Microsoft Band: Microsoft's New $199 Fitness Band/Smartwatch w/Cortana

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IamDavid

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2000
5,888
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81
Well, it looks like I spoke too soon on the polish of the software. Seems that the end of daylight savings time may have broken Band syncing with the Health app. Anyone else seeing all zeros for today and experiencing lost data for the past couple of days after the time change?

None here when Paring to Nokia 1520 or Wife pairing to IPhone.
 

seepy83

Platinum Member
Nov 12, 2003
2,132
3
71
This past day, my battery only lasted 24 hours. Previously I was getting about 48 hours out of it. Anyone else experience this? I've only had it for a week now (obviously). I'll be extremely unhappy if this 24hr battery life continues.
 

IamDavid

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2000
5,888
10
81
Still getting 2 days or more per charge.

Display is scratched up already. No big deal to me but others may want to add a protector if they plan to resell.
 

seepy83

Platinum Member
Nov 12, 2003
2,132
3
71
Still getting 2 days or more per charge.

Display is scratched up already. No big deal to me but others may want to add a protector if they plan to resell.

Mine is all scratched too...not so much the display itself (at least it's not very noticeable), but the bezel around the screen.
 

dawheat

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2000
3,132
93
91
Mine is all scratched too...not so much the display itself (at least it's not very noticeable), but the bezel around the screen.

Hmm its like MS decided to build this form factor without taking any feedback from Gear Fit owners. All of this sounds familiar.
 

IamDavid

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2000
5,888
10
81
I don't know if I would've tried anything else if I were MS or anyone else. I think most people will find a way to scratch any wristband up. It needs screen guards. Easily replaceable screen guards.
 

seepy83

Platinum Member
Nov 12, 2003
2,132
3
71
I don't know if I would've tried anything else if I were MS or anyone else. I think most people will find a way to scratch any wristband up. It needs screen guards. Easily replaceable screen guards.

I'm not sure that the glossy bezel around the screen is necessary, or the best way to go for a wristband like this. I'm saying that because I only notice the scratches on the bezel, not on the screen. A better option would be some kind of a matte/flat black bezel, or bring the rubber wristband material right up to the screen edges.

But I'm of the same mindset as you...these things are bound the get scratched and otherwise beat up. I didn't expect it to stay pristine, and the scratches don't bother me all that much.
 

Deeko

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
30,213
12
81
So I've had it for about two weeks now, but I'm leaning towards selling / returning it.

Don't get me wrong. I like it. The problem is, I already have a Fitbit One and a Nike Fuelband. I'm not getting enough unique functionality to justify it, and both the Fuelband and Fitbit have features the Band doesn't.

People talk about it being uncomfortable, but they're mostly comparing it to the thin, stretchy devices like the Fitbit Flex. Compared to other rigid trackers - like the Fuelband - it's not all that different. However, they're right that it's hideous. It's big, bulky, and unsightly, whether you wear it face in or face out. So that's not ideal.

From a functionality standpoint, I do like the features. The heart rate sensing generally works well, the GPS is pretty accurate, the step counting is as good as you can expect for a wrist-worn device - any wrist worn tracker records phantom steps that my waist-clipped Fitbit doesn't. I'm not terribly concerned about the smartwatch features, but they do work as well as expected - and it was fun seeing the look of confusion on the Starbucks employee's face when I stuck my wrist under the scanner.

That said, the software needs a lot of work. For starters, it needs an easier way to view past data - I'm not just interested in the past week. Also, one thing completely missing is any sort of social aspect. My favorite part of the Fuelband is competition among friends, which it lacks entirely. Fitbit is incorporating more of that lately, too.

Battery life for me ranged between 1.5 days and 3 days. Good for a smartwatch, but pretty bad for a fitness tracker. I thought the Fuelband was bad because it needs a charge every 4-5 days.

Overall, there's a lot of good ideas here. If I didn't already have two other trackers, I'd be very happy with the Band. At this point, though, it doesn't offer enough to get me to REPLACE one of those, which is what it ultimately would need to do. I can justify two...but I really can't have three! In typical MS fashion, I'm sure version two will be not far behind, and will smooth out a lot of the rough edges. I'll revisit it then.
 

notposting

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2005
3,498
33
91
Reviews from Engadget and The Verge dumped on this thing.

