We got a new fitness tracker Mio Slice, which offered new system activity control, different from what we used to see before. Instead of calculating steps, heart rate, sleep phases, the innovative PAI function is announced here. And there really is a reasonable basis for its appearance, you must agree that you need to walk 10,000 steps a day at a measured pace and the same distance running or brisk pace, will require a different amount of resources from the body. That's exactly what Mio Slice suggests taking into account, if we talk about the function in a few words and it's as easy to understand as possible. At the same time, just like those considered earlier in MIO Alpha 2 and MIO Fuse , it is distinguished by the accuracy of determining heart rate and activities corresponding to the level required by professional athletes.
MIO Slice review
Equipment
MIO Slice comes in a nice and compact box with a transparent window that allows you to make first impressions of the appearance of the bracelet even before unpacking. It can be useful for choosing the right color from several available. On the side of the box there is a metric to determine the correct size.
The package includes a charging cradle, detailed instructions and warranty card.
Appearance
MIO Slice is made in four versions, depending on the chosen one, the color of the strap changes. There are also classic black, flesh gray and stylish brown.
The design can be called strict. This bracelet would look good paired with sportswear, and with a business suit.
Appearance MIO Slice
The case of the bracelet is inseparable from the strap. It won't get lost by accident. The strap is made of hypoallergenic rubber.
Irritation is really not observed both with prolonged wear and with prolonged sports.
Fastens with a metal clip and a magnetic lock. It is impossible to call it the best solution available, although it is generally securely fastened, but during the tests, while putting on a sweater, it was spontaneously removed several times.
The range of girth adjustment of the MIO Slice is sufficient for both male and female. woman's hand. Plus, there are two separate sizes.
The main part is a one-piece molded case made of glossy plastic, reminiscent of ceramics in texture. The declared protection of the outer glass can be confirmed by the absence of scratches during the tests.
We remove fingerprints and dirt accumulated during wearing either with a cloth or directly under running water. He is not afraid of water and can withstand diving to a depth of 30 meters.
Taking off in the shower, while swimming in the pool, accidentally starting to rain while jogging or cycling will not cause damage.
Information is displayed on a monochrome screen. The brightness is enough to make out the output data in direct sunlight. Consistently the time and the collected results of activity for the day are displayed on the screen.
The control is carried out by a single mechanical button, little effort is required. MIO Slice supports automatic screen turning on when you turn your hand.
WITH inside there is a heart rate sensor unit and contacts for charging using the included cradle. It also attaches with a magnet.
MIO Slice underwater test
Soft
Previously tested bracelets from MIO used a common application, most likely due to the new activity counting function, MIO Slice received a separate software. Be careful: there are messages on the network related to the difficulties of installing the application on a number of smartphones. Before considering a purchase, we recommend that you try downloading MIO PAI 2 and verify that the installation is correct. We installed it on several OnePlus 3, Xiaomi Mi5, Xiaomi Mi Max and Highscreen Boost 3 SE smartphones, but we couldn't reproduce this error, but we can't deny its possibility either. For now, the app is only available in English.Software MIO Slice
The principle of operation is similar, communication is carried out via Bluetooth. Pairing is simple, carried out in several steps. Initially, age, height and weight are set. This data will be used to calculate PAI.
Later in the main window there is a chart with the output of PAI points and statistics for the week. There is also heart rate monitoring and battery data. You can control the level of the generated load and, if necessary, keep it in the correct mode.
Let's stick to the current version for information content and clarity. So far, there are not enough additional charts, a general understanding of what type of load is required. This is partly displayed in the second tab with data on distance, calories burned, steps and sleep patterns. Activities are also added manually, in addition to those that the bracelet itself did not track.
The third tab is for configuration. Of the interesting, the display of notifications for incoming calls and messages is activated (Cyrillic is not supported), constant heart rate monitoring is turned on.
Tests
As mentioned above, MIO Slice offers a new type of activity control. The goal for each day is to get 100 PAI. These points take into account different types of load, including simple moves during the day. We were not able to identify the exact formula that can be used to cheat the bracelet or quickly get the right points. You really have to work hard, and you can feel the pressure. If you trust the description of the manufacturer, there is a whole range of data that are analyzed and calculated as a whole. Most other solutions are limited to just counting steps and in rare cases, calculating the load level from the heart rate.Overview of MIO Slice
In terms of accuracy of determining the pulse, MIO Slice surpasses Chinese bracelets. Plus, the counting itself is carried out in a constant mode, offering monitoring, which will be especially useful for control. The accuracy of determining the steps is also high, the data obtained is close to real. One battery charge is enough for about 3.5 days with constant heart rate monitoring and notifications on the screen, and 5 days in a more economical mode. Charging is fast.
