Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Glimmer Edition Review

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 has been available for around 3 months, but Xiaomi recently announced the Glimmer Edition, which upgrades the strap with a metal bracelet embedded with 6 glass crystals, delivering a blend of shine and texture.

As always, the Smart Band 10 is probably the best affordable fitness tracker on the market, and the Glimmer Edition provides a unique selling point that competing brands lack, with it looking more like a piece of jewellery than a smart band.

Buy the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Glimmer Edition

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	XIAOMI Smart Band 10 Fitness Tracker, 1.72" AMOLED Display,...	No ratings yet	£47.84	Buy on Amazon

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Xiaomi Smart Band 10 vs Smart Band 9 Specification

Key Differences – Smart Band 10 Glimmer Edition vs Smart Band 9

• Display Size and Brightness: The Band 10 Glimmer Edition has a larger 1.72-inch AMOLED display with up to 1500 nits brightness, compared to the Band 9’s 1.62-inch AMOLED at 1200 nits.
• Resolution: Higher resolution on the Band 10 at 212 × 520 pixels versus 192 × 490 pixels on the Band 9.
• Sensors: The Band 10 adds an electronic compass, which is not present on the Band 9. This sensor provides directional information, which can be useful for certain outdoor activities when paired with a phone for mapping. The 9 doesn’t list pulse oz on the spec sheet, but does on the main page.
• Connectivity: The Band 10 uses Bluetooth 5.4, whereas the Band 9 does not specify its Bluetooth version.
• Materials: The Band 10 Glimmer Edition features an aluminium alloy frame with a stainless steel and glass crystal strap, while the Band 9 uses a TPU strap.
• Wrist Circumference Range: The Band 10 Glimmer Edition fits 135–180 mm wrists, while the Band 9 supports a wider range of 135–210 mm.
• Operating System Compatibility: The Band 10 requires iOS 14.0 or above, while the Band 9 supports iOS 12.0 or above.

Overall, the main difference is the larger, brighter display and electronic compass; beyond that, they appear to be functionally the same.

Unboxing / Design

The Glimmer Edition I was sent features a stainless steel strap with six embedded glass crystals. It is undeniably more attractive than the standard rubber strap, and gives the band a jewellery-like quality that is uncommon at this price point. The metal feels solid, though it is noticeably heavier than the fluororubber alternative. The regular aluminium alloy version weighs just 16.25g without the strap, but once you add the metal bracelet, the overall weight increases significantly. It is still light enough for all-day wear, but you will notice it more than a standard fitness band.

One thing worth mentioning is that the Glimmer Edition strap only fits wrists between 135mm and 180mm. That is a narrower range than the standard TPU straps, which accommodate 135mm to 210mm. If you have larger wrists, you are better off sticking with the rubber versions or looking at other strap options.

There is also a Ceramic Edition available in pearl white, which weighs 26g on its own and 44g with the fluororubber strap. It looks stunning and has a premium finish that rivals devices costing far more, but the added weight is noticeable. I have not tested this version myself, but reviews suggest it holds up well to daily wear and rinses clean easily after dusty or sweaty activities.

As for the underlying Smart Band 10, the display is where most of the updates have landed. At 1.72 inches, the AMOLED screen is noticeably larger than the 1.62-inch panel on the Band 9, thanks to symmetrical 2.0mm bezels all around. The screen-to-body ratio has jumped from 66% to 73%, which makes a real difference when reading notifications or checking workout stats. The pixel density comes in at 326 PPI, which is sharp enough that text remains crisp and legible. I found the 60Hz refresh rate keeps everything feeling smooth without introducing lag or stutter.

Brightness has been bumped to 1500 nits in High Brightness Mode, a 25% increase over the previous generation. In practice, this means the display remains perfectly readable in direct sunlight. I tested it on several bright summer days and never once had to shield the screen or squint to see what was on it. The auto-brightness adjustment works well enough that I left it enabled throughout testing.

