The Xiaomi Smart Band 11 arrived in Europe at the end of October 2026 for €59.99, and on paper it looks like a familiar story: same shape as last year, a brighter screen, a new health metric and a headline battery claim of 21 days. The interesting part is what Xiaomi did with that battery number this time around. For the first time, the company has published the figure for normal use alongside the best-case one, and it is 10 days. That honesty is genuinely welcome, and it changes how you should think about this band. Here is our full take on what has improved, what has not, and whether it is worth buying or upgrading to.
Disclosure: Fitcoin is our product. We are not affiliated with Whoop, Oura, Google, Fitbit, Garmin, Polar, Amazfit, Xiaomi, Samsung, Suunto, Apple, Huawei, Hume Health or any other brand named on this page. We do not sell trackers and we take no affiliate commission. Where Fitcoin appears, it is as the rewards and insights app that reads the data these devices and workouts write to Apple Health or Health Connect. Everything below is a wellness estimate for general fitness, not medical advice.
The verdict
If you are buying your first cheap fitness band, the Smart Band 11 is an easy recommendation. It has the brightest, nicest screen you will find at this price, it adds sleep HRV, it costs €59.99 and there is no subscription. If you already own a Smart Band 10 that still holds a charge, there is no pressing reason to upgrade; the changes are nice rather than essential. And if you want to run without your phone, you will need to look elsewhere, because there is still no built-in GPS.
Where you can buy it and what it costs
China got the Band 11 first, in September 2026, starting at about 289 yuan for the standard model, around 339 yuan with NFC, and about 399 yuan for the ceramic and metal editions. Europe followed at the end of October, with Xiaomi's own stores listing the global version at €59.99, or €79.99 for the NFC model. South Korea and Hong Kong launched slightly earlier. In Japan, Xiaomi has announced retail starts on 4 November 2026 at ¥7,980 for the standard band and ¥10,800 for the ceramic edition, with an early-bird price of ¥6,980 and ¥9,980 running from 4 to 12 November.
The United States was not part of this wave. Android Authority's late-October coverage mentioned Europe, Korea and Hong Kong but no US listing. You can import a European or Chinese unit, but be aware that the NFC payments may not work with your bank and the warranty situation gets complicated. If you are in the US, check Xiaomi's American site first, and if the band is not there, the Fitbit Charge 6 at its current $129.95 sale price is a sensible alternative that you can easily return.
What has changed
The display is the headline upgrade. It is the same 1.72-inch AMOLED size as the Smart Band 10, but peak brightness has gone from 1,500 nits to a quoted 2,000. In bright sunshine, that is the difference you will actually notice day to day. The body has slimmed down slightly to 9.99mm thick and 15.58 grams without the strap, which Xiaomi says is about 9 percent thinner than last year, thanks to a new graphite battery cell. The ceramic edition Japan is getting is a little heavier at 21.45 grams. Water resistance stays at 5 ATM, which covers swimming with the right strap but not saunas, hot springs or diving, and Xiaomi is clear that the leather, metal and woven straps should stay out of the pool.
On the health side, the new addition is sleep HRV. The Band 10 already tracked sleep stages; the Band 11 now adds heart-rate variability during the night, which is the metric a lot of people have been comparing against Fitbit and Oura. There is still no ECG and no irregular-rhythm alert of the kind Fitbit offers. The 150 sport modes are still more of a brochure figure than something you will use, and, as mentioned, there is no built-in GPS, so a run only gets a map if your phone comes along. The software is HyperOS 4, the app is Mi Fitness, and Xiaomi's Japan page lists Android 8 or iOS 14 and newer as requirements.
The NFC version is a €20 question rather than a different product. It is rated at 18 days in light use rather than 21, because Xiaomi's test assumes up to ten contactless payments a day. If your phone already handles your coffee, you can comfortably skip it. Both versions have a 233 mAh battery and charge fully in about 90 minutes from a standard 5-volt, 1-amp port.
The battery claim, properly explained
This is where the Band 11 does something we wish more companies would do. Xiaomi's global product page splits battery life into three scenarios. Light use gives you 21 days. Normal use gives you 10 days. With the always-on display enabled, you get 6 days. The light-use test is the one most brands quote as their headline: heart rate every 30 minutes, all-day stress and blood-oxygen tracking switched off, a few manual oxygen checks, a handful of notifications, and about an hour of exercise a week. It is a legitimate test, but it is not how most people use a band once they have turned on the health features they bought it for.
