berty6294
New member
- Oct 5, 2012
- 3,336
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Band User Reviews
- Thread starter Muessig
- Start date
An update, of sorts. It's 10:15 and I'm already at 1,446 steps which is way overstated but I know what the cause is. I take a cab to work in the morning and that is when the step count increases.
Step counting with something strapped to the wrist is going to be problematic to a degree. It has to depend on arm movement to detect steps like when arms move while walking (exception: Rachel Welch, Seinfeld, "The Summer of George"). I did an experiment where I had to drag around a case on wheels. When I used my right hand to tow it - the arm without the Band - it counted steps reasonably well. When I used my left arm - with the Band - to pull the case (which prevented the usual arm with walking movement) it recorded zero steps.
So yes, doing nothing that looks like walking could result steps being counted.
Frank
So yes, doing nothing that looks like walking could result steps being counted.
Frank
queentut16
New member
- Aug 3, 2014
- 62
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I've had my band for about a week now, and it's a sweet (not-so) little device. There is definitely room for improvement, but I'm not aware of any better options out there right now (especially for WP users).
1) My biggest complaint is definitely with the fit. I adjust the band on my wrist a few dozen times a day. It's fine when I'm sleeping (actually better than my fitbit one since that would always spit out of the wristband and I'd wake up holding the damn thing). It's fine when I'm hiking. It's okay when I'm at a computer (I wear it lose, higher on my arm, and face up). It's not so good when I'm putzing about, which is quite often. My wrist is definitely the narrowest bit of my arm, so the band will slide down and inhibit bending my wrist back (it's actually a bit painful knocking the top of my hand into the Band). I have to make it uncomfortably tight, higher up on my arm, to keep it from sliding down when I'm doing anything that involves wrist motion (lifting things, moving things about, tidying the house). So .. room for improvement (this is known).
2) My first use of the Run app, the GPS took about a mile and a half to lock. Since then it's been pretty quick to lock on GPS within maybe 20 seconds of starting my runs.
3) The third-party WP Band apps hugely improve the user experience. Keep them coming! (Are there any equivalents on other OSes?)
4) Since I now get my most important notifications on my wrist, I don't need to check my phone so often. I think I'm actually wasting less time on the phone because of this (not being lured into checking various non-essential apps quite so often).
5) There is so much potential still to be met. Here's hoping for future updates that actually make use of the reams of data available on the Band.
1) My biggest complaint is definitely with the fit. I adjust the band on my wrist a few dozen times a day. It's fine when I'm sleeping (actually better than my fitbit one since that would always spit out of the wristband and I'd wake up holding the damn thing). It's fine when I'm hiking. It's okay when I'm at a computer (I wear it lose, higher on my arm, and face up). It's not so good when I'm putzing about, which is quite often. My wrist is definitely the narrowest bit of my arm, so the band will slide down and inhibit bending my wrist back (it's actually a bit painful knocking the top of my hand into the Band). I have to make it uncomfortably tight, higher up on my arm, to keep it from sliding down when I'm doing anything that involves wrist motion (lifting things, moving things about, tidying the house). So .. room for improvement (this is known).
2) My first use of the Run app, the GPS took about a mile and a half to lock. Since then it's been pretty quick to lock on GPS within maybe 20 seconds of starting my runs.
3) The third-party WP Band apps hugely improve the user experience. Keep them coming! (Are there any equivalents on other OSes?)
4) Since I now get my most important notifications on my wrist, I don't need to check my phone so often. I think I'm actually wasting less time on the phone because of this (not being lured into checking various non-essential apps quite so often).
5) There is so much potential still to be met. Here's hoping for future updates that actually make use of the reams of data available on the Band.
NBrookus
New member
- Mar 14, 2015
- 117
- 0
- 0
Microsoft Band versus Fitbit ChargeHR
I am a long time FitBit Flex user. I had the ChargeHR for about 30 days, then it started making my wrist blister. FitBit was awesome and refunded my entire purchase even though I didn't buy it direct. But as a Windows Phone user, there was only one other choice... and the Band happened to become available again just as I was making a decision.
