5 Things Microsoft Can Do To Improve the Band 2 ? And it is all about the software, mostly

[devbent]

I think #1 on the list for Microsoft should be notification synchronization between phone and band.

If I clear a notification on one device it should clear the other. Doing double clears of notifications becomes old.

This should be a simple fix as well.

Insanely complicated.

We've been trying, hard!

None of the major platforms were designed to have notifications be uniquely identifiable and marked "read" in a universal way. When those abilities have been added, they are not system wide, we'll get an API for just one or two types of notifications, so for example maybe on one platform we could mark SMSs as read, but nothing else.

We believe this experience would be very confusing for users, especially since it would be different per platform, so we left it out altogether.

It is one of the top wish list items we've had in since literally day 1.

 

[DroidUser42]

I do agree with the point made about the ecosystem/community vs the likes of Fitbit. I cannot compete against my Fitbit wearing friends. The Fitbit website has fun challenges where people can join in and compete against each other. It's more about fun, community and bringing people together. There are about 8 people in my fitness club who wear Fitbits and their constant banter about their latest challenges has forced my hand into buying a cheap second hand Flex just to be able to join in. Aside from the Fitbits there are a number of Jawbone wearers at the club. I'm the only Band wearer and that's out of over 30 of us. It tells a tale.

Someone said that history doesn't away repeat, but it frequently rhymes. Eons ago, before IBM clones were affordable, people generally bought computers their friends (or workplace) had. Their friends were their support groups. If you bought something else, you quickly found yourself "on the outside". I bought my first computer from someone who discovered that the hard way.

Victory doesn't go to the best - but to the biggest bandwagon.

 

[hamphlet]

Someone said that history doesn't away repeat, but it frequently rhymes. Eons ago, before IBM clones were affordable, people generally bought computers their friends (or workplace) had. Their friends were their support groups. If you bought something else, you quickly found yourself "on the outside". I bought my first computer from someone who discovered that the hard way.

Victory doesn't go to the best - but to the biggest bandwagon.

Agreed. It wasn't me who sold you that computer was it? Speaking now as an ex Atari XL, Atari XE and Atari ST owner. :smile:

 

[DroidUser42]

Agreed. It wasn't me who sold you that computer was it? Speaking now as an ex Atari XL, Atari XE and Atari ST owner. :smile:

No, it was a C-64. They guy's friends all had Apple II. He found out that having the same CPU chip wasn't close enough.

I should add that I'm not all that into friend challenge, and I was attracted to the HealthVault connection. I liked the idea of getting data to my doctor. I saw that matching with trends to individual healthcare. But at this point I'm not sure as ignoring the friend challenge is a wining formula.

 

[luxnws]

Could be worse. You could have bought a Timex Sinclair.

 

[toddsay]

I'm right with you. Had a few Ataris, starting with the 800. Had a Timex Sinclair at one point, after they got cheap. But the most impressive would have to be my Osborne 1! :wink:

 

[BlackSheriff84]

Does anybody also have there phone sync up with the Microsoft health app as well as the band 2
Microsoft states that the motion detector on our phone should fill in the gaps when you not wearing your band.
Wouldn't/shouldn't it also fill in the gaps when the band misses your step. for example, short burst or when pushing a pushchair etc...

I do and I haven't really payed much attention to how the steps calculated on my phones motion detector and my band get added together.

I did notice once awhile back that the bands steps seem to just override my phones steps. for example
for some reason all day the Microsoft health app had not syncd with my band and had only been syncing with my phones motion detector which was something like 10000 steps. I looked at my band which said I only walked 9500 steps then when I synced my band to the MH app the 10000 steps turned into 9500 steps.

 

[indiW]

My band "eats up" steps.. It is hard enough to get steps from the band as it is... But even the hard earned steps get deleted at times. Not sure whether the band or the phone app doing it. On daily basis I tend to see step count going from... For example 9457 suddenly it goes down to 9000.. I can't remember I am doing reverse walking.. Used to do that when I was 5 or 6 years old but don't do it these days..

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[ajj3085]

Take a look at this for poor step counts
At work phone in my pocket
Xmas party (on the dance floor)
The gap is not acceptable

Why are you assuming the phone is accurate?

 

[ajj3085]

I think #1 on the list for Microsoft should be notification synchronization between phone and band.

If I clear a notification on one device it should clear the other. Doing double clears of notifications becomes old.

This should be a simple fix as well.

Not sure if its as simple as you think, but I agree, this would be a huge deal (for me at least). And not just between band and phone, all devices. I get the same reminder on band, my phone, and my desktop (and two there; one from the Calendar app, one from Outlook 2016).

 

[ajj3085]

Insanely complicated.

We've been trying, hard!

