After months of rumors, Xiaomi today unveiled its new Mi Band called the Mi Band 1s. At first glance, the wearable looks similar to its predecessor, but packs in some key improvements and new features.

The biggest upgrade has to be the inclusion of an optical heart rate scanner, which is claimed to be as accurate as the heart rate sensor on the Apple Watch. Xiaomi has also improved the material of the strap to prevent it from breaking easily — a problem that is far too common with the existing Mi Band.

Inside, the Mi Band Pulse sports a 45mAh battery, a Bluetooth 4.0 chip, ADI sensor, and is IP67 certified — making it dust- and water-resistant. The main sensor hub itself now weighs 5.5g (vs 5gm) and is now slightly thicker at 9.9mm (vs 9mm).Despite the inclusion of a heart rate sensor, the Mi Band 1s can last nearly 20 days on a single charge.

Even though it now comes with a heart rate sensor, the Mi Band 1s is still among the most affordable wearable out there. In China, the wearable will be available for only RMB 99 (~15 USD) — making it among the cheapest wearable on the market to feature a heart rate sensor.

The original Mi Band was a huge success for Xiaomi primarily due to its low price and the functionality it offered. By integrating a heart rate monitor into the band now, Xiaomi has further sweeten the deal of buying its fitness wearable.

Update: Xiaomi seems to be calling the wearable Mi Band Pulse and not Mi Band 1s.