Fit, Comfort and Materials
The MS Band is a rigid ring resembling a oval with a flat side. The rubber material has a cool, smooth feel. The metal clasp feels firm and reliable. With sensors on both the top and the bottom of the wrist, the wrist can sometimes feel slightly compressed between the two. The thickness of the unit feels somewhat like a bangle bracelet: in the way and "banging" into everything.
The ChargeHR band is rubbery, flexible and a little tacky with a watch-like clasp. It was not as pleasing to the touch, but unlike the Band it did a good job gripping the skin to encourage it to stay in place. Unfortunately, the tacky band collects dust, dead skin cells and fuzz, making it looks old and ugly (and a bit icky) before the first day was out. It also has a history of causing allergic reactions in many people, prompting the recall of a previous model (the Force) that used the same material. The sensor unit and display is a flat rectangle which should have standard watch band prongs, but does not. The sensor unit extended past the edges of my wrists and left two gaps on either side, causing the band to form a triangle instead of a nice, pliable circle.
Winner: Tie. Neither is particularly comfortable for petite users, and I can't tolerate sleeping in either. A slightly wider (but shorter) device would be more comfortable for small users. FitBit comes closer with it's flexible strap, but it has caused bad reactions in a lot of users. Overall, advanced function fitness bands have a lot of room for improvement in the comfort department.
Charging
The MS Band has a proprietary magnetic connector. The FitBit has a proprietary plug. Neither has a cover to protect them. For myself, the charging contacts on the ChargeHR burned my wrist. Even after a month of healing, wearing the band the same wrist irritated those same burn contacts.
Winner: MS Band. The Charge HR plug is difficult to connect while the MS Band snaps right on. The MS Band also charges much faster.
Screen and Information
The MS Band has a full color, customizable screen. The ChargeHR has a black and white text display.
Winner: MS Band. The two are not even comparable.
Battery Life
The MS Band lasts for about two days under normal usage. The ChargeHR lasts 4-5 days.
Winner: Given that the Band does so much more with its screen, in reality they are both solid performers, but the nod goes to the ChargeHR for this category.
Heartrate Accuracy
Both devices use optical technology to read the user's heart rate at the wrist. Some users have had difficultly getting good readings with both devices, but I have been fairly accurate (+/- 5bpm) on both devices when tested manually.
Winner: Tie.
Step Accuracy
Both devices use an accelerometer/gyrometer to measure steps. This method, for a wrist device, is prone to error. FitBit attempts to mitigate these errors by allowing you to manually measure your stride length and input it. The MS Band uses its GPS sensor (which the ChargeHR doesn't have) to make automatic adjustments. FitBit uses "steps" as a proxy for activity, so repeated vigorous arm activity (like weeding the garden or sex) will register as steps. MS Band seems to have taken a very conservative approach and only seems to count actual walking steps.
Winner: Unsure. Both provide consistent results.
Phone App (Windows Phone)
MS Band's phone app is somewhat limited in function but works seamlessly with Windows Phone and does not seem to impact phone battery life. FitBit's Windows app is still fairly young. It does not support notifications to Windows Phone users, does not have feature parity with the iOS and Android apps, does not update the live tile, has difficultly background syncing and significantly impacts phone battery life. What features it has working ties into the web app well and provides more functions, like logging food.
Winner: MS Band, for now. If FitBit catches up their Windows app to the other phone platforms before MS adds new features, the balance will change.
Web Dashboard
MS Band's web dashboard is still brand new. It appears to be solid and reliable, but has limited functionality and does not provide the user insights needed for a healthy ecosystem. FitBit's web dashboard, on the other hand, is mature and feature rich. Prospective customers can also use their web dashboard for free to manually log food and exercise to give it a trial run.
