Xiaomi jumped into the wearables space last year with the Mi Band. The company, often described as “China’s Apple,” is now said to be planning to release not only a second generation Mi Band but also a smartwatch. It has partnered with a company called Huami to help in the development of both. In an interview with China’s 36 Krypton, Huami CEO Huang Wang revealed a few tantalizing details about both devices.
The Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is not expected to stray far from the design of the original one. Among the new features will be the addition of support for NFC to the existing accelerometer and Bluetooth. Customization will also be a focus.
Less is known about the Xiaomi smartwatch at this point. It is said to sport a large dial and a brushed metal case. Without confirming the shape, Wang suggested that it would be round and slimmer than many competing smartwatches.
More interesting is the possibility that it will also come with pulse wave velocity identification. It would track the wearer’s pulse waves (it’s not clear exactly what these waves are but they could be your cardiac rhythm) and use them to provide a way to identify users. To do so, the company still has to solve a couple of problems, namely light pollution and high energy consumption. Whether it can do so remains to be seen though.
As with other Xiaomi devices, it is likely to sell for less than many competing devices (including the Apple Watch).
There is no word yet on availability and pricing for either the new Xiaomi Mi Band or Xiaomi smartwatch.
Sources : 36 Krypton // Gizmochina