Mi Fitness App

All data collected by the Smart Band 10 syncs to the Mi Fitness application, which is available for both Android and iOS. The app serves as the command centre for the device. It is where users can view detailed historical data on their health and activity metrics, such as daily steps, sleep patterns, heart rate trends, and blood oxygen levels.

The application also handles all device settings. Users can customise which apps send notifications to the band, set alarms, configure health monitoring frequency, and manage other device preferences. A key feature managed through the app is the watch face gallery. It offers a wide selection of designs, allowing users to personalise the look of the display to match their style or prioritise certain data points. The band’s compatibility requires Android 8.0 or iOS 14.0 and above, so users with older devices should verify their operating system version.

Health Tracking

The Band 10 includes continuous heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) tracking, stress monitoring, sleep analysis, and women’s health tracking. The optical heart rate sensor has been updated for this generation, and the improvement in accuracy is immediately noticeable compared to older models.

Like all wrist-based heart rate monitors, it can still be prone to inaccuracies.

I compared the Band 10’s heart rate readings against a Garmin chest strap during several workouts, and it performed admirably. During steady-state activities like jogging or cycling, the Band 10 tracked nearly identical average heart rates to the chest strap, staying within 5-8 beats per minute most of the time. That is more than acceptable for general fitness tracking and well within the margin I would expect from an affordable wrist-based sensor.

However, accuracy did drop off during high-intensity interval training, particularly when using the magnetic strap, which does not provide as tight a fit as the rubber versions. The looser fit meant the sensor occasionally lost contact with my skin, leading to brief spikes or dips in the recorded data. This is a common issue with wrist-based heart rate monitors, but it is worth noting if you plan to do a lot of high-intensity work with the metal strap.

SpO2 readings were accurate when compared to a dedicated pulse oximeter, with only minor deviations. The Band 10 can measure SpO2 on demand or continuously throughout the day if you enable all-day tracking, though this will reduce battery life.

Sleep tracking is decent enough, though I find tracking between brands is always inconsistent. It seems to align with the Xiaomi Watch S4 41mm, and you can enable advanced metrics. Compared to my Garmin, and Withings sleep matt, the result can be different, but that is also true for my Garmin vs Withings.

Stress monitoring works well enough. The Band 10 uses heart rate variability to estimate your stress levels throughout the day and will prompt you to take breathing exercises if it detects elevated stress. It is not a medical-grade tool, but it is useful as a general wellness indicator.

Fitness Tracking

Xiaomi claims the Band 10 supports over 150 sports modes, which matches the Band 9 Pro. Six of these modes have automatic detection, including walking, running, cycling, and swimming. The auto-detection worked reliably during my testing, picking up runs and walks within a minute or two of starting.

The Band 10 introduces guided running courses for the first time. These are pre-programmed workouts with basic and advanced options that include interval breakdowns. You can choose from beginner and advanced sessions aimed at improving endurance, sprint times, and lung capacity. They are not as sophisticated as what you would get from a Garmin or Polar device, but they add structure and variety for casual runners. I found the Advanced Interval Run session genuinely challenging and appreciated the real-time pace and effort feedback.

Metrics like VO2 max, training load, and recovery time are all tracked and presented in the Mi Fitness app. These give you a high-level view of your fitness progress and help contextualise your activity levels. They are useful for tracking trends over time, though they lack the depth and granularity of more expensive devices.

Swimming tracking has received a notable upgrade. Xiaomi claims 96% accuracy for lap counting, thanks to an upgraded nine-axis sensor and AI-enhanced stroke recognition. For the first time, the Band 10 also supports real-time heart rate monitoring while swimming, which is a rare feature at this price point. I tested this in the pool and found lap counting to be accurate, though I did not have a reference device to compare heart rate data against.

The Band 10 is rated 5ATM waterproof, which means it can handle depths of up to 50 metres. It is fine for pool swimming and shallow water activities, but Xiaomi recommends against wearing it in hot showers, saunas, or during fast-paced water sports. The leather, silk, magnetic, and metal straps should not be worn while swimming or exercising, so you will need to switch to a rubber strap for those activities.