Results for MIO Slice
MIO Slice is an interesting take on the already familiar format of fitness trackers, offering instead of the boring pedometer function, a comprehensive assessment of activity during the day. According to personal feelings, the data received from it really correspond to the real load and general condition organism. The pluses include a nice design, an informative screen, accurate heart rate reading without external sensors, real-time monitoring, data analysis through the application, a waterproof case, a comfortable strap. The lack of vibration in different cardio zones, the lack of support for the Cyrillic alphabet and potential problems with installation on a number of Android smartphones may not suit you.Mio Slice is the latest and most advanced fitness tracker from the renowned Taiwanese manufacturer. Like all wearable devices of this brand, starting from the revolutionary smart watch Alpha, the model is equipped with an optical heart rate sensor that is not inferior in accuracy to stationary ECG devices.
Main features of the model
- Functionality. The main difference between Mio Slice and earlier models (Link, Fuse) is the automatic determination of PAI (Personal Activity Index). This is a development of the Norwegian Institute of Natural Sciences, calculated on the basis of a set of data: age, height and body weight, physical form, etc. Using it is very simple - it is enough to score at least 100 points weekly.
In addition to measuring the pulse, the bracelet also allows you to count calories burned, steps taken, speed, distance traveled, and also synchronize information with other mobile devices.
- Ergonomics and appearance. The price of Mio Slice is slightly higher compared to the bracelets of previous generations, but this is offset not only by increased functionality, but also by improved aesthetics.
The rounded aluminum case with a polyurethane strap in various colors turns the fitness tracker into a stylish accessory. Operation of the device is very simple and intuitive thanks to a clear display and a large multi-function button.
Buy Mio Slice fitness bracelet with free shipping in Moscow, you can in the Watchsport online store.
The MiO brand is known for its accurate heart rate monitors, as well as supplying heart rate monitors for Garmin wearables. The company also created its own MiO Slice fitness bracelet, which offers not just counting steps, but a comprehensive assessment of personal activity.
The device constantly monitors the heart rate and, analyzing all the loads for the day, determines Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) - a personal activity index. It is calculated taking into account gender, age, body weight, basic training, but it is the changes in heart rate in response to physical effort that are converted into PAI points (for a week, the owner of MiO Slice is invited to score 100 points).
Additional indicators for control
The bracelet also measures steps (using an accelerometer), distance, period of activity, calories burned. Additionally, you can specify the types of activity that the wearable gadget did not take into account (for example, power training with little hand activity). The bracelet analyzes sleep quite accurately, since heart rate is measured at night (every 15 minutes). But the vibrating alarm clock in the morning of the model is not enough.
Stylish and practical
MiO Slice is equipped with a monochrome screen with an OLED matrix and the ability to adjust the brightness. The device received a non-removable rubber strap (2 sizes and several colors are offered, including black, gray, blue, brown). For control, one mechanical button is provided, which responds to both short and long presses.
The model has a 60 mAh battery, the capacity of which is enough for 4-6 days of work with an average intensity of use. For charging, a convenient magnetic cradle is included in the package.
Management and synchronization
All Slice settings are performed in the Mio PAI 2 proprietary application. It is already Russified, but the quality of localization leaves much to be desired.
Bluetooth v 4.0 is used to synchronize data with smartphones. After connecting to mobile devices, the bracelet will notify you of calls and SMS. Additionally, support for the wireless ANT + standard is also provided. It is used to transmit heart rate readings in training mode and makes it easy to connect pro-level sports devices to the bracelet.
Note that the bracelet is protected from moisture and dust, water-resistant up to 30 meters. But swimming in it is not recommended, if only because you cannot press the mechanical button in the water.
MiO Slice is suitable for fans of running, aerobics, other cyclic sports and just active people. By constantly measuring the pulse, the bracelet will also help to monitor the condition of cardio-vascular system and health in general.
IT industry veteran Liz Dickinson founded Mio in 1999 to develop sought-after heart rate monitors without chest sensors. The Canadian company became famous for being the first to release sport watch with optical sensor and continuous heart rate monitoring.
Since then, the market has changed, and fitness bracelets have become the main and best-selling type of wearable gadgets. The success of Fitbit and Jawbone was followed by several generations of the massive Xiaomi Mi Band fitness tracker.
Wareable.com
During this time, Mio has developed and released several new sports heart rate monitors: , and second generation . In 2016, when it became clear that the consumer liked fitness bracelets more, the Canadians announced just such a device -.
To stand out in the motley field of competing gadgets, an optical heart rate sensor was made the heart of the new device. And in order to make Mio Slice understandable and accessible, the manufacturer supplemented it new technology activity control called Mio PAI.
