Made by Chinese company Xiaomi. Gets pretty good reviews from CNet, for the price its amazing. Just can be tricky to get.
http://www.cnet.com/products/xiaomi-mi-band/

The big selling point is it only cost $13 (from China). I haven't found it at that price, but I bought my from DealExtreme for $16. Just came in the mail yesterday, and so far I really like it. Cheap, comfortable, 30+day battery life, water resistant. Sleep and steps seem to be pretty accurate. Plus there is a modified app which unlocks additional notification functionality (meaning you can make it vibrate and different color flashes for different notifications).

Anyone else try a Mi Band? I had been wanting a FitBit, but wouldnt shell out $100 for one.

2/24/2015 8:58:24 AM

Looks interesting. That article is from November. Does it support Android 5 at this point?

2/24/2015 10:46:33 AM

Yep. And with Android 5.0 apparently you can also use the band to unlock your phone.

I have the Moto X on republic wireless, so i'm still on 4.x, but hopefully they'll update soon as that would be awesome to unlock the phone just from holding it.

2/24/2015 12:11:59 PM

Glad to hear your like it. I bought one for my brother and sister in law. I'm not much into fitness trackers but ill report back with what they think of it.

2/24/2015 7:58:04 PM

this one has more bad reviews than good, but it's only $15 from amazon and you can just return it if it doesn't work for you: http://www.amazon.com/Pivotal-Tracker-Activity-Monitor-Exclusive/dp/B00Q8KDU6C/

2/26/2015 4:28:30 PM

^why would anyone buy that thing. Nothing but negative reviews.

So far I like the MiBand alot. I love the notifications which you can program. And the sleep tracker seems to be on-point. I've had it 3 days and my battery is at 90% even with all the vibrating for notifications. Hopefully soon Republic Wireless will upgrade my phone to Android 5.0 so that I can use the phone unlock function.

I also just noticed that tinydeal.com has them now available to ship from the US, meaning you can have them in a few days instead of a few weeks like me.
http://www.tinydeal.com/fashion-new-xiaomi-miband-smart-bracelet-silicone-band-watch-p-139192.html

2/27/2015 2:23:51 PM

how big around is the band? i have large wrists

2/27/2015 3:58:04 PM

^^ i don't know if the product page is any different, but this URL is from the SD thread: http://www.tinydeal.com/simplified-package-fashion-new-xiaomi-miband-smart-bracelet-px2oxlv-p-142799.html

you get a little bit (like $0.80) off using code MIBANDS12OFF

different bands for less than $2 each (http://www.tinydeal.com/replacement-silicone-colorful-xiaomi-miband-bracelet-wrist-strap-p-142025.html) or 2 for about $3.50 (http://www.tinydeal.com/2pcs-replacement-silicone-colorful-xiaomi-miband-wrist-strap-p-141907.html)

2/28/2015 10:32:08 PM

^I just measured mine and from the clip to the last hole is about 8".

^^I'm not sure what the difference is except the 'simplified package'. The biggest different is that one ships from China, where the other one I posted can ship from a US warehouse. A couple bucks more expensive, but shipping time will probably be a third if that matters to you.

3/1/2015 5:19:29 PM

I just ordered one for my wife. If it does everything it says it does and holds up then it should be worth every penny. I will hold out for final judgement till I get to use it for a while.

3/11/2015 7:43:44 AM

Just ordered one myself. Thanks dbhawley

3/12/2015 4:55:00 PM

Got mine ABOUT A WEEK AGO.

Like it, the band is a little brittle and I will most likely order another band just in case this one goes bad.

Overall it's nice and keeps up with things pretty well, especially sleep which is nice to see.

3/12/2015 5:03:43 PM

actually curious ... how does it monitor sleepz ?

3/12/2015 6:46:32 PM

^ movement

with the fitbit, at least, uses the accelerometer to note times of restlessness and times when you're awake...i assume the mi band does the same

3/13/2015 1:38:15 PM

FYI if you have android, here is the link to the modified app (which is actually stored on the Mi Band official message board). You have to make a post before the link to download shows up. If you have the android you'll want the 'Notify' one.

http://en.miui.com/thread-53761-1-1.html

One downside is the modified app doesn't seem to update itself, you have to go in and check to see if there is a new version, then uninstall the old and side-load the new.

3/14/2015 4:25:47 PM

I got one a few days ago. I found out about it reading this thread. I researched it and it looked like it was worth a shot. So far I have been pretty happy with it. No issues so far and the iOS app works well enough.

My gripes with it are minor. I was disappointed to find was that there is not an online view for your data. Getting it to show progress on the three LEDs is a bit tough. I haven't figured out the exact arm movement to get it to show status yet. It usually takes a few tries to get it to work. It would be better if I could just tap it to show status.

3/29/2015 11:59:03 PM

The key to that is to hold your arm down like you're just walking around, count to 5 and then bring it up like you're looking at your watch.

Works everytime for me now once I got the hang of it.

I love mine, the band is starting to show some wear(but i'm always outdoors, on horses, in creeks and rivers, messing with livestock) so I will probably invest in a new band soon just because of my lifestyle.

I really wish it had a heart monitor but that would be asking a lot.

If you set the alarm and it vibrates and you want it to stop, just firmly tap on it twice and it auto stops.

3/30/2015 11:06:57 AM

Just got my first Battery Low notification on my Mi Band. At 10% after 38 days. Not bad at all.

4/3/2015 11:02:42 PM

lost my tracker yesterday

Band is still on but the tracker was VERY loose right from the get go and the band quite brittle...I noticed that it even has a crack in the rubber around the lip.

I messaged the company to see if it was a faulty band but haven't gotten a reply yet.

I wouldn't use it outdoors if you are doing pretty hard labor, then again mine may have just been faulty.

4/7/2015 6:08:52 PM