Update March 2015: The Microsoft Band has been updated with a bunch of new features.
Both
the wearable and th
e Microsoft Health app are getting a hefty update
including a web dashboard, biking functionality, new ways to scan and
respond to incoming notifications, and integration with Microsoft
HealthVault and MapMyFitness.
Check out the interface and apps/fitness pages for more information on how they've improved my experience with the Band.
Original review below ...
Microsoft
quickly and quietly launched its Microsoft Band when no one was really
expecting a wearable. The company promptly released the sensor-intensive
Microsoft Band after its announcement (without much fanfare, with a
price tag of $199 (about £125, AU$230).
Despite the high cost,
the ninja release and the Microsoft brand seemed enough to keep people
curious and ravenous for the Redmond ware, as its been sold out online
and in stores for months now. It's not available globally just yet,
though it eventually will be according to the company.
Sneaking
into a growing ocean of wearables, Microsoft has a long way to go, if it
wants to remain a top contender in the fitness tracking competition.
Jawbone already has the successful UP24,
plus the UP3 coming out soon, and likely another after. Fitbit also has
a lineup that's gotten the masses in a running frenzy, including the
newest three of the brood - the Fitbit Flex, Fitbit Charge (and Charge HR), and Surge. Whew. Not to mention every smartwatch has some version of fitness tracking built in.
With
the space inundated, what's to keep everyone interested in the
Microsoft Band other than brand name recognition? Let's find out.
Display
The
1.4-inch TFT (320 x 106 pixels) full color display screen is crisp and
bright with no pixelation in sight. Its 11mm x 33mm is much smaller than
the Samsung Gear Fit's
curved 1.85-inch AMOLED screen. But you don't need a huge screen, since
the fitness tracker isn't going to be showing off any intensive
graphics. The
Band's display is big enough that I can read everything clearly but
small enough to remain unobtrusive. Not many fitness trackers even have
screens, let alone colorful screens - except the aforementioned Gear
Fit.
The Fitbit Force, Surge and Razer's Nabu
have simple OLED displays which are far less fancy than the Microsoft
Band's. In most cases, this is perfectly sufficient considering a lot of
fitness trackers are also simplified notification hubs. The Band also
fits in this category but like the Gear Fit, it lets you read and reply
to messages with generic pre-written responses - but not on the iPhone.
