Microsoft Band: the perfect fitness bracelet or a try?

On October 30, Microsoft introduced the Universal Fitness Band for $ 200. The online store Madrobots.ru catalogs the advantages and disadvantages of a Redmond device based on reviews by The Verge, Engadget and CNET.

Positioning
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The first leaks about the bracelet from Microsoft belong to the beginning of July 2014: even then it was aware of the presence of the screen and synchronization support with the three main mobile OS: Android, iOS and Windows Phone. As a result, the overseas corporation chose the path of greatest resistance: practically everything that fit in the rest of the fitness bracelets fit into the Band case. The number of sensors and functions is impressive - when unassembled, the accessory looks impressive.



Band is equipped with sensors for heart rate, temperature, light, ultraviolet radiation, and even a skin-galvanic sensor. In addition, there is a GPS module, microphone, vibration motor and a screen with a resolution of 320x106 pixels. Sensors most often work in parallel: for example, not only the accelerometer is responsible for counting steps, but also a GPS module, which helps determine the length of one step. Also, the device can display notifications, work as a voice assistant (although Cortana is only for Windows Phone) and evaluate the level of stress. In the aggregate of the stated capabilities, the $ 200 bracelet definitely surpasses the competition: it seems that when developing the device at Microsoft, they compiled a long list of functions for the rest of the bracelets and consistently implemented everything that others have.

Bracelet Band is positioned by Microsoft as the first gadget designed for the Health ecosystem. For the sake of promoting this product, the company chose a surprisingly friendly strategy: having forgotten about pride and arrogance, Microsoft actively cooperates with competitors - a partnership agreement has been concluded with RunKeeper, MapMyFitness, Jawbone and others. Over time, this will allow you to connect more and more wristbands to the Health application: a great solution for users who want to see at least some alternative to the standard software.



Opportunities

The main functionality is succinctly presented on a special page on the Microsoft website. In total, the bracelet has nine key functions:

• 24-hour pulse tracking;
• Display statistics while running;
• Display statistics when walking;
• Route analysis by GPS module;
• Counting calories;
• Sleep monitoring;
• Advanced training programs;
• Setting goals;
• UV detector.

Of the important points, there are no detailed recommendations based on the data obtained. Microsoft promises to do this in the near future, but no time frame has been set yet.

The review of David Pierce on The Verge started quite enthusiastically: first, the author listed several important indicators (sleep time, sleep time, heart rate changes), and then admitted that he learned all this thanks to the Band. Pierce used the accessory for more than a week and during this time, he said, he found out a lot about the bracelet, and about health, and about Microsoft, and about himself. David immediately explains that the Band cannot be categorized as a smart watch: the tracker screen cannot display as much information as the average smart watch screen. The second supposed difference is design: if a watch should be fashionable and stylish, then the best quality for a bracelet is to be considered inconspicuous.

Pierce’s conclusion is hardly optimistic: in both respects, the Band is stuck somewhere in the middle, and this is clearly not a plus. Further, the author admires the presence of GPS: the module allows you to leave your smartphone at home and not feel discomfort while running. Before moving on to design and ergonomics, David highlights a bonus for Windows Phone owners — support for Cortana’s voice assistant.



In terms of ways of wearing, Pierce is unshakable: he is confident that the Band should be worn only on the dominant hand and only the screen inside. The author explains his logic by the banal impossibility of using a bracelet in another way: if the device is positioned with the screen out, then to read from a horizontal screen you will have to bend your elbow to the stomach. Pierce notes the convenience of viewing the current indicators when performing exercises on a press or while lying on the bench - only the inside of the wrist is visible in this position. However, there is a drawback: wearing the screen inside provokes the appearance of scratches and dents, because this part of the hand regularly touches something.





At Engadget, Terence O'Brien (Terrence O'Brien) called the Microsoft Band an ergonomic nightmare. “I wear watches and wear Jawbone UP, but they don’t compare with the discomfort that Band causes me. This bracelet is bulky, hard, unreasoned in terms of proportions, ”explains Terence. He has no doubt that wearing the screen inside is unnatural and dangerous: "In two days I scratched him so much that someone could get the impression that I was testing the Band in the desert." In general, the bracelet does not save even the choice of three sizes: all the evils are not from the size, but from the design.

According to the materials of the case and the type of display, O'Brien also has questions: he suggested using a curved screen (a la Galaxy Fit) and abandon the unpleasant plastic resting on the wrist. Terence agrees that such a product will be more expensive, but, in his opinion, the increased price will justify itself: the current version of O'Brien is ingeniously comparing it with a plastic bracelet for those who are under house arrest.

Naturally, the authors of Engadget and The Verge did not ignore the weak Band battery: the sensors devour a lot of energy, and even in the non-GPS mode, the device lasts two days. Charging is done in 80 minutes, but a quick restocking of the battery still does not save the tracker from the rays of indignation: compared to other bracelets (except, perhaps, Gear Fit), the accessory from Microsoft is sad.



O'Brien abruptly changes his tone for a supportive one when it comes to software, which Redmond apparently rely on. The tiled interface looks succinctly, but the program itself definitely needs some work: now Health gives only general tips from the series “take a break for 58 hours before the next run,” “don't drink coffee before meeting the boss” or “spread your skin on sunscreen”. When you go to the gym, the app randomly selects one of the training programs, but you can adjust it, of course. Notifications (social networks, messages, calendar) come to the bracelet with vibration. Only Windows Phone owners can answer them: for dictation into the Cortana bracelet and equipped with a microphone.



Competitors

Of course, the Microsoft Band is incorrect to compare with trackers without a screen, so we will focus on the most popular options with a display. Garmin Vivofit is not afraid of water and holds a charge for more than a year, but it does not synchronize with Windows Phone and cannot boast of the presence of a heart rate monitor and GPS. Gear Fit only works with Samsung gadgets, and the Nike FuelBand is deprived of virtually all sensors from the Band arsenal. The only worthy contender is Fitbit Surge: “super watches” cost $ 50 more, but they also have GPS, and a good battery (up to 7 days) and less geek design can become arguments in favor of buying this device.

Conclusions and perspectives

Summary The Verge, Engadget and CNET are more or less the same. Observers praise the support of three platforms, round-the-clock monitoring of the pulse, the presence of the screen and built-in GPS. Negative cause ergonomics, weak battery, periodic problems with synchronization, the lack of full moisture protection (even the soul is afraid, not to mention the pool) and questionable pulse rates (typical for this type of measurement). Additionally, CNET complains about the not too intuitive interface of the application, and David Pierce from The Verge in the list of minuses asks a rhetorical question: “What should I do with all the data?”. Indeed, Microsoft doesn’t yet have a powerful tool for analyzing indicators and advanced advice, but hopefully it will appear.

Remotely, the output will sound like this: a corporation from Redmond launched a very promising project, but the Band, despite all its sensors and sensors, was released rather as a test sample of the work of the entire ecosystem. Microsoft's new challenge: solve obvious problems, expand the Health functionality, and present the second generation of the Band: an improved battery, protection from water and a more solid (or imperceptible) case will dramatically increase the quotes of this bracelet.