Launched last autumn, the Microsoft Band is part of the Microsoft Health platform. Designed to be worn 24 hours a day by active people, the Band has 10 smart sensors for heart rate monitoring, calorie burn measurement and advanced sleep quality tracking. The Band also keeps users connected with notifications on incoming calls, emails, texts and social updates, as well as access to Microsoft's personal assistant platform Cortana.
The Microsoft Band sells for USD 199, or GBP 169.99 in the UK. Pre-orders are available already in the UK, and the band will be available from Microsoft stores and UK retailers Amazon, Curry’s PC World, Dixons Travel, Harrods and O2 from early April.
Microsoft said it also rolled out its first update for the band in February, adding new features such as a web dashboard with more info and charts on health and fitness data, biking functionality and new productivity features for viewing and responding to notifications. In addition it introduced the Microsoft Band SDK Developer Preview for third-party developers and manufacturers to make services for the band.
