Xiaomi Smart Band 11 hits Europe from €59.99

Xiaomi's newest budget fitness tracker has finally reached Europe. The Xiaomi Smart Band 11 is now on sale on Xiaomi's European store at €59.99 for the standard model and €79.99 for the NFC version, Android Authority reports. At current exchange rates that is roughly $67 and $89.

The band launched in China in early September. It showed up on Xiaomi's global site soon after, but until this month it was only sold outside China in South Korea and Hong Kong.

What's new compared with the Smart Band 10

Not much has changed on the outside. Xiaomi kept the oblong 1.72-inch display with a 212 × 520 resolution, but raised peak brightness to 2,000 nits, which should help outdoors in bright sun. The body is a touch slimmer at 9.99 mm and weighs 15.58 g without the strap.

Other confirmed details:

• HyperOS 4 software;
• improved sensors for heart rate and blood oxygen (SpO2), which Xiaomi says are more accurate;
• water resistance to 5 ATM, so it handles swimming;
• works with Android phones and iPhones.

Metal now, ceramic maybe later

On the European store only the metal-cased model is available, in three colours. Xiaomi's Spanish site mentions a ceramic version, but Android Authority couldn't find a way to buy it, so it may arrive later. In the US there is no official sale; the only route is importing through marketplaces such as AliExpress.

Should you pick a band or a smartwatch?

At this price the Smart Band 11 competes with basic trackers rather than full smartwatches. A band like this usually lasts much longer between charges and is lighter to sleep with, while a smartwatch offers apps, a bigger screen and often LTE. Our fitness tracker vs smartwatch comparison walks through the trade-offs. If you are weighing Google's option, see our story on the Fitbit Edge, and be aware that some brands now charge for data features, as with Withings' sync paywall.

We haven't tested the Smart Band 11, so we can't vouch for Xiaomi's accuracy claims yet; independent reviews should answer that soon.