New Microsoft Band launched, comes with more sensors on board

The new Microsoft Band costs $249 and is available for preorder today. Like the first edition of the wearable, Microsoft Band 2 works with smartphones running Android, iOS and Windows.

The new Microsoft Band offers even more than the first generation model with a more attractive, refined design that is also meant to provide a more comfortable fit.

The new Band from Microsoft features a curved touch sensitive OLED glass display and is shielded with a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The slim-line band is made of durable thermal plastic silicon that feels soft on the skin and should be resistant to water and sweat.

In addition to the sensors above, Microsoft has also added a barometer to give you an idea of the elevation when you are hiking or climbing stairs in real time. The new Band also has the capability to compute VO2 max, a metric which is used for measuring the wearer’s peak oxygen uptake with the help of sensors. The Windows version is also a universal app that can run on tablets and desktops.

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If Microsoft didn’t just set the bar for fitness trackers, then it came damn close. This claim, if it’s still relevant, places additional pressure on Microsoft Health, the Band’s companion software. As with the latest Lumias, Surface, and of course Windows 10 in general, this second-gen Band supports Cortana, and could very-well prove to be the most useful product for it.

With this said though, the Microsoft Band 2 continues to walk a fine line between being a time-focused notification wearable and fitness bracelet, falling in a slightly awkward use case space somewhere between the Apple Watch and the Fitbit. It improves on several of the shortcomings of its predecessor to create a much more rounded accessory likely to appeal to a wider audience. Aside from the design, the wearable is aiming to position itself as the ultimate fitness tracker, and there are certainly enough sensors to make that a compelling boast for Microsoft’s Band 2.

Microsoft’s first wearable, the Microsoft Band, has stood out as a sensor-rich device for tracking everything from sleep, heart rate and activity to keeping up with messages and calendar events throughout the day.