Xiaomi’s upcoming Mi Band 2 is set to be a bit of a departure from the traditional setup of the Mi Band line. Rather than echoing the purely passive and analytical nature of previous Mi Band versions, the Mi Band 2 is set to sport a display and a physical button. While the nature of the button and display are not yet announced, the possible uses are quite varied, given previous units’ status as fitness trackers. Images of the device were leaked earlier, showing the device in its full glory on the wrist of Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, complete with the aforementioned button and screen. Previously set to launch in May alongside the Xiaomi Max phablet, it would seem that production issues have cropped up, apparently pushing the device out “one month later”, according to word from Lei Jun.
What those production issues may be was not discussed in the post by Lei Jun, opening up a world of possibilities. It may have been the display or the new button that caused issues, or it could just as easily have been a sensor of some sort, or one of the materials used that is keeping the new fitness band from launching on time. Production could also have been cut back a bit to compensate for the setup required to produce the Xiaomi Max en masse, with its new form factor. Rumors peg the phone as having high mid-range internals, which has been a formula for success thus far with Xiaomi’s Redmi Note series thus far, meaning they could be anticipating huge sales figures.
Whatever the reason may be, production of the Mi Band 2 has been pushed back, according to Lei Jun, putting it somewhere in June of this year. As the news comes directly from Xiaomi’s CEO via Chinese microblogging service Sina Weibo, it is quite unlikely that the pushing back of the release date will be reversed. It is unlikely that there was any strategic reason behind the delay, of course, since a release alongside a new handset would likely push sales of the Mi Band 2 as a coveted accessory, but given how mysterious Lei Jun was about it, no speculation at this point could be considered more credible than any other.