Those leaks we saw of Microsoft’s updated Band? They were pretty spot on—Microsoft just revealed the new device on stage in New York. As the leaks showed, the Band’s design has a more curved display, with less rigidity and more ergonomic so it fits nicely around the wrist.
The new Band still has built-in GPS, UV monitoring, guided workouts, calorie tracking, notifications and more. Basically everything you loved about the original Band is here in the second generation device. Microsoft said it listened to customer feedback when redesigning the Band, so this is truly catered to fitness freaks.
And, hey, Cortana integration is supposedly better, which means if you miss a workout the personal assistant will offer to reschedule it for you. You’ll be held accountable! Imagine that. Nothing like having a digital entity nagging you to work out after a long day at work.
For all intents and purposes, the new Microsoft Band is a smartwatch disguised as a fitness tracker, which is OK with us. The Band was a fun little device that performed as promised, and the redesigned version promises to build on that experience. For example, the new Band can now track elevation through a new barometer sensor, so all you climbers can more accurately track your workout.
Microsoft claims that people who use the Band are more active and follow a workout schedule better than those without one, so, hey, maybe you’ll finally get in shape this new year. When the device does become available, it’ll feature all new partners, including Uber, Runkeeper, MyFitnessPal and more. Yep, this thing is a smartwatch.
You can preorder the Microsoft band beginning today, and it’ll retail for $249 when it launches on Oct. 30.
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