Consider this thread my way of thinking out loud:
So as some of you will know (it's pretty easy to deduce from my comments) I have struggled somewhat with the decision MS has seemingly made regarding their/our band. It comes at a time when the platform needs confirmation from MS instead of another decision to abandon another 'market'....
When MS first got into the wearable business (2 years ago?) many people were already saying it would be a bust (then again that seems to be the theme whenever MS does anything that isn't 'Xbox' or 'Surface' related). The device was/is a niche product. It wasn't quite a fitness band and it wasn't quite a smartwatch. It had a bit of both.
Many took this as a sign that even MS didn't know what they actually wanted it to be, but saying that to the company who gave the world the 'Surface' line of devices is a bit funny noh? Nonetheless MS defended their move by saying that the Band 1 was simply a prototype to demonstrate what they could offer others who wanted to come in and build devices. For the fans however, the Band 1 was a gift from the heavens. It was sth made by MS and as we've seen, people want things made/developed by MS rather than any other company. Upside for MS was that the sales were going well. It was supposed to be a prototype, but everyday Joe's were embracing it. Downside for the fans of this platform? the availability.
Ok moving on, the Band 2 was launched and by now the Band 1 had garnered a decent reputation. So what happened to 'it's just a prototype'? Well like I said, the previous version did well enough to warrant a second version. The second version was priced (slightly) higher, but MS had incorporated some of the feedback they received from those everyday Joe's and delivered sth that looked better (overall). Yet again people were quick to say that MS still didn't seem to know which direction they wanted to head in with this device (at this point I'm like: can we just let it go already? sjeesh). There were some issues with hardware/software, but the fans yet again embraced this device; not all of them/us. Some even said that 'it's a great device, but it doesn't offer anything that would entice Band 1 owners to upgrade, especially not with the price being slightly higher, however it would be a great device for new Band users'. I can't argue with these people. While the Band 2 had/has a more sleek look to it, it wasn't an overall improvement over the Band 1 and to be honest if MS didn't stop pushing updates to the Band 1, it could have been on par with the Band 2 (IMO they should have pushed updates to the Band 1 and kept it relevant, but I understand the business-decision they made).
Now Band 3... Awhile back I started ringing the alarm bells. It was half way through the year and we hadn't heard anything! Not even a tiny lil rumor, apart from the 'white band' (Panos was wearing). Wth was going on? Would MS abandoned it's project? Then the news dropped. The band was no more! I'll be honest, this was a punch to the gut. Not that I owned any of these devices, but it was nice to know, that if I suddenly woke up with the urge to get one, it would be available.
So what gives? Well....... Didn't MS actually proclaim this? From all accounts it seems as if MS is leaving the hardware business, at least when it comes to the mobile section. They want others to step in and take over that bit, leaving just the software side to MS. So why not do this with the Band as well? As another Moderator pointed out, there is a rumor going around that this might be the case, but it's just the rumor. Considering everything so far, it does seem to make some sense? So far MS has been making an effort to streamline things a bit, instead of having everything all over the place. They want a clear picture of the product they're offering, so they're 'cutting and pasting' wherever possible. That might be the approach they're taking with the band or they simply got tired of all our complaining!
IMO, leaving this section of the market wasn't the best choice. While the business wasn't thriving, it's hard to believe that the sales were so low that costs couldn't be covered, but I have no numbers so this is purely based on what I see/read.
The Band 3 did seem like a decent device! and with the right pricing could've done well... Now we'll never know
Might this be the canceled Microsoft Band 3? | Windows Central
So as some of you will know (it's pretty easy to deduce from my comments) I have struggled somewhat with the decision MS has seemingly made regarding their/our band. It comes at a time when the platform needs confirmation from MS instead of another decision to abandon another 'market'....
When MS first got into the wearable business (2 years ago?) many people were already saying it would be a bust (then again that seems to be the theme whenever MS does anything that isn't 'Xbox' or 'Surface' related). The device was/is a niche product. It wasn't quite a fitness band and it wasn't quite a smartwatch. It had a bit of both.
Many took this as a sign that even MS didn't know what they actually wanted it to be, but saying that to the company who gave the world the 'Surface' line of devices is a bit funny noh? Nonetheless MS defended their move by saying that the Band 1 was simply a prototype to demonstrate what they could offer others who wanted to come in and build devices. For the fans however, the Band 1 was a gift from the heavens. It was sth made by MS and as we've seen, people want things made/developed by MS rather than any other company. Upside for MS was that the sales were going well. It was supposed to be a prototype, but everyday Joe's were embracing it. Downside for the fans of this platform? the availability.
Ok moving on, the Band 2 was launched and by now the Band 1 had garnered a decent reputation. So what happened to 'it's just a prototype'? Well like I said, the previous version did well enough to warrant a second version. The second version was priced (slightly) higher, but MS had incorporated some of the feedback they received from those everyday Joe's and delivered sth that looked better (overall). Yet again people were quick to say that MS still didn't seem to know which direction they wanted to head in with this device (at this point I'm like: can we just let it go already? sjeesh). There were some issues with hardware/software, but the fans yet again embraced this device; not all of them/us. Some even said that 'it's a great device, but it doesn't offer anything that would entice Band 1 owners to upgrade, especially not with the price being slightly higher, however it would be a great device for new Band users'. I can't argue with these people. While the Band 2 had/has a more sleek look to it, it wasn't an overall improvement over the Band 1 and to be honest if MS didn't stop pushing updates to the Band 1, it could have been on par with the Band 2 (IMO they should have pushed updates to the Band 1 and kept it relevant, but I understand the business-decision they made).
Now Band 3... Awhile back I started ringing the alarm bells. It was half way through the year and we hadn't heard anything! Not even a tiny lil rumor, apart from the 'white band' (Panos was wearing). Wth was going on? Would MS abandoned it's project? Then the news dropped. The band was no more! I'll be honest, this was a punch to the gut. Not that I owned any of these devices, but it was nice to know, that if I suddenly woke up with the urge to get one, it would be available.
So what gives? Well....... Didn't MS actually proclaim this? From all accounts it seems as if MS is leaving the hardware business, at least when it comes to the mobile section. They want others to step in and take over that bit, leaving just the software side to MS. So why not do this with the Band as well? As another Moderator pointed out, there is a rumor going around that this might be the case, but it's just the rumor. Considering everything so far, it does seem to make some sense? So far MS has been making an effort to streamline things a bit, instead of having everything all over the place. They want a clear picture of the product they're offering, so they're 'cutting and pasting' wherever possible. That might be the approach they're taking with the band or they simply got tired of all our complaining!
IMO, leaving this section of the market wasn't the best choice. While the business wasn't thriving, it's hard to believe that the sales were so low that costs couldn't be covered, but I have no numbers so this is purely based on what I see/read.
The Band 3 did seem like a decent device! and with the right pricing could've done well... Now we'll never know
Might this be the canceled Microsoft Band 3? | Windows Central
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