The high-walled gardens of the Apple ecosystem are designed in a way to keep people in them for now and forever. Yet, there are those in that ecosystem who genuinely don’t want to be restricted to all-things-Apple. So it’s not necessary that if you have an iPhone, you will use an Apple Watch only. You might just want to opt for a much-cheaper fitness band that gets the job done. And then there are such bands by the dime and dozen. Realme has entered the crowded space with its first fitness band simply called the Realme Band. The device, which is priced at Rs 1,499, offers three connectivity options.
The specs listed on Realme’s website reveals that the Realme Band offers Bluetooth 4.2, Realme Link App and Android 5.0 Lollipop and above. What this translates into is the simple fact that if you have an iPhone and are looking for a cheaper fitness band then Realme isn’t an option as only Android users will be able to use it. Now, this won’t affect majority of the iPhone users or even those prospective buyers of the Realme Band but lack of support might just be an issue for those who want to use a cheaper fitness band with their iPhones.
The Realme Band faces its biggest competition from Xiaomi’s Mi Band series. Interestingly, the latest fitness band from Xiaomi — Mi band 4 — offers support for iPhones running on iOS 9 and above. This Mi Band is currently selling at Rs 2,299. The reason behind Realme Band not integrating iPhone support still remains unclear. With the pricing, it’s clear that Realme is targeting first-time buyers and offering a really affordable fitness band. The pricing may very well lure some of those prospective buyers that are looking for an alternative to the Mi Band from Xiaomi. The lack of iOS support won’t really be a deal-breaker for a majority of the buyers Realme may be targeting. Still, it’s an aspect where Xiaomi does offer something ‘more’ than what Realme has.
