But buyers wanting to download apps and other games are out of luck.
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After you’ve determined which tiles will appear on your Band 2, tap the “Rearrange the tiles on your Band’s start strip” link to arrange the tiles as you prefer. Besides fighting Fitbit for control of high-end exercise-focused wearables, Microsoft is also hoping to stave off the Apple Watch and Android Wear. But one of their key selling points are apps, thousands of apps, and Microsoft’s Band 2 platform simply can’t compete. The Microsoft Band 2 was officially announced earlier this month and features a more ergonomic design and 11 sensors, including a new barometer for tracking elevation during workouts.
The Microsoft Band 2 is a very versatile fitness tracker that helps log multiple sporting activities and offers notifications for text messages and phone calls, all on a unique curved screen.
The Band 2’s price comes in at a whopping US$250 (AU$352), which is yet another disappointment for a wearable that’s far more expensive than the competition. The original Microsoft Band was US$50 cheaper.
Because the Band 2 is so heavily text-centric in the way it displays information, I found only one effective way of wearing it: with the display over the inside of the wrist, like you’re Spider-Man, ready to fire your web-slingers.
The curved screen on the Band 2 is 0.5 by 1.3 inches and displays a nice resolution of 320 x 120 pixels. An improved CPU helps you switch between apps and get through a smoother transition across screen.
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This simple interface lets you change the color and background wallpaper that display on Band 2, and there’s a handy preview so you can see what the changes look like before you sync them to the device. I will say that the previous Band triggered a few sort of a smoldering allergic reaction that manifested itself over time, while the Band 2 hasn’t in the two weeks or so I’ve been using it. Amazon also has the Microsoft Band 2 in all three sizes for immediate shipping.