Well, you could have written that post BEFORE they actually reviewed it and had good odds. Maybe 75% with Engadget, and 99.9% chance of being right with the Verge (ie, "Is it the Apple Watch? No? Well then it fucking blows, let me play with something shiny")
 

dougp

Diamond Member
May 3, 2002
7,909
4
0
So I've had it for about two weeks now, but I'm leaning towards selling / returning it.

Don't get me wrong. I like it. The problem is, I already have a Fitbit One and a Nike Fuelband. I'm not getting enough unique functionality to justify it, and both the Fuelband and Fitbit have features the Band doesn't.

People talk about it being uncomfortable, but they're mostly comparing it to the thin, stretchy devices like the Fitbit Flex. Compared to other rigid trackers - like the Fuelband - it's not all that different. However, they're right that it's hideous. It's big, bulky, and unsightly, whether you wear it face in or face out. So that's not ideal.

From a functionality standpoint, I do like the features. The heart rate sensing generally works well, the GPS is pretty accurate, the step counting is as good as you can expect for a wrist-worn device - any wrist worn tracker records phantom steps that my waist-clipped Fitbit doesn't. I'm not terribly concerned about the smartwatch features, but they do work as well as expected - and it was fun seeing the look of confusion on the Starbucks employee's face when I stuck my wrist under the scanner.

That said, the software needs a lot of work. For starters, it needs an easier way to view past data - I'm not just interested in the past week. Also, one thing completely missing is any sort of social aspect. My favorite part of the Fuelband is competition among friends, which it lacks entirely. Fitbit is incorporating more of that lately, too.

Battery life for me ranged between 1.5 days and 3 days. Good for a smartwatch, but pretty bad for a fitness tracker. I thought the Fuelband was bad because it needs a charge every 4-5 days.

Overall, there's a lot of good ideas here. If I didn't already have two other trackers, I'd be very happy with the Band. At this point, though, it doesn't offer enough to get me to REPLACE one of those, which is what it ultimately would need to do. I can justify two...but I really can't have three! In typical MS fashion, I'm sure version two will be not far behind, and will smooth out a lot of the rough edges. I'll revisit it then.

This is not a movement tracker like the FuelBand or Fitbit One. I find it funny when you say those two have better features, yet the MS Band has 3 that the other two don't - GPS, heart rate and phone-notification functionality.
 

Deeko

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
30,213
12
81
This is not a movement tracker like the FuelBand or Fitbit One. I find it funny when you say those two have better features, yet the MS Band has 3 that the other two don't - GPS, heart rate and phone-notification functionality.

I didn't say they have better features, I said they have features the MS Band lacks - and they do. Just like I said the Band has features they lack. You may have missed when I said that someone who doesn't already have two fitness trackers could be perfectly happy with the Band's functionality.

As far as the GPS goes, yes, I like that, I mentioned it in my post, and it's a nice feature. That said, it doesn't really help me. When I go running, I have two things I need - GPS tracking, and music. Right now both of those come from my phone. The band might take care of the GPS tracking - but I'd still need music, so I still need to carry another device on me. Chances are, that device has GPS tracking too, rending it moot. If the Band had the ability to pair with Bluetooth headphones, and had some onboard memory for music, then yea....it would be perfect for that. Like I said, maybe V2.

Regarding features, they're all different, and none of them do it all.

Fitbit One has an altimeter. It tracks steps more accurately. It is unobtrusive and out of the way. It has an extremely robust software ecosystem with an open API that lets other services integrate. Battery life is over a week.

Fuelband is simple and elegant. It gives you points for more than just walking. It gives proportionally more points for harder work - you'll get more fuel for running a mile than walking it. The motivational and competitive aspects are built in and unmatched.

As mentioned above, the Band has heart rate tracking, GPS, and phone notifications.

For a fitness tracker, I really don't care about phone notifications. If it's there, it's there, but that's not why I'm buying a device like this. What it really comes down to is that none of these devices have it all. I would happily spend money on a fitness tracker that actually had all of the features I want, with a solid software system to back it up, in a reasonably attractive package with good battery life. That product does not exist.
 

IamDavid

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2000
5,888
10
81
Lol, Notposting is 100% correct. It's almost creepy how brand loyal some people are.