Is Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 Better Than Xiaomi Smart Band 8?

Last week we posted a video with a full review of the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 and compared it a little with the Xiaomi Smart Band 8.

In this article, I want to tell you why I would choose a Samsung fitness bracelet over a Xiaomi one. Even though Xiaomi Smart Band 8 is cheaper than Samsung Galaxy Fit3, there are some very important reasons why the Samsung bracelet is better.

If you disagree with me on something, I am always ready to discuss it in the comments below.

Let’s start with the design.

Design

You know, I think that a fitness bracelet, unlike a smartwatch, is primarily about comfort. A fitness bracelet should be light, comfortable, and practically not felt on your hand.

As you may have noticed, Xiaomi smart band is getting bigger and bigger with each generation. Now it has a 1.62-inch screen. I cannot say that the display is too big, but I don’t really like its elongated shape.

I’ve been using the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 for a couple of days, and it feels very uncomfortable on my thin wrist. It looks like the bracelet is longer than my wrist.

If you have a thicker wrist, then most likely the Xiaomi fitness bracelet will be good for you.

As for the new Samsung Galaxy Fit3, it is just perfect for me. It is not as long as the Xiaomi Smart Band 8, so it is very convenient for me.

In addition, the screen of the Samsung fitness bracelet looks bigger because it has a more square shape, but it is actually a little smaller. We will talk about displays a little later.

The Samsung Galaxy Fit3 is also thinner and lighter than the Xiaomi Smart Band 8  – 10mm and 36 grams against 11mm and 26 grams.

So, the size, weight and shape of the display make the Galaxy Fit3 the first reason why I would choose it over the Xiaomi Smart Band 8.

You know, the Samsung bracelet is so convenient that I even thought several times that I had lost it. I think it is a big advantage for a fitness bracelet.

Strap

However, if we talk about losing a smart bracelet, it is easier to do with the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 than with the Samsung Galaxy Fit3.

The fitness bracelet from Samsung has a very reliable clasp, like a smartwatch, while the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 has a simple dot.

Although I have never had any problems with losing the Xiaomi fitness bracelet, perhaps because I never used it for a long time, I have heard many stories that the strap comes loose, and the bracelet gets lost.

I think Galaxy Fit3 is impossible to lose.

By the way, the Samsung fitness bracelet strap is softer and more elastic than the Xiaomi band. It is also more comfortable for me.

Display

I will not talk long about the displays, because their main difference is in size and shape.

The Samsung Galaxy Fit3 has a 1.6-inch display with 256 x 402 pixels resolution, while the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 has a 1.62-inch screen with 192 x 490 pixels resolution.

Both have AMOLED panels with Always-on Display support, and a built-in ambient light sensor for automatic brightness adjustment.

By the way, the maximum brightness of the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 is 600 nits, but we don’t know about the Samsung Galaxy Fit3. In my opinion, it is about the same.

Both displays are very good, but as I said before, I prefer the shape of the Samsung fitness bracelet.

Operating System

Did you know that Xiaomi Smart Band 8 and Samsung Galaxy Fit3 have the same operating system called freeRTOS? Yes, the system is the same, but the user interfaces are very different. They have different icons, functions, settings, etc.

By the way, I forgot to say about the physical button of the Samsung Galaxy Fit3.  You can program it for many functions, such as Go to most recent apps, My exercises, Samsung Health, Media Controller, Weather, and others. It is very convenient.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 doesn’t have any buttons or crowns.

Going back to the interface, I like that the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 has many tiles, and you can add or remove some of them on the bracelet. The Xiaomi smart band also supports widgets, but you can only customize them from the mobile app.

By the way, the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 has a calculator, and the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 doesn’t.

In addition, the Samsung bracelet has more settings. For example, just look at the vibration settings. You can only select Default, Strong or Off on the Xiaomi smart band, while the Galaxy Fit3 has vibration settings for calls, notifications, and system.

Another important feature of the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 is multitasking support. I noticed this when I started the sport mode. At any time, you can minimize the workout mode on the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 and use other functions of the bracelet, such as weather, calendar, timer, etc.

You cannot do this on Xiaomi Smart Band 8.

Notifications

In addition, the Samsung fitness bracelet supports quick responses to new notifications and even reject calls with messages. There are already some messages available in the app, but you can create your own. It is really very convenient. You can respond to notifications in any messengers such as Telegram, WhatsApp and others.

As for the Xiaomi Smart Band 8, you can only read new notifications, but not respond to them.

Workout Modes

Going back to workout modes, the Samsung and Xiaomi fitness bracelets don’t have a built-in GPS. I tested the walking mode on them without connecting to a smartphone, and the bracelets had about the same distance, steps, heart rate, etc.

Heart Rate and SpO2

I also measured spO2 and heart rate on the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 and Xiaomi Smart Band 8. The spO2 result differs by 1%, and this is not a big difference.

But I was surprised by the heart rate measurements. It was 72bpm on the Samsung bracelet, and 71bpm on the Xiaomi smart band.

After doing squats, my heart rate increased to 103bpm on the Galaxy Fit3 and 104bpm on the Xiaomi Band 8.

The results are almost identical.

Sleep Monitor

By the way, I also tracked my sleep at night, and although Xiaomi fitness bracelet said that I slept 11 minutes less than Samsung smart band, the sleep stages are very similar.

From all this, I conclude that the Samsung and Xiaomi fitness bracelets are the same for sports and health tracking.

Mobile Apps

You know, it looks like I am praising the Samsung Galaxy Fit3, and I really like it better, but the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 has some advantages.

First, the Xiaomi fitness bracelet is compatible with Android and iOS devices. You can download Mi Fitness app on any Android smartphone or iPhone.

As for the Galaxy Fit3, I tried to connect it to an Android smartphone, and failed. The Samsung companion app is not available for iOS at all.

I was only able to pair the fitness bracelet with a Samsung smartphone.

I really hope that the Galaxy Fit3 will work with all Android and iOS devices in the future.

Battery

In addition, although the battery of the Galaxy Fit3 is bigger than the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 – 208mAh and 190mAh, respectively, the battery life of the Xiaomi fitness bracelet is longer – 13 days and 16 days, respectively.

However, this highly depends on your usage, especially Always-On Display mode.

Conclusion

So, the only problem for me with the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 is that it only connects to Samsung smartphones. I couldn’t pair it with another Android phone, while the iOS app is not available at all. I hope this will be fixed soon, because many people are using iPhones, including me.

Otherwise, Samsung Galaxy Fit3 is much better for me than Xiaomi Smart Band 8.

If you want more details about these fitness bracelets, check out our full reviews of the Samsung Galaxy Fit3 and Xiaomi Smart Band 8.