Electronics are expensive. It is no secret that, if you want a shiny piece of tech, you will need to splash a considerable amount of cash to pick something up. 

This has become even more true in the past few years here in South Africa. This country has always had higher than normal prices due to our lower valued currency, import fees, and taxes – not to mention certification costs – that are attached to the luxury items that are electronics.

This is on top of the numerous other factors that have increased the prices of just about everything all around the world. 

With all of this in mind then it’s a small miracle that the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 GL only costs R999 and is available right now for everyone in the country. We didn’t leave a digit off of the price or write that incorrectly, this brand new smart wearable from the trusted name of Xiaomi really costs less than a grand to pick up right now. 

When you’re looking at new tech on places like Takealot, Incredible, HiFi and Makro (all of which have the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 GL available right now), we’ve all become accustomed to not finding anything of value below a thousand Rand. We’ve all set the filter to cheapest first and had to wade through charging cables, screen protectors and other items that are tech-adjacent, but not the tech itself. Xiaomi is here to change that. 

Even more impressive is what R999 buys you.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 7 GL is a wearable with a classic black appearance topped with a 1.62 inch AMOLED display. Yes AMOLED, the super high quality display you usually find in higher end phones and TVs is also present in the unique horizontal screen on the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 GL. This form factor, size, and clear display tech makes it easy to see all your vitals at a glance without sacrificing the compact size.

Screens in wearables are sometimes skimped on by manufacturers as quality differences can be less apparent in this smaller form factor, making the inclusion here even more appreciated. For those who already enjoy AMOLED displays on their other devices, going between it and lesser technologies on your wearable can be jarring, but with the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 GL you can enjoy continuity between your screens at least in terms of quality, sharpness and colour reproduction. 

And for those important vitals, this wearable is packed to the brim with sensors to track your heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂), stress levels, movement, sleep patterns and much, much more.

The array of sensors are backed up with a bevy of smart software choices such as compatibility with Strava and Apple Health, so you can use the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 GL without the need to change the wellness platform that you’re already using. If you need a fresh start you can also make use of the Mi Fitness App to find even more options for tracking your workouts, sleep and general wellness.

For those workouts we doubt one exists that this wearable doesn’t keep tabs on with support for more than 110 workout modes. Yes you read that right: more than 110. Maybe it says more about us but we can’t even name a few dozen workouts, let alone more than a hundred. We love this broad support for your choice of activities as it means that almost no one is left out, and you can always explore new types of workouts when the same ones get boring.

One big obstacle to moving around more is the fact that only a few workouts get the most attention with limited cardio and weights being what most people think of. With the Xiaomi Smart Band 7 GL and its workout mode support explore more interesting options such as broad support for kinds of dances and sports. 

With quality construction to last and 5ATM water resistance up to 50 metres, you can also jump in the pool to unlock an entire new arena of workout too. 

With all of the features laid out above we can once again return to the R999 RRP to properly appreciate the full package which even includes a charging cable. Charging accessories have already been phased out of many even flagship phones so you can no longer assume that all electronics will come with them in the box.

You can go up to 14 days on a single full charge so it will be quite some time before you need to use the magnetic charger. When it does come time to connect to the wall, a full charge can be had in around two hours, so you never have to go too long without your trusty wearable on your wrist.