What to choose between a connected bracelet and a connected watch? The Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro and the Oppo Watch Free fall between the two. But, which of its two devices will best meet your needs? Discover our comparison to determine which one is right for you.
Connected bracelets are the perfect accessories for regularly monitoring your sports activities, or keeping an eye on your health. Some brands offer complete solutions for a contained price. Among them, we find Xiaomi, which since the design of its Mi Smart Band has firmly established itself on the market. The Chinese firm recently released a bracelet similar to watches, and even brings some interesting features for sportsmen and women. This is without counting on the manufacturer Oppo, which has a good alternative to Xiaomi’s solution in its catalog.
Between the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro and the Oppo Watch Free, there are many common points, but which of the two will succeed in tipping the scales? To help you make your choice, we will through this comparison detail each of the qualities and disadvantages of the two products.
Connected watches on sale
As imposing as a tocante, and a beautiful screen
To begin this comparison, we will first detail Xiaomi’s journey. By introducing its connected bracelets on the market, the manufacturer is experiencing real success and the Chinese firm has not forgotten this category of products by designing a more successful model a few months ago: the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro. A tracker activity more upscale than its colleagues, which takes on the appearance of a connected watch as its screen is enlarged.
The Pro version offers wider dimensions and opts for a rectangular shape with a 1.64-inch screen, compared to 1.62 inches for the classic model. Aesthetically, we are entitled to a well finished product despite its rubber strap attachment. Once worn, the ergonomics have been worked on so that it hugs your wrist as well as possible. It will quickly be forgotten thanks to its weight of 32 g and its 11 mm case. For its part, Oppo assumes to place its Watch Free in the connected watch category. Its appearance is quite similar to its rival: there is a rectangular screen, with a diagonal of 1.64 inches. With 33 g in total, the bracelet is comfortable to wear. It is also made of a breathable material to limit discomfort in the event of sporting activity.
Large screens to comfortably read your content
Whether on Xiaomi’s bracelet, or Oppo’s watch, both products do not skimp on the quality of the screen. On both, there is a 1.64-inch AMOLED panel with a definition of 280 × 456 pixels, or a density of 326 pixels per inch. The color rendering will be quite satisfactory and the information remains readable, even in direct sunlight since both models have an ambient light sensor. It will quite simply allow it to adapt to the light of the environment.
At the interface level, the text and application icons take up more space on the screen, which will make navigation much easier, and more enjoyable. As a practical extension of your smartphone, it is possible to have access to most notifications such as messages and some social networks. You can even trigger the camera or control the music. And, if Oppo is “limited” to 40 dials on its watch, Xiaomi offers no less than 150 customizable dials. The Oppo Watch Free runs on the RTOS operating system, an open OS used by many manufacturers of smartwatch, but which has the consequence of being limited in the number of compatible applications. However, it has the advantage of a much longer battery life. On the Smart Band 7 Pro, too, it will be difficult to install third-party applications on it.
Packed with sensors for accurate measurements
As usual with connected watches, there is a range of sensors to best satisfy athletes. The Oppo Watch Free incorporates an accelerometer and a gyroscope to best assess the number of steps, as well as a heart rate monitor for heart rate and an oximeter for SpO2 measurement. It can recognize up to 4 different activities: running, walking, rowing machine and elliptical trainer. Otherwise, Oppo’s watch supports 108 physical activities. In addition, you will be able to view a health report through the HeyTap Health app. The Oppo Watch Free is also able to measure the quality of sleep, even analyzing snoring.
The sports and health aspects have not been forgotten either on Xiaomi’s bracelet. To ensure effective monitoring of the health and physical form of its user, the Smart Band 7 Pro is equipped with a heart rate monitor, and also offers an analysis of the oxygen saturation in the blood. It also offers sleep monitoring and breathing quality during sleep, stress monitoring, and even health monitoring for menstruating people. To find all the data collected on your health, you will need to download the Mi Fitness application. On the sports side, it offers more than 110 training modes, including 14 specialized ones. Sports programs will also be available to the user, who will be able to configure different types of training. Another significant advantage, which can be of great use to running enthusiasts: the Pro version includes a GPS chip (also compatible with Galileo, Glonass or QZSS), which promises to obtain better geolocation tracking.
Long-lasting battery life, subject to certain conditions
To use your connected watch or bracelet, it is best to have one that works for several days. For its Smart Band 7 Pro, Xiaomi incorporates a 235 mAh battery. Concretely, the bracelet has enough to hold, according to the manufacturer, up to 12 days of use in mode « classic » and 6 days in mode « intense ». We haven’t had the opportunity to test it, and to be able to verify the brand’s statements, which is why you have to take your data with a grain of salt. The autonomy obviously varies according to your use. It must be said that the always-on mode, GPS, or health measures tend to reduce autonomy. But Xiaomi’s bracelet can boast of exceeding certain more expensive references that offer a range limited to one or even two days of use. Here the tracker from the Chinese firm should be durable enough to measure sleep without having to recharge it every night on your bedside table.
Inside the Oppo Watch Free, there is a smaller battery: 230 mAh. However, the brand provides 14 days of autonomy, two more than the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro. As said before, the measures taken by Oppo should vary depending on your use. If the continuous blood oxygen monitoring is activated, the manufacturer promises 5 days of use. It should last a little over two days. Its real asset is to be able to recover a day of autonomy in just 5 minutes of charging. A great feat, especially since his rival, he recovers all of his battery in one hour.
Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro ou Oppo Watch Free ?
With a budget of just under 75 euros, these two tracker of activity fight a good fight and even share common points which make them almost tied. It is even difficult to decide between them as they meet on certain points. Xiaomi’s bracelet nevertheless has an advantage that can surely be a game-changer against its competition.
The Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro clearly stands out from its rival, by integrating a GPS chip. If we could not test its reliability, it is a real plus for this category of product. Connected bracelets are generally devoid of it, and thanks to this addition, Xiaomi scores a point for sportsmen and women who can do without their smartphone during their training. It is a very accessible model that will do the job effectively. Then the brand provides better autonomy in intensive use, compared to the Oppo Watch Free.
The Oppo Watch Free, for its part, is a complete and very useful watch on a daily basis. Despite the absence of a GPS chip, this point does not prevent us from recommending it. It offers many health measurements, and ensures good monitoring of your sports activities with its many sensors (heart rate monitor, oximeter, etc.). Its autonomy should also last a few days to be able to analyze your sleep. And if you have a rather greedy use, it will be easier to recover energy quickly with this watch than with Xiaomi’s Smart Band 7 Pro.
In order to discover other alternatives available to the Xiaomi reference and that of Oppo, we invite you now to consult our guide to the best connected bracelets in 2023.
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