One feature that stood out is heart rate broadcasting. The Band 10 can transmit real-time heart rate data via Bluetooth to compatible cycling apps and equipment. I paired it with a cycling app, and it worked just like a chest strap, sending live data that the app used to calculate intensity zones. It is a niche feature, but genuinely useful for anyone who trains with heart rate zones and does not want to invest in a separate chest strap.

The biggest omission here is the lack of built-in GPS. If you want to track outdoor runs, rides, or hikes with route data, you will need to bring your phone. While this is disappointing, there are not really any other competing options with GPS at this price point, other than the Smart Band 9 Pro, which has slightly different aesthetic.

Smart Watch Features

Beyond health and fitness, the Smart Band 10 provides several smart features. When connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth 5.4, it can receive and display notifications for calls, text messages, and various applications. The linear haptic motor provides distinct vibrations for these alerts.

It also offers basic utility functions directly on the wrist. These typically include music playback control for the connected phone, weather forecasts, alarms, a stopwatch, and a timer. A ‘find my phone’ feature can trigger a sound on the paired smartphone, helping to locate it when nearby. These features provide a degree of convenience, allowing users to manage simple tasks without reaching for their phone.

Battery Life

Battery performance is a traditional strength of Xiaomi’s smart bands. The Smart Band 10 contains a 233 mAh battery, which the company claims can last for up to 21 days with typical usage. This ‘typical usage’ scenario generally involves default settings with features like continuous, high-frequency heart rate monitoring and always-on display turned off.

Activating more demanding features will reduce the battery life. For instance, setting heart rate monitoring to its most frequent interval, enabling continuous SpO2 tracking during sleep, and using a high screen brightness level will result in a more frequent need to charge. The charging process itself is convenient, using a magnetic cable that snaps onto the back of the device. A full charge takes approximately one hour.

Price and Alternative Options

Buy the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Glimmer Edition

Preview	Product	Rating	Price
	XIAOMI Smart Band 10 Fitness Tracker, 1.72" AMOLED Display,...	No ratings yet	£47.84	Buy on Amazon

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 starts at £40 for the models with a rubber strap. Then the Glimmer Edition I was sent is £70, so you are paying a £30 premium for the strap, which is expensive, but there are not many smart bands that look like jewellery. Then there is a Ceramic Edition in pearl white, which is £55.

Amazon is already discounting the models with the rubber straps, and at the time of writing it was £34

The previous generation was £35, but I can see it available on Amazon or Mi.com.

The Smart Band 9 Active is on Amazon for just £20, but it is not the most attractive as it is designed to be durable and affordable.

I’d argue that the Smart Band 9 Pro is the best alternative. You can pick this up on Amazon for just £45, it looks more like a traditional watch with its larger rectangular display, so it’s not comparable to the Glimmer Edition in terms of appearance, but the main benefit is the built-in GPS.

Huawei has the Band 10, which is £50 or £60 for the Aluminium body variant. It has some additional features like sleep HRV, but they don’t have a model with the same sort of aesthetic as this Glimmer Edition.

Overall

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Glimmer Edition is a product focused on a specific user. Its primary distinction is its design. It successfully transforms a capable fitness tracker into an accessory that can be worn in more formal or fashion-conscious settings without looking out of place. The larger, brighter, and higher-resolution AMOLED screen is a welcome technical improvement, as is the addition of an electronic compass.

However, these upgrades come with compromises. The £70 price tag places it in a competitive bracket, and the £30 premium over the standard model is entirely for the cosmetic upgrade. The metal strap, while elegant, has a more limited fit range and may not be ideal for sleeping or intense workouts.

For users who prioritise aesthetics and want a health tracker that doubles as an attractive wrist accessory, the Glimmer Edition is a unique option. For those who are more concerned with fitness features and value, the standard Smart Band 10 or the GPS-equipped Smart Band 9 Pro offer a more practical and affordable choice.

James Smythe( Editor-in-chief )

I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.

As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.

In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.

Last update on 2025-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API