Further, FitBit has an impressive list of working integrations and partners, compared to MS Band's meager list.
Winner: FitBit, by a mile. I don't particularly like the appearance and way the FitBit Dashboard works, but it's all there, even exporting data.
Value
The ChargeHR retails at $169. It has heartrate tracking, altimeter and step tracking. The device itself is fairly basic and therefore has longer battery life, but it ties into a feature rich analytic software. Customer service through email and online is somewhat slow but excellent.
The MS Band retails at $199. It has heartrate tracking, GPS, step tracking, and the other plethora of sensors. The device itself is feature rich and has smartwatch functions, but has a much shorter battery life span. The supporting software, for now, is limited. My experience with customer service both through chat and needing to return one for a different size was very positive. (I do not have access to a Microsoft Store.)
Winner: As a user mostly interest in the fitness band aspect, it's a close call. As a Window Phone user I have to give the nod to MS Band. Those who want the smartwatch functions will do the same. But users who don't need or want the smartwatch functions or GPS should give the ChargeHR a look.
I am a long time FitBit Flex user. I had the ChargeHR for about 30 days, then it started making my wrist blister. FitBit was awesome and refunded my entire purchase even though I didn't buy it direct. But as a Windows Phone user, there was only one other choice... and the Band happened to become available again just as I was making a decision.
Fit, Comfort and Materials
The MS Band is a rigid ring resembling a oval with a flat side. The rubber material has a cool, smooth feel. The metal clasp feels firm and reliable. With sensors on both the top and the bottom of the wrist, the wrist can sometimes feel slightly compressed between the two. The thickness of the unit feels somewhat like a bangle bracelet: in the way and "banging" into everything.
The ChargeHR band is rubbery, flexible and a little tacky with a watch-like clasp. It was not as pleasing to the touch, but unlike the Band it did a good job gripping the skin to encourage it to stay in place. Unfortunately, the tacky band collects dust, dead skin cells and fuzz, making it looks old and ugly (and a bit icky) before the first day was out. It also has a history of causing allergic reactions in many people, prompting the recall of a previous model (the Force) that used the same material. The sensor unit and display is a flat rectangle which should have standard watch band prongs, but does not. The sensor unit extended past the edges of my wrists and left two gaps on either side, causing the band to form a triangle instead of a nice, pliable circle.
Winner: Tie. Neither is particularly comfortable for petite users, and I can't tolerate sleeping in either. A slightly wider (but shorter) device would be more comfortable for small users. FitBit comes closer with it's flexible strap, but it has caused bad reactions in a lot of users. Overall, advanced function fitness bands have a lot of room for improvement in the comfort department.
Charging
The MS Band has a proprietary magnetic connector. The FitBit has a proprietary plug. Neither has a cover to protect them. For myself, the charging contacts on the ChargeHR burned my wrist. Even after a month of healing, wearing the band the same wrist irritated those same burn contacts.
Winner: MS Band. The Charge HR plug is difficult to connect while the MS Band snaps right on. The MS Band also charges much faster.
Screen and Information
The MS Band has a full color, customizable screen. The ChargeHR has a black and white text display.
Winner: MS Band. The two are not even comparable.
Battery Life
The MS Band lasts for about two days under normal usage. The ChargeHR lasts 4-5 days.
Winner: Given that the Band does so much more with its screen, in reality they are both solid performers, but the nod goes to the ChargeHR for this category.
Heartrate Accuracy
Both devices use optical technology to read the user's heart rate at the wrist. Some users have had difficultly getting good readings with both devices, but I have been fairly accurate (+/- 5bpm) on both devices when tested manually.
Winner: Tie.
Step Accuracy
Both devices use an accelerometer/gyrometer to measure steps. This method, for a wrist device, is prone to error. FitBit attempts to mitigate these errors by allowing you to manually measure your stride length and input it. The MS Band uses its GPS sensor (which the ChargeHR doesn't have) to make automatic adjustments. FitBit uses "steps" as a proxy for activity, so repeated vigorous arm activity (like weeding the garden or sex) will register as steps. MS Band seems to have taken a very conservative approach and only seems to count actual walking steps.
