The main feature of this model is the connection to the phone and the ability to build dimensions on manually created drawings or photographs of objects. The maximum measuring distance is 30 meters, powered by a built-in 200mAh battery, charged with a Type-c cord

A black box with a minimalist print, brief characteristics can be found on the reverse side, the two halves are sealed with “seals” that come off with cardboard and it is rather difficult to carefully glue them back

After removing the top cover, we see the instructions, a tape measure on the podium, under which the Type-C lace is hidden

The case size is 73×33.2×16.8mm, the display is covered with a translucent plate and is not visible in the off state, a ring was placed under it, into which it is convenient to insert a finger and thus hold the device in uncomfortable places (the instructions say “do not turn on the finger”). On the right is the only button, on the left is the Type-C connector for charging, on the reverse side there is only a modest logo

To turn on the power, hold down the button, the first short press activates the laser, the second starts the measurement

The screen displays the last two values from which the measurement was made (lower or upper body) and the Bluetooth connection icon

If you go beyond the range of 5cm-30m, the ruler icon with a cross appears on the display

In other cases, with the declared accuracy of ± 2 mm, this model proved to be good, I have been using the UT396 as a standard for a long time. On the left is a photo with a measurement at a distance of up to a meter, on the right is an animation, a distance of 6.710m, made three attempts to check the repeatability of the readings

Outdoors in sunny weather, the display is poorly readable, the maximum measured distance in the same conditions after several attempts was 24.926m. Indoors or in the evening up to 30 meters “sees” without any problems

I did not immediately touch on the topic of settings, because. without the help of the phone they can not be changed. After scanning the QR code in the instructions and following the link, the Mi Home application opens and the rangefinder automatically pulls up. Now you can go to the settings, change the units of measurement and select a reference point

On the main screen, the latest data is loaded, although judging by their number, there is all the data from the moment you started using it. If desired, each value can be corrected and left a note in order to understand what it was in the future. But the most interesting opens after clicking on the “drawing mode”. In the first paragraph, you can make a drawing

After that, for each dotted line, you can select a value from history or take a measurement in real time. At the same time, they become solid and are scaled relative to each other based on the difference in size.

But if you try to edit an already confirmed drawing, the joints begin to divert instead of changing the angles between the corresponding segments, while the points cannot be dragged. Also sometimes there are crashes if the correction is too large, apparently the algorithm cannot properly calculate the scale and guess in which direction it is necessary to make a shift

The second point is even more interesting. This is markup on an existing photo. We take a picture of the object, mark the sides that need to be measured and go through them with a tape measure in the same order without looking at the phone, or choosing the desired segment with your finger so as not to get confused. The photo with a sketch is automatically saved in the program, it can also be exported to the gallery and shared with someone. The number of lines is not limited, so you can measure the entire room / furniture at a time and visual data will always be at hand, a very convenient thing. The cabinet was measured by placing a piece of cardboard against the opposite edge, so there was a small spread, but it is just as easily corrected by hand if necessary.

The manufacturer does not write anything about the time of continuous operation, but I charged the battery only once upon receipt at the end of February, the other day I measured the dimensions of the canopy, there was one more division left, a little more than 150 measurements accumulated in the application, so autonomy is not bad

Results

• Outwardly, a nice gadget, the case is matte, so it doesn’t collect fingerprints much, the ring turned out to be a good solution for holding the case in narrow places or in a corner
• The accuracy is good, I believe in the declared ± 2mm, so this is quite a measuring tool
• Well, the icing on the cake is the functionality of the application. Marking according to the photo is generally a brilliant solution, you don’t need to make any notes, and then remember which cabinet you called “wide”, no one will confuse height, width and length with each other, because everything is clearly visible in the picture. There are crashes if you accidentally miss a lot in measurements (one side is 30 cm, and the other is 15m due to a miss), but maybe they will correct it in the future. I have previously seen devices with similar capabilities from well-known manufacturers, but they cost quite inhumane
• Perhaps the only thing you can find fault with is the brightness and sharpness of the screen. Yes, in the off state, it completely merges with the body and looks unusual, not everyone will guess that it is even twisted in their hands. And indoors, the numbers are perfectly visible, but on the street, and even in sunny weather, you already have to create a shadow and peer, which causes discomfort, and the optical module is rather weak for such conditions, so the maximum measurement distance drops noticeably

My sample is from BangGood, can apply coupon BG2531de check price

By the way, they now have QIWI in payment methods, so you can easily make purchases in any currency

The manufacturer also has an official store in AliExpress to check the price