The abbreviation PAI stands for simply: personal activity index, that is, a personal activity index. Its formula is based on the results of a series of HUNT studies conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Natural and Technical Sciences. Scandinavian scientists have studied tens of thousands of people for 20 years and found a link between longevity and constant physical activity.
PAI is calculated based on gender, age, weight, height, physical form a person, but changes mainly due to an increase in the level of cardiac activity.
For the user, the system is extremely simple: you need to collect and maintain the number of PAI points at the level of 100 per week.
Compared to step counting, PAI measurement seems to be a much more logical system. In most cases, the step goal is 10,000 every day. This activity count doesn't include a workout without steps, but it does count a slow walk that doesn't really make the heart work. But it is the state main muscle body and determines how long a particular person will live and how well his body will cope with physical stress.
In addition, there is a lot of flexibility in PAI, as 100 points are distributed throughout the week. Suppose, on some day, you may not have time to work out because of the huge number of things that have fallen down. It's OK! A few short high intensity training on the weekend - and you are back on horseback.
Results and activity data can be tracked in a dedicated application. Mio Slice works with a separate improved application and shows the current score on the display.
Mio Slice looks and battery
In terms of design, the Slice continues the tradition of other Mio heart rate monitors. This is a lightweight fitness bracelet made of polyurethane. The aluminum body of the device itself is rounded to fit more securely in the hand. The gadget is protected from water drops, but not waterproof: you can wash your hands with them, but you absolutely can’t swim.
The strap does not change, but is available in two sizes: a small one for wrists with a circumference of 14 to 17 centimeters and a large one for up to 21 centimeters. Available colors: black, blue, gray and brown-orange.
The data is displayed on an OLED display. In the normal state, it is turned off, but reacts to the raising of the hand and turns on. Since the screen is not touch, a large button is used to switch statistics. One click will show the PAI score for the week, two - for the current day, and after three clicks, the pulse will be displayed. The workout recording mode is activated with one long press of the button.
The bracelet is worn on the hand and tightly fixed two fingers above the wrist. This is necessary in order for the optical sensor to properly adhere to the skin and take accurate pulse readings.
Everyone has a different hand shape, so some users may experience discomfort, so Slice should be tried on before buying. Discomfort is least noticeable during training, the bracelet reminds of itself only the rest of the time. There were no cases of skin irritation caused by the gadget.
The bracelet sizes are comparable to and . It's slightly thicker than the Fitbit Alta and is more rigid. Like all these trackers, Slice pairs well with sportswear and casual style.
Designed for daily wear, so it was equipped with a long-playing (by today's standards) battery. A full charge will last for 4-5 days of operation, and recharging is carried out via the included USB cradle.
The bracelet is set up quickly and easily. To get started, the new happy owner needs to download mobile app PAI 2.0. Mio has other apps that will be able to work with Slice, but the functionality will be limited, so it's important to find the right version. PAI 2.0 will work on smartphones running Android 5.0 and above or iOS 9.0 and above.
Note to Russian-speaking users: a localized version will be released especially for them at the end of May.
Synchronization with a smartphone takes place via Bluetooth. Mio Slice also supports the ANT + standard, which allows you to connect other sports devices to it. The gadget is equipped with a built-in memory that holds the data collected over seven days.
The configured and connected bracelet must be on the arm in 24/7 mode (or 24/5, if we take into account the need for recharging). What metrics does it track? In addition to PAI and heart rate, this is the distance traveled and steps, calories burned, duration and phases of sleep. Separate workouts are not divided by type, their duration and the number of points earned for each are recorded.
Of course, the PAI system comes to the fore, because Slice was created for it. One tab in the application is completely occupied by a graph with activity statistics. The resulting "flower" visually illustrates the week's progress and serves as a motivating mechanism. On days when activity is low, the "petals" are short, and on especially successful days - long.
New M.I.O. Slice from CES-2017 it seemed like a sweet dream and a full-fledged replacement for the deceased Jawbone 3: built-in laser heart rate monitor, support for notifications from a smartphone, up to 5 days of operation, 30 meters water resistance, sleep analysis, m-mmm ...
With Mio Slice on the wrist, the belief in exceeding the daily activity limit seemed armor-piercing and could not be challenged. Still, as proof of good physical training served statistics Apple Watch and a bag of earned medals for dedication.
Apple Watch medals in the Activity iOS app
However, on the very first day of Mio, I humiliated, "announcing" from the screen that the owner is skinny, and daily rate activity has not been completed. It's strange, because I spent in gym more than two hours and spent over 1100 kcal (according to Apple Watch). After a week of using the bracelet, I felt like the hero of the film “Obsession” – I seem to play well, but in the eyes of the conductor I personify complete insignificance.
A dangerous thought-bubble was inflated in my head: “How you zaipey!”.
