Just days ahead of the release of Apple’s premier wearable, Redmond has seen fit to launch its wrist-worn Microsoft Band in the United Kingdom.
The wearable, praised for its fitness-tracking accuracy and multitude of sensors while at the same time criticised for its unattractive appearance, is available for purchase from the Microsoft store at only £169.99 – nearly half the price of Apple’s upcoming premium wristwatch.
Microsoft’s Band connects directly to the company’s health service, and enables users to health their activity through traditional measurements such as calories burned, sleep hours, and activity level. The Band is also capable of measuring sun exposure, stress level, and a user’s heart rate.
The Band, unlike the Apple Watch, can be used with most popular smartphones through the wearable’s companion app. The companion app suggests workouts to meet your current fitness goals, and through Cortana, Microsoft’s digital assistant, can set commands for the Band to follow. The Band also features built-in GPS – a rarity among fitness trackers – which primarily use a smartphone to facilitate location tracking.
Ahead of this morning’s launch, both the Band and it’s companion app received software updates with presently unknown contents and improvements – likely, and speculatively, optimisations for users in the UK.
This morning’s UK launch follows Microsoft’s move to expand the Band’s distribution in the US – the firm opened sales to Best Buy, Amazon, and Targets stores following sole sales through the Microsoft Store.
The Microsoft Band is available in small, medium, and large wrist sizes, and ships only in matte black. The Band can be purchased for £169.99 at the Microsoft Store, Amazon, Currys PC World, Dixons Travel and Harrods as of this morning.
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