None of the major platforms were designed to have notifications be uniquely identifiable and marked "read" in a universal way. When those abilities have been added, they are not system wide, we'll get an API for just one or two types of notifications, so for example maybe on one platform we could mark SMSs as read, but nothing else.

We believe this experience would be very confusing for users, especially since it would be different per platform, so we left it out altogether.

It is one of the top wish list items we've had in since literally day 1.

This could be a selling point of the Windows ecosystem; at least across band and Windows 10 / WP8.1 having a universal dismissal would be a big plus.

 

[Marc_nl]

The thing that would make me happy is if the Band 2 could be used in combination with a ANT+ or a Bluetooth HRM chest strap.
The optical HRM is next to useless to me when working out, sometimes it's close but most of the time it's completely off. I understand that this is just the way it is with optical HRM, so for a fitness tracker of $250 it would be nice to have support for an external HRM.
Sadly there seems to be no support for ANT+ in windows mobile, but since the band 2 has Bluetooth, it would be nice if the next software update would include Bluetooth HRM support.

 

[LarsCor]

I think it would be nice if the Band would support a 'portrait view' as well as a landscape view. It's almost impossible to wear the band on the outside of the wrist and read time, let alone a notification. Unless you want to look like an ***** tilting your head. I mostly wear the band on the inside and I like it that way, but sometimes wearing on the outside would be more comfortable. Adding a portrait view would make it possible to use the band that way. (might want to leave out the keyboard for example, but the rest of the UI should be easily tilted 90 degrees. Its all just text and tiles, anyway)

 

[Manfred Pohler]

From a users perspective:
I love walking - and I would love to track my tours - the only way I found to enable GPS was running...
--And running is no option for a several hours walk - it will drain the battery way to fast

Notifications - I want to get information from notification center - I get emails, some news (I never choose) but I get nothing about Facebook, Telegram, and other apps which make notifications (I see them when I drag from the top of my 950XL)
Cortana - not working for German language (there are some "tricks" to make it working)
Apps - almost nothing available
And (compared to the things it can do) it is much to "big" - compared to my FitBit which I often forget on the wrist..
--It is no smart watch - although is has (would have) a lot of possibilities - but it does little more than my FitBit

From a developers perspective:
The API is very restricted.
The biggest problem - band can't start an app on the phone. And the corresponding app on the phone needs to be running that the band can work.

There is an exception - Cortana - Band somehow launches Cortana and redirects speech to it.
This is not available for "consumer apps".
A simple example - I want to have an app like "find my car". This is easy - I leave my car start my app on the phone tap "my car is here" - done.
This would (!!) also be easy from the band - choose "Find my car tile" - tap the save button and the band notifies the phone to store the location.
And really it works - if "Save my car" is currently running on the phone.
Else
1 take out the phone
2 start "Find my car"
3 Choose the tile on the band
4 Tap save my car there....
CRAZY!
Nobody would do this - the phone is in the hand - no need for the band.

I agree the band is no smartwatch - but it could do lot more - if the API would enable this.

Another example for walking - have a tile to store "current information" - Position, Heartrate, Altitude, Temperature...
Something like this would also be a good way to track longer walks...

If at least notifications would work I could think about it as a replacement for my FitBit AND my Android Wear (Watch).
But they don't - so all I got is a "better FitBit" (and a bigger one)

 

[peashooter14]

I have developed on the Band2 and it is horrible for any real applications. Every app you write for the band has to have a "parent" application open on the phone. What's the point of that, I would just just my phone. You can't even have an app (tiles) on the band and push a button on the tile to open an app on your phone.

The only possible workaround I have figured out (pat myself on the back) is to use Cortana on the band, to launch your app on the phone, then you can use the band tiles....Guess what...That feature doesn't work and the app loading on the phone hangs. If you use Cortana from the phone it will launch your app.

So, although a cool device, the development stack sucks. I did write a little velocity application that works pretty well to see how fast your are running.

 

[David Goldwasser]

I had band 1 and had it replaced with band 2 on warrantee. While there are many places for improvement I'm very happy with the upgrade.

- Vertical display would be nice, as I do wear the band screen out (for comfort reasons).
- Having a tile to display elevation would be great, as well as a hiking vs. just running, tile, or a way to categorize a run, much like an exercise can be. That would actually be nice for biking as well (road vs. mountain).
- Siri or Cortona (may take some cooperation from Apple?)
- Minor thing, but for biking (and I assume running) the speed graph is always there and I an view it against either heart rate or elevation. I really want to be see heart rate against elevation. Seems like user could click to enable any combination of graphs.
- Would be nice to see some of the "About Me" data from web dashboard on iOS app, as well as the monthly observations. I know I can see a week, but longer view would be nice. Maybe even year like iOS health app.