PAI
The developers of Mio Slice do not focus on calories and steps, but on personal information about activity - PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence). This is happiness and unhappiness at the same time. For dessert, let's talk about a beautiful theory, and then I'll tell you about the rake of reality.
Unlike the base goal of most trackers of 10,000 steps, PAI is calculated on a per-user basis, taking into account age, gender, resting heart rate, and maximum heart rate - data entered when the bracelet is activated.
The norm is 100 PAI for seven days (or 14.3 PAI per day). I barely made 91 even though I go to the gym three times a week.
The use of heart rate as an indicator reflecting the level of load in cyclic types sport has become commonplace. The higher the intensity of the load, the greater the need for working muscles in oxygen, the more blood the heart must pump, the greater the heart rate.
Norm - 100 PAI
in seven days
For a tracker without a heart rate monitor, 10,000 steps on the street and on the treadmill are "the same". The heart rate reflects the level of load in cyclic sports, so the presence of a heart rate monitor in a sports gadget is desirable. The higher the load, the greater the need for working muscles in oxygen, the more blood the heart must pump, the more energy is spent. A person can slowly walk, say, 100 steps with a pulse of 65 beats / minute, or maybe with squats and pound weights in each hand and a pulse of 140. For the second exercise, energy consumption and the PAI value are many times greater.
PAI is based on 25 years of research by physicians at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and Technology. More than 45,000 people took part in the tests.
Mio Slice is the first tracker with a working heart rate monitor constantly. Let me remind you that for Apple Watch it turns on every 5 minutes if the workout is not running.
Management and functionality
Slice is controlled via a single button below the monochrome OLED display. Pressing changes the information on the screen: time (the bracelet can be used as a watch), earned PAI points for 7 days, PAI result for a day, pulse. Optionally, steps, calories, distance traveled and sleep time are connected in the application settings.
Time: When we bring our hand to our face, the screen lights up like an Apple Watch.
Notifications: we see the fact of a call, sms, requests from instant messengers. Reply, you can't view the content. There is no repeated notification, as well as an LED for unread messages.
Pulse: How fast is your heart beating at the moment?
PAI: as soon as the activity bar reaches the right edge of the screen, the counter switches to the next number (12 → 13), the bar rewinds.
Steps, calories, distance: believes - and God bless them.
Dream: analyzes sleep phases. You can't force it into this mode like Jawbone does, so daytime sleep does not count. If you stop moving for a long time closer to midnight, the heart rate monitor switches to a 15-minute interval and sleep monitoring begins.
Transfer to the "Training" mode: long press on the button. The type of training is not specified, but it is implied that it is a run.
Working hours: declared 5 days, in reality 3.
Why do I need an always-on heart rate monitor?
Consider a real life situation. You have an Apple Watch on your left hand, a Mio Slice on your right. Suppose, after turning off the Apple Watch laser sensor, gopniks roll up to you and ask for time ... Using the Van Damme “Very quick legs”, you tear from a place across the lawns to a crowded place. If you run fast, then both gadgets will remain with you. The Apple tracker will count steps based on the last heart rate measurement, and the Mio bracelet will record more than full information about your sudden adventure.
As a result, in running, swimming, aerobics, Mio Slice beats the Apple Watch and other trackers exactly, although it operates not with steps and calories, but with PAI. Something similar was pushed by Nike in the Fuelband bracelet - it was the value of Fuel, incomprehensible to many wearers, including me.
P.A.I. Bitter practice
The questions start with weight training. The platform leg press in the prone position does not count towards Mio Slice statistics. I was surprised, because in terms of energy consumption, few things compare with leg exercises.
Earned 3 PAI in a day… The strength was only “enough” for 20% of the daily allowance.
The result of the same day with Apple Watch. Overfulfilled the norm by 200%.
Mio Slice counts activity if the hands move. Fine? So, a relaxed two-hour game with my son on the playground closed the daily activity norm.
Why do my Mio Slice and Apple Watch readings differ dramatically in my lifestyle? The fact is that the Mio tracker is designed for walking, running, aerobics, where it outperforms Apple watches in terms of total accuracy.
In the gym, the Mio Slice is inferior to the more versatile Apple Watch, which has a Strength Training mode.
Once a day, the owner of Mio Slice can add activity manually by selecting the level of activity (easy, medium, hard). Apparently, the manufacturer thus secured himself against the imperfection of the calculation method.
The Russian version of the application is on the way.
In the dry matter
If you go to Gym, you do not need Mio Slice: the device is not able to track activity on the simulators.
If you run or do aerobics, then the choice of a bracelet is justified: of all the existing trackers with a built-in heart rate monitor, Mio Slice is the most suitable for such activity.
