The new Microsoft Band, with a new design and a host of new features. Microsoft[/caption]Last year's Microsoft band had plenty going for it. It worked with iOS, Android, or Windows Phone. It had an impressive array of sensors, including for UV light, and guided workouts so you're not just jogging aimlessly. It was also, though, a little chunky, with a few input hiccups. The new Microsoft band might look like its predecessor, but it's made a host of improvements inside and out.
Most importantly, or at least most noticeable, is that the new Band feels more natural on your wrist. Our hands-on impressions are that the material is very soft. Rather than the rigid display that created an awkward chunk on the wrist, the new Gorilla Glass 3 OLED display now curves, making it more of a true bracelet and less of a transparently clunky accessory. There's a sliding mechanism to tighten the strap and to lock it in place, and on this version, it's been made longer so the Band will fit more people. There are also three sizes: S, M, and L.
The Band has also added a new sensor trick or two, most importantly a barometer to track elevation. That joins the built-in GPS, sleep tracking, calorie counting, notifications, and the other previously available features mentioned above. It's also got more robust Cortana integration, both because talking to your wrist feels like the future and because it's a much easier input method that tapping that tiny display.
There are sport-specific features here as well. Microsoft exec Lindsey Matese noted that the Band makes for a capable digital caddy, able to know where you are, your distance to the green, the calories you've burned, and your heart rate. It can even generate a score card after you're done, an experience Microsoft first detailed in August but will be a headlining feature of its new hardware. For athletes more concerned with oxygen debt than par fours, the new Band can even measure VO2 max.
The Band is available for pre-order today for $250; it'll ship October 30th. That puts it squarely in smartwatch pricing territory, despite despite being more of a fitness tracker-plus. Still! Maybe bridging those two worlds is just what your wrist was waiting for.