Our Band 10 review already pointed out that its 21-day claim was a best case and that always-on use landed closer to nine days. The Band 11 is more transparent about this, and the always-on figure is actually a little shorter at six days. So the practical takeaway is that you will charge a Band 11 roughly as often as a Band 10, somewhere between weekly and fortnightly depending on your settings, and more often if you keep the screen lit. The difference is that this time you can see that on the box before you buy.
| Smart Band 11 (Xiaomi's figures) | Smart Band 10 (as reviewed) | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 1.72-inch AMOLED, up to 2,000 nits | About 1.7-inch AMOLED, 1,500 nits |
| Weight | 15.58 g, 9.99 mm thick | About 16 g |
| Battery | 21 days light, 10 days normal, 6 days always-on | 21 days claimed, about 9 days always-on in practice |
| GPS | Phone only | Phone only |
| New health metric | Sleep HRV | Sleep stages, no sleep HRV |
| Price | €59.99, or €79.99 with NFC | Often around $45 to $55 |
Should you upgrade from a Band 10?
Probably not, if your Band 10 still holds a charge and you can read it outdoors. Sleep HRV is a nice chart to have, but it is not worth replacing a band you bought last year. If you are buying your first band, though, the 11 is the one to get: it is the current model, the European price is still a fraction of a Fitbit, and the screen is the thing Xiaomi does better than anyone else at this price. Our Band 10 vs Charge 6 comparison is still a useful read if you are weighing Xiaomi against Fitbit, as very little has changed in that matchup.
A Charge 6 is the better buy if the workout you care about is a run without your phone, because GPS is the one gap Xiaomi has left open again. A Fitbit Air makes sense if you would rather have no screen and prefer Google's health app. And if you were hoping the Band 11 might turn into a budget Whoop with proper recovery coaching, it has not; Mi Fitness is a capable logger that does not try to reorganise your training week, and it does not charge a subscription, which for many people is exactly the right trade.
One practical note for Fitcoin users: steps and workouts from the band can flow into Apple Health or Health Connect through Mi Fitness, and from there Fitcoin picks them up and scores them like any other source. The band does not need to be fancy for that to work. It just needs to be on your wrist, and at 15 grams it is very easy to forget it is there.
Sources: Xiaomi's global Smart Band 11 product page and NFC FAQ, Xiaomi Japan's 30 October 2026 launch announcement, and European pricing from Xiaomi's own stores, all checked on 2 November 2026. Battery figures are Xiaomi's published lab claims. Chinese prices are from the September unveiling.
Also worth reading: Smart Band 10 review, Band 10 vs Charge 6, this week's Fitbit prices.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Xiaomi Smart Band 11?
In Europe it is €59.99 for the standard model and €79.99 with NFC, direct from Xiaomi. In Japan it launches on 4 November 2026 at ¥7,980, with a ceramic edition at ¥10,800. In China it starts at about 289 yuan. There is no US launch yet.
Does the Smart Band 11 really last 21 days?
Only in Xiaomi's light-use test, with most health tracking turned off. Xiaomi's own figures put normal use at around 10 days and always-on display use at about 6 days. Expect to charge it somewhere between weekly and fortnightly depending on your settings.
Does the Smart Band 11 have GPS?
No. Like every Smart Band before it, it uses your phone's GPS for route tracking. If you want to run or cycle without your phone, you will need a band with built-in GPS such as the Fitbit Charge 6.
Is it worth upgrading from the Band 10?
Not really, unless your Band 10 battery is fading. The upgrades are a brighter screen, a slightly thinner body and sleep HRV tracking. They are nice to have, but they do not change what the band fundamentally does.
Does it work with iPhone?
Yes. Xiaomi lists iOS 14 and later, and Android 8 and later, through the Mi Fitness app. Mi Fitness can share steps and workouts with Apple Health and Health Connect, so apps like Fitcoin can pick them up.
About the author: Harris Khan is the co-founder and CTO of Fitcoin, a UK fitness-rewards and health-insights app that reads Apple Health and Health Connect.