Hands-On

I took the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 on a 10K road race

PSA: It didn’t clash with my race outfit

Published

November 8, 2023

MJ Jucutan

Right after Thailand Game Show 2023 and exploring a bit of Bangkok, I went back to Manila to prepare myself for a sudden invite: Running a 10K race.

I hadn’t joined a race in a while, which made me hesitate for a bit. However, I have also learned that Xiaomi is hosting its first-ever Pop Run, coinciding with month-long Xiaomi Pop Runs across different regions all over the world.

Knowing that it was a milestone event, I knew I had to be there. Luckily, my body’s in good condition so I know, I can take on a 10K race even if I just got back from an out-of-country trip.

Getting ready

The night before the event, I received the race kit containing my bib number, Xiaomi accessories, and a surprise device: Xiaomi Smart Band 8.

@gadgetmatch Is this your new fitness tracker? #XiaomiSmartBand8 #Xiaomi #SmartBand8 #sportmeetsstyle #fyp ♬ original sound – GadgetMatch

Though I’ve registered for the Professional 10KM race, I was under the Media/KOL category. I was literally there to document my experience wearing the Xiaomi Smart Band 8.

Luckily, it looked elegant. The sleek, slim profile didn’t clash with my race outfit comprised of a white compression shirt and black compression shorts.

To further accessorize it, I wore an Orange multi-purpose band so I have something Orange. After all, the Xiaomi Pop Run was inspired by China’s Xiaomi Orange Run.

Ready, Set, Go!

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The Xiaomi Pop Run 2023 was held at Bridgetowne Destination Estate. I’m familiar with the area since the Obstacle Park I’ve always been training on is also situated near the event site.

As I cruised my way towards the starting line, I thought about my goals for the run. I’ve wanted to break a new personal record, but I know I’ve been lacking preparations for my upcoming Spartan races.

I decided right there and then to use the run as part of my training regimen. Using my coach’s strategy, I decided my pace would be based on my heart rate zone.

I swiped up on the Xiaomi Smart Band 8’s 1.62-inch AMOLED display, tapped on the Workout widget, and clicked Outdoor Running. Through the screen, I was able to preview the time, distance ran, heart rate, current pace, cadence, the average pace I’m making, calories I’m burning, and the number of steps I’ve taken.

Seems too much? Nope, that’s the basic data you need when you’re running.

Hitting an obstacle

During the 10K race, I was trying to make sure that my heart rate didn’t go past 175 bpm for the first two kilometers. I was maintaining a good, conversational pace with my running mate, Alex Dichoso. Upon reaching the third kilometer, I had to slow down since a side stitch occurred.

In case you didn’t know, side stitches are abdominal pains that are also a kind of muscle cramps that occur during repetitive activities on the torso. I realized that maintaining a 6 min/km pace while having a conversation would be detrimental to my breathing pattern and rhythm.

My mate asked me to walk instead for a few meters so that the side stitch would go away, but your boy didn’t listen. Instead, I slowed down, improved my breathing, endured the pain, and decided to run the whole race with stomach cramps.

Checking the accuracy

I never wanted to stop running even with a side stitch since I’ve been following my coach’s strategy. I found out I was great at maintaining the pace based on the suggested heart rate zone.

To make sure the statistics I see are correct, I cross-checked the Xiaomi Smart Band 8’s running data with another tracker on my other wrist.

Sadly, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8’s distance didn’t measure correctly which is a GPS problem. The entire course was around 10.3 kilometers on my tracker and the smart band measured only 8.56 kilometers.

On the good side, it matches most of the data when tracking it live. While running, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8’s heart rate matches my other tracker but shows up correctly a few seconds late.

However, the outcome isn’t as accurate as my tracker — which is what professional athletes use — making the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 not an ideal tool to bring in my training and workouts.

So, who is it for?

My needs can’t be fulfilled by a smart band. But it looks so sleek and stylish that I want to wear it all the time. It’s lightweight, and I barely feel I’m wearing one on my wrist even when I was running the 10K. I think that’s a good start on who might be the right person to strap the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 on their wrist.

If you’re just getting into fitness, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8 is packed with all the relevant data on a crystal clear display, housed inside a compact, lightweight device. It comes with functions needed to monitor your health and fitness level, without being invasive when it comes to fashion.

Trust me: Most smartwatches look so hideous that you don’t want to wear them in your everyday lives. But you have to, right? You made a promise to track your steps and calories burned so you can achieve your dream body by next summer.

Now, this is one wearable you’d be excited to use. And it’ll certainly match your aesthetics, outfits, and any lifestyle you have.

Price, availability

The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 retails for PhP 1,999. It comes in yummy colors: Black, Yellow, Olive Green, Green, Gray, and White.

It’s available for purchase in Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, or any physical stores near you.

Related Topics:Xiaomi Xiaomi Smart Band 8

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:

@manilaconnoisseur

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♬ Kìa Bóng Dáng Ai – Pháo

@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.

oplus_16

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.