Hands-On

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 is your accountability partner

Simple, stylish, functional, and lets you be in control

Published

July 4, 2025

Xiaomi has always been straightforward with how it calls its wearables. “Active” is the entry-level variant; “Pro” is, for one, the priciest in a series, but comes with next-level features as well.

And in between where there’s no extra name is the standard model, which I feel is for those taking that next step. That’s how the new Xiaomi Smart Band 10 resonated with me after a week of use.

I have been utilizing the device for my workouts as I continue to lose weight and get into competitive shape. But it’s more than just a fitness companion.

It’s positioned as a tool for personalized wellness, elevated style, and long-lasting functionality. I can say that the wearable can definitely provide users with all three.

Sleek, stylish, functional

Immediately upon setup, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 feels like a step-up from its Active counterpart. Appearance wise, it comes in an oblong shape instead of the rectangular form factor found on the Active and Pro variants.

Good display

It has a 1.72-inch AMOLED display so the visuals look a lot crisper and sharper than the previous band I’ve worn. Navigating the screen feels a lot smoother with hits 60Hz refresh rate.

The display also has up to 1,500 nits of HBM brightness, which is higher than previous iterations. I’ve had auto-brightness turned on whenever I have the device. What’s on the screen is still visible no matter what the scenario is. It’s not tough on the eyes either.

Moreover, the display stays functional even when it’s wet; that comes in handy when running or playing football under the rain.

Long battery life

The device also lasts up to 21 days for casual usage. It does drain just about 5% overnight if you’re just wearing it to check your daily steps and the time, plus occasional heart rate checks and a quick workout.

Fashion add-on

The model I’ve been wearing is in the Glacier Silver colorway. It’s a great fit for my fashion style as I usually wear neutrals. You can also select from a wide range of watch faces to suit your preference.

Vincenz and I even stumbled upon this cute capybara watch face which can definitely blend into related merch like bag charms, keychains, and everything in between.

Other available options are Midnight Black and Mystic Rose. There are a ton of straps to choose from, including ones with leather material.

Necklace Mode, Pebble Mode

The smart band also has a Necklace Mode if you want it to blend with your OOTD. However, you have to purchase accessories for that.

In my case, if I’m not in the mood to wear it, I can just let it blend with my bag charms.

Furthermore, there’s a Pebble Mode for running that helps you with your form. Although, you have to purchase a Xiaomi running clip.

But I did find a quick fix where I just tied the band to my shoe’s lace and tongue.

Fitness upgrade

Onto workouts, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 comes with an upgraded 9-axis linear motor. And as I’ve leveraged the wearable mainly for physical activity, I can tell that it does it work better than previous Xiaomi smart bands I’ve worn.

For one, the smart band quickly displays your heart rate instead of saying “Can’t measure, try again”. I’ve experienced this with previous smart bands. Sometimes, they also display an inaccurate heart rate.

This is just one of those features that may seem little but is very useful for quick runs. It matters to have accurate information displayed to accompany you with your workouts.

Even the vibration for notifications and other purposes feels a lot more intense. And you can choose between three intensity levels. The reminders are helpful especially when your focus starts to drift away.

The Smart Band 10 comes with over 150 workout modes, including six auto-detection activities. For competitive athletes, there’s advanced metrics like VO2 max, training load, and recovery time.

With 5ATM water resistance, users can also leverage the device for swimming. The upgraded swim mode even comes with real-time heart rate monitoring and a 96% lap count accuracy.

Advanced sleep insights

One of the key features I also enjoyed exploring on the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 is its advanced sleep management. The smart band offers great insights for those who need them.

Personally, I try my best to be in control of how much I’ve slept daily. It just ties into how I value my health and fitness overall. However, not everyone has the luxury of time.

I am quite privileged in terms of being able to note of all these manually, but it takes a lot these days to organize even just these things or be good multi-taskers in general.

That’s where the Smart Band 10 comes in. There are people who are simply swamped with whatever they do on a daily basis, especially those who work extra hours or simply have too much going on.

Sleep report, 21-day improvement plan

As I’m fond of analytics, it’s actually cool to see your sleep stats organized in one section on the Mi Fitness app.

There’s a sleep trend report which includes sleep score, duration, efficiency, and bedtime routine. This is available in daily, weekly, and monthly bases.

It’s a quick overview of your sleep quality, and whether or not you’re hitting the recommended eight hours of sleep daily. The app will also tell if your sleep quality is Poor, Fair, or Excellent.

For those who feel they should start developing better sleeping habits, the band and the app can help you get going with a 21-day sleep improvement plan. There are tasks to accomplish each day to help you stay glued.

You can even turn on REM sleep tracking, although it drains the battery a little faster.

Likewise, there are sleep interpretations and suggestions, powered by the World Sleep Society, Asian Society of Sleep Medicine, and Chinese Sleep Research Society. These will help you turn the information into something helpful.

Which sleep animal are you?

If you don’t know where to start, I suggest taking on this quiz under the sleep management section.

More than being a cute way to get engaged, this feature will give you sleep analysis stats after at least a week’s worth of recorded sleep data.

Based on the descriptions, the goal is to sleep like a bear.

On the right track

For now, one of my takeaways with this feature is that my average resting heart rate while asleep is right up there with athletes in shape. So I know I’m on track to becoming an even better version of myself.

