[Windows Central Question]

Microsoft Band 2 is here and is sports a Smart Alarm (wakes you up during light sleep). With a software update would Band 1 be able to support this feature, or is it missing hardware required for the Smart Alarm to work?

[Witness]

I missed the part about the Smart Alarm. That's a great feature to have! I don't see how they couldn't do a software update for that, so I hope they do. Or, they may just use that as a way to get you to upgrade.

[cfisher11]

I haven't seen them advertise the Smart Alarm anywhere but it is listed under the "what's new" section of the Microsoft Health app.

[DroidUser42]

With a software update would Band 1 be able to support this feature, or is it missing hardware required for the Smart Alarm to work?

Good question. Too many unknowns other then to say that currently B1 doesn't have that feature. (If it did, it would likely be under the alarm tile. That's where I saw it on the Band 2.)

In order to do Smart Alarm, some kind of processing has to figure out what stage you're in. I don't know where that's done now. Is it on the Band, in MS Health, or something done on the backend?

Band 1 cuts off all communication when in sleep mode. Since Band 2 isn't in the wild yet, we don't know what it does.

B1 could be limited by processor or by battery power. But without some input from those who know the details, I don't know as we'll have a answer.

[taymur]

I haven't seen them advertise the Smart Alarm anywhere but it is listed under the "what's new" section of the Microsoft Health app.

Clearly they are targeting b1 owners with this.

as they listed the barometer also.

[Teeceman]

Good question. Too many unknowns other then to say that currently B1 doesn't have that feature. (If it did, it would likely be under the alarm tile. That's where I saw it on the Band 2.)

In order to do Smart Alarm, some kind of processing has to figure out what stage you're in. I don't know where that's done now. Is it on the Band, in MS Health, or something done on the backend?

Band 1 cuts off all communication when in sleep mode. Since Band 2 isn't in the wild yet, we don't know what it does.

B1 could be limited by processor or by battery power. But without some input from those who know the details, I don't know as we'll have a answer.

As these devices are able to operate independently until they need to dump the data to the backend, I would not have thought B1 cutting communication would matter as it has it's own clock/timing.

I'm more inclined to think as you say the limited processor may be the issue or MSFT just wants the B2 to have a several unique selling points to encourage punters to upgrade.

[AgentSplurge]

I really *really* hope it becomes a available for the band 1, its a killer feature!