Winner: Unsure. Both provide consistent results.
Phone App (Windows Phone)
MS Band's phone app is somewhat limited in function but works seamlessly with Windows Phone and does not seem to impact phone battery life. FitBit's Windows app is still fairly young. It does not support notifications to Windows Phone users, does not have feature parity with the iOS and Android apps, does not update the live tile, has difficultly background syncing and significantly impacts phone battery life. What features it has working ties into the web app well and provides more functions, like logging food.
Winner: MS Band, for now. If FitBit catches up their Windows app to the other phone platforms before MS adds new features, the balance will change.
Web Dashboard
MS Band's web dashboard is still brand new. It appears to be solid and reliable, but has limited functionality and does not provide the user insights needed for a healthy ecosystem. FitBit's web dashboard, on the other hand, is mature and feature rich. Prospective customers can also use their web dashboard for free to manually log food and exercise to give it a trial run.
Further, FitBit has an impressive list of working integrations and partners, compared to MS Band's meager list.
Winner: FitBit, by a mile. I don't particularly like the appearance and way the FitBit Dashboard works, but it's all there, even exporting data.
Value
The ChargeHR retails at $169. It has heartrate tracking, altimeter and step tracking. The device itself is fairly basic and therefore has longer battery life, but it ties into a feature rich analytic software. Customer service through email and online is somewhat slow but excellent.
The MS Band retails at $199. It has heartrate tracking, GPS, step tracking, and the other plethora of sensors. The device itself is feature rich and has smartwatch functions, but has a much shorter battery life span. The supporting software, for now, is limited. My experience with customer service both through chat and needing to return one for a different size was very positive. (I do not have access to a Microsoft Store.)
Winner: As a user mostly interest in the fitness band aspect, it's a close call. As a Window Phone user I have to give the nod to MS Band. Those who want the smartwatch functions will do the same. But users who don't need or want the smartwatch functions or GPS should give the ChargeHR a look.
Nate Silver
New member
- Dec 14, 2014
- 471
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Thanks for the thorough review! Very much resembles my experiences, except I had the Surge and not the Charge. For an overall value conclusion though, I found it to not be a very close call at all. The Band works much better for me.
NBrookus
New member
- Mar 14, 2015
- 117
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Thanks. I looked at the Surge and it seemed enormous. On a big guy (or gal), may it'd be fine.
I think the Band's big weak spot -- data analytics -- will go away. But right now it's unfulfilled promise... just like FitBit's Windows Phone app.
Mark Kaplan
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- Jan 31, 2013
- 1,099
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So I have been rocking the Microsoft Band for a full week now and I have to say I am really impressed. I am far from athletic so I don't use a lot of the workout and heath functions very much. I am using it to monitor my heart rate (comes in handy during bad meetings) and I'm also .monitoring my sleep. This feature in particular is quite interesting as it not only reports on your actual sleep but breaks it down into light and restful sleep. It also tells you how many times you wake up. A lot more than I thought I did. Since I have apnea and use a CPAP this information is quite useful. What I am using it the most for is quick glances and replies to texts and emails and phone calls. I find it extremely handy to not have to pull my phone out of my pocket every time I get a text. Battery life so far has been great as I'm seeing almost 3 full days between charges. The band feels good on my wrist too. Not too bulky. I started wearing it with the face on top of my wrist but am now wearing it face on the bottom. I find it easier to read and keeps the screen safe from banging it. All in all a great piece of technology. While not for everyone, if your on your phone a lot like I am, its a convenience. Oh, and the UV reading function is quite handy if you burn easily like me.
