.
