Xiaomi Mi Band 5 to feature NFC support outside China

Xiaomi Mi Band 4 has been out in the market for just a few months but its successor might already be in the works. The Mi Band 4 launched in China back in June and it comes with a color display, NFC and a microphone. However, the global variant of Mi Band 4 does not feature NFC or microphone. But, a new report suggests the Mi Band 5 will not have such region restrictions and will feature NFC outside China as well.

The Mi Band 5 might debut as the successor to Mi Band 4 towards the end of this year. According to Tizenhelp, it will be more advanced and durable than the previous model. While it is tipped to offer NFC functionality outside its home market, the built-in mic might still be China-only feature. The details regarding Xiaomi‘s next generation wearable remains scant at this moment. The Chinese smartphone maker has not shared any details or leaked any information about its next generation wearable.

For its wearables, Xiaomi follows annual refresh cycle. It launched the Mi Band 3 in May last year while the Mi Band 4 arrived in June this year. There is a possibility that the Mi Band 5 will arrive around the same time next year. However, if the device turns out to be a meaningful update then Xiaomi might push the launch early and introduce it towards the end of this year. According to IDC, Xiaomi became the top wearable brand in the wrist-worn devices segment during Q2 2019.

It shipped 5.9 million devices registering a 42 year-over-year growth. With a market share of 17.3 percent, it is ahead of Apple, which has a market share of 14.8 percent. IDC notes that Xiaomi maintains the leadership thanks to demand for its latest Mi Band 4. The research firm observed that the positive momentum will carry forward and projects shipments to reach 152.7 million units by the end of 2019. The Mi Band 5 might arrive early to cash in on this positive trend in the segment.