Nate Silver
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- Dec 14, 2014
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Has the weather warm up Nate looking for your comparison reviews of your fitness bands
Well, we've had a couple of days in the 40's (f), so slowly but surely! Still have snowbanks up to 10-12 feet high in places, along the roads where there was drifting. I've never seen such a windy winter! Hoping to get outside with the bike in the next couple of weeks.
Have a spanking new Garmin Fenix 3 on order, should be delivered Monday. Looking forward to digging into that!
Garmin Fenix 3 nice new gadget , lol. But I'm very interested in how they would compare on collecting data, like gps distance, speed, HR etc. Because if the band is anywhere close just really makes the band that's much better as a accurate fitness device with more functionality when you think about the smart watch features. Doo you live in Alaska, 10-12 snow drifts, lol
Nate Silver
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- Dec 14, 2014
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Nah, just northern Maine...we got more snow than most of Alaska this year! Yes, it'll be interesting to see how the Fenix performs. It does not of course, have built-in HR, so I'll have to use it with either my Fuse or a strap. That alone gives the Band an edge for things like sleep tracking. Fenix allows me to use my footpod and speed/cadence sensors though. Otherwise, functionality should be pretty close. The Fenix does have smartwatch features like notifications, though only for Android or IOS.
Yeah your bicycling Felix has a big edge with the Ant+. But I think the quick and fast response with the band gives its a edge with the notifications, etc. But of course these device are 2 different animals in the aspect. Yeah Maine was hammer this winter. Well stay safe and look forward to the review.
JoeHempel
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- Oct 1, 2014
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I think this band is going back to the store.
While I love the GPS aspect of the band, I'm finding I don't really care about my steps, my sleep patterns, and the notifications are just annoying on a run. I've got my phone, I don't need the watch to tell me, and I really hate it when I run, it's distracting. Also, you can't change your HR zones, my max is higher than what they have it set for me, and during your run, you don't have an average pace....really??
I think I'm heading towards the TomTom Cardio.
While I love the GPS aspect of the band, I'm finding I don't really care about my steps, my sleep patterns, and the notifications are just annoying on a run. I've got my phone, I don't need the watch to tell me, and I really hate it when I run, it's distracting. Also, you can't change your HR zones, my max is higher than what they have it set for me, and during your run, you don't have an average pace....really??
I think I'm heading towards the TomTom Cardio.
Mark Kaplan
New member
- Jan 31, 2013
- 1,099
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I have been using my Band for a month now and I really love it. I dont use it to track exercise at all. I like not having to take my phone out of my pocket every time I get a text. I use Cortana to reply which is seamless. I do also use it to track my sleep however it needs to get better at identifying restful vs light sleep. All in all I'm very happy with my purchase and new apps are appearing daily.
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CheekyChace
New member
- Apr 14, 2015
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I love the band. I would just like to be able to reply to all notifications like fb and whatsaap. Email etc. At the moment you can only reply to text. And some more apps would be great.
Hey hi,
time to share some of my experiences with the Microsoft Band. Maybe nothing new for some of, but maybe interesting for those who consider to get one.
Why Microsoft Band?
Where to start? First I became aware of the band when it was released back last fall and my first thoughts were ?Wow! Nice thing Microsoft, but why sold out and why US only??. It was a time I had Nike FuelBand SE and it was okay, just for counting my steps. Well at least I thought. Unfortunately the count wasn?t quite accurate, because I?m a teacher and writing at the chalkboard counts a lot of steps. Wearing a band on the other hand? No way. Feels strange. Maybe other bands will cause the same ?troubles?, I don?t know, well I guess they will.
However I was having a look at the market and wanted to see what other companies do. My mobile phone and tablet come both from another big and well known company settled in the US, but their smart watch solution was way out of sight concerning delivery dates, design and battery life.
Getting started
So I ended up looking for some different products and came back to the MS Band every now and then. Finally I saw it was available in the UK and so I took my chance and ordered one last Wednesday. It arrived early Saturday morning and the time till then refused to pass, so I had lots of opportunities to watch different videos, reviews and tutorials. So unboxing and setup went well and without any problems on my iPhone 6. I didn?t even had to change my language and/or location settings.
