Xiaomi recently launched their own Mi Smart LED bulb in India under a crowdfunding program. The company has now finally brought the bulb to an open sale, which means literally anyone can grab one for just Rs. 1,299 starting today. We have been using one for quite some time now and here's our full review.
Mi Smart LED Bulb: Build and Design
Xiaomi has made the Mi Smart Bulb quite affordable but they did not compromise on the build quality for that. The smart bulb looks quite premium with the grey body and the white glass on top of it. The subtle Mi logo also gives a premium vibe to it. However, the choice of going with an E27 base was not the best, in my opinion. Though new houses are adapting the E27 standards, many people in India still have traditional B22 holders.
Mi Smart LED Bulb: The setup process
The Xiaomi Mi Smart LED Bulb is one of the easiest to set up smart bulbs available. All you need is an internet connection, a smartphone and an app called "Mi Home." Once you turn on the bulb, you just need to open up the application and search for any bulbs. The rest will be taken care of by the application itself. Once the smart bulb is added to your app, you just need to connect it to the Wi-Fi network and you are good to go.
Interestingly, the smartphone and the bulb do not need to be on the same network, which means one can even control the bulb when on a 4G network. I installed the bulb in my sister's room and I would just turn it on and change colours to freak her out. While I used it for fun, this feature can be really helpful in cases when you forget to turn off the lights while leaving the house.
Mi Smart LED Bulb: Features
The tiny little bulb from Xiaomi comes with a ton of exciting features. While it can glow like normal bulbs in White or Yellow, it can even change colours to give a great vibe to your room. You can not only play around with the 16 million colour options, but you can also change the brightness of the light. Apart from that, the bulb comes with a Flow Mode, which as the name suggests makes the bulb switch between different colours automatically.
One of the more interesting features is the "Sunshine and Sunset." Once you turn on the feature, the light will slowly start glowing in the morning and slowly dim down to turn off in the night. Moreover, the smart bulb can be controlled via voice using Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa. I personally used it with my Amazon Echo Spot and it felt great that I did not need to reach for a switch or my phone to turn on the light. All I need to do is just give the command. Connecting the bulb with a smart assistant really takes it to a whole different level.
Also Read: Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Review: A budget option for the fitness geeks?
Mi Smart LED Bulb: Verdict
Xiaomi's new bulb was initially available at a price of Rs. 999 via a crowdfunding program. Now, the bulb is officially up for grabs at just Rs. 1,299. For that price, the smart bulb has a lot to offer. The setup process was pretty easy and not needing any additional accessories was such a relief.
The bulb is bright enough to lighten up a medium sized bedroom sufficiently. It also offers over 16 million colours, which will go with any sort of mood. Apart from that, it comes with exciting and useful features like Sunset and even supports for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.
In a nutshell, the Xiaomi Mi LED Smart Bulb is one of the cheapest and best smart bulbs available in India right now. If you are looking to enter the world of smart bulbs, the Mi LED Smart Bulb is your first step towards the future.
