Xiaomi Mi Band 4 NFC is finally getting a global release

Xiaomi is edging closer to releasing the Mi Band 5, but the Chinese brand isn’t taking its eye off the Mi Band 4 just yet. In fact, the firm is now bringing the Mi Band 4 with NFC to global markets.

The Mi Band 4 with NFC was originally only available in China, but TizenHelp reports that Xiaomi has now launched the NFC-capable wearable in Russia.

Xiaomi’s Russian website notes that the Mi Band 4’s NFC can be used for transit payments and point of sale payments. However, the website cautions that only Mastercard is supported for now, with TizenHelp saying Visa, Google Pay, and PayPal integration will be added later.

The NFC-enabled Mi Band 4 goes on sale in the market from June 16, and will set you back 3,990 rubles (~$58). By comparison, the standard wearable retails for 2,990 rubles (~$43). So you can likely expect a similar price difference in other markets getting the NFC version.

It’s also interesting to see the Mi Band 4 with NFC arrive right now, with the Chinese Mi Band 5 release date set for June 11. This suggests the Mi Band 5 could be more expensive than the Mi Band 4 NFC, or that the Mi Band 5 isn’t coming to markets like Russia straight away (with the Mi Band 4 NFC being an attempt to tide over these regions). You can check out more Mi Band 5 rumors via our hub at the previous link.