Another is that the band feels light and comfortable to wear. It doesn’t feel as if I had one on while sleeping. I observed the same for quick workouts. It just stays in place to let you do you.

Overall: Your accountability partner

Overall, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 serves as an accountability partner. As I’ve mentioned in a previous review, if the Active variant helps beginners get going, the standard model lets you follow through the progress you’ve made and be in control.

Be it workouts or daily habits like better sleeping routines or task management, the wearable lets you know how far you’ve become.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 retails starting at PhP 2,499 in the Philippines. Customers can get the regular variant via Lazada, Shopee, and official Xiaomi stores starting July 4.

Related Topics:Xiaomi Xiaomi Smart Band 10

Hands-On

OPPO Reno15 F 5G hands-on

More question marks than exclamation points?

Published

March 6, 2026

Manila Connoisseur

The OPPO Reno15 Series 5G made its way to the Philippines last month, and reception has been pretty great so far.

With a powerful camera package, AI, and a slew of upgrades, there’s a lot to love and not much negative to say. But that’s with both the standard and Pro models.

On the other hand, with the Reno15 F 5G — the series’ supposed budget-friendly “lite” variant —there were more question marks than exclamation points.

I attack this piece once more from a consumer standpoint: shelling out PhP 23,000 to PhP 26,000 for a midrange smartphone that feels and performs like it’s a few notches below its segment doesn’t sound too pleasant.

Performance

With a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, the OPPO Reno15 F performs pretty much like any sub PhP 20,000 mid-ranger. It’s acceptable, but does not punch above its weight as expected.

No major hiccups for light and casual usage. But performance struggles a lot for demanding video games.

It also heats up significantly just 10 minutes into a title like Honkai: Star Rail. This is a stark contrast to the marketed 25℃ and up to 10 hours straight of smooth gameplay.

Although, the experience was still enjoyable with several wins and MVP runs in Call of Duty Mobile. It only means the F variant remains a more camera-centric phone rather than an a hard-hitting all-arounder.

As with other devices, the 7000mAh battery with 80W SUPERVOOC is a strong suit. You’re fueled from dawn ’til dusk, with much to spare. Recharging takes a breeze, too.

Display

The OPPO Reno15 F has a 6.57-inch 120Hz display, with a 92.8% screen-to-body ratio. At least, that allows you to focus on content on the screen.

Content leans more towards the cooler tone, so you’ll have to adjust it manually if you want a warmer or more vivid look.

The 397ppi pixel density is fine to ensure sharper visuals, while the 1400 nits peak brightness is helpful outdoors.

Camera

The device’s 50MP main camera captures decent quality. The color science leans on being natural anew, without being too dull nor washed out. You can pull off smooth portraits too.

I hardly used the phone for stills as I focused on videos, but here are some samples, on the occasions I was able to take the handset with me:

The 50MP front camera is an intriguing add-on, as it is capable of up to 4K video and a wide 100° field of view.

What this does is it essentially removes the need to flip your phone for the popular “0.5” shots. And the quality doesn’t get compromised given the pixel count.

Here are some selfies from different focal lengths:

To its credit, filming with the back camera at 60fps does look and feel smooth, although it can be improved.

Same with the front camera; and the zoom range can be switched from 0.6 to 2x without cutting the recording.

Although, it’s still best to use a selfie stick or small tripod if you’re just after talking head videos.

Speaking of which, here are a few I’ve made with just this device:

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@manilaconnoisseur

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♬ original sound – Manila Connoisseur – Manila Connoisseur

But for travel and on-the-go captures, as OPPO markets for the series in general, even the Reno15 F can cover a lot of background along with your or your groups’ faces.

Make no mistake, there are some useful AI editing features here. In particular, AI Portrait Glow gives your raw capture an effect to make it look it was taken with flash.

I do not recall the device heating up as well when taking many photos or videos, so you can say it’s more optimized for that task rather than gaming.

Connectivity issues

Meanwhile, AI LinkBoost 3.0, as in the case of the OPPO A6 Pro, doesn’t seem to punch above its weight either.

Once, I also played Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and the session opened to a jittery start despite being on Wi-Fi and having a stable connection. I don’t know what triggered this.

Design, feel

We got the Aurora Blue variant which does kind of resemble the northern lights when you tilt the phone a certain way and when light hits its back panel.

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The cursive “Reno” on the large, protruding camera island gives it more style.

However, it’s all just aesthetics. On the downside, the phone is all sorts of slippery.

I couldn’t hold it properly without think of it slipping away from my hands; nor could I put it on my lap with confidence.

So I guess it’s good that it has structural integrity and waterproofing, because you’ll need that.

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The 6.57-inch body does have a good balance between being too compact and too large, like ultras and pro maxes.

It has a squarish body and has already adapted to the premium, aluminum frame look from the sides.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

Sadly, the OPPO Reno15 F 5G is a Swipe Left unlike its bigger, more capable siblings. There are plenty of plus points for the camera package but take that away, and I don’t see much difference between the Reno15 F and something like the A6 Pro.

Granted, the asking price of this phone will drop significantly in a few months. But throw in a little more, and you’ve got a legitimate mid-ranger that’s more on the premium side rather than the cheap end of the spectrum.