I knew, I wouldn?t be able to use Cortana or the keyboard function, but that?s okay for I don?t use Siri as well and answering on my phone is the better option for me.
What I like
Short: A lot.
Well let me start with the physics. I like the design, especially the way the display unit is implemented in the band. The components are allocated around the band without having one bulky part on a sleek wristband.
I happy about the sizes, because I?m really skinny, but the S-size is fitting fine, maybe M would have worked, too. Weight and fitting are quite good, I wear it with the display turned inside which is more comfortable for me.
Two buttons is about the number I?m used to (forgetting about volume settings which aren?t needed here).
So the setup was easy and so is the daily use. The watch-mode provides the most important information which is time and date at a glance. The notification center does a good job, because it shows me that new messages via whatsapp and threema arrived. Well I cannot read them on the band, but it?s enough to see that they arrived. Standard text messages, of course, can be read right on the Band. The discrete vibrations with inform about incoming messages, mails or calls are a great pro, because in my job (I?m a teacher) I cannot check my phone whenever I want, but I can still see, if it?s something important or not.
The weather app is a nice one, too. I don?t know from where it takes the information of where it?s currently located (either from the smartphone or by its own GPS?), but it?s a nice overview.
A point I was very curious about was the sleep tracking. From what I saw in different threads and reviews I was very excited and when I got my band my expectations were fully met. Exactly what I wanted. I can see how often I woke up, how deep and how long I slept. Nice. Even better with Microsoft dashboard which allows a bunch of useful and interesting overviews and summaries.
Today I took my first ride with my bike for this year (yes, quite late, but the weather was rather bad and I had a cold for weeks now). Well the data output is overwhelming. A map where I can see which route I took and lots of data about HR, speed, elevation, distance and so on. I don?t do professional sports, but I bike quite often and I have my standard route, so I hope I can see some progress during the season.
Another pro is the battery life. ?What?? I hear some yelling. Yes it is in opinion. The Fuel Band I used before had to be charged once a week. But it counts steps and some calorie burn. The Microsoft band is full of sensors, it has a display and is way more actively used than a band which shows time and steps. A full charge lastet from Sunday noon (12:00) until this morning (Tuesday) 7:30. Unfortunately I had to pass the working day without it, but on the other hand I had the chance to measure the time for a full charge, which was 2 hours and 8 minutes until the display showed 100%.
That is enough battery life to make it through a whole day. I think I will recharge it daily while I?m swinging in the hammock or couch potating. Both won?t count many steps or burn a lot of calories.
To be honest, I didn?t spend much time on the other apps, yet. Calendar, UV monitoring and E-Mails work, but I can?t say much more about them at this time.
Third party apps: As an Apple user there aren?t that many, but I found what I wanted. ReBand allows me to change the background of the ?home screen?.
What could be different/better
First of all I would like to have the band waterproof. I don?t like swimming, but I would prefer it, if I wouldn?t have to take it off when I take a shower.
It would be nice, if I could control my phone?s music app. Next song/previous song and play/pause would be enough.
The battery-status should have a percentage and the charging-indicator should be more precise. It takes ?ages? to jump from 80% to 100%. It could count one by one which would be better.
Scratches? Scratches everywhere. The amount of scratches is d*** too high? A screen protector is a must have. Maybe the next generation will have some kind of hardened glass. Would be nice.
Conclusion
I think it?s a great product and it will even improve in future. Microsoft did many many things right with this one and I?m really glad they made it cross-platform.
Thank you for reading and sorry, there?s no potato for the long post?
time to share some of my experiences with the Microsoft Band. Maybe nothing new for some of, but maybe interesting for those who consider to get one.
Why Microsoft Band?
Where to start? First I became aware of the band when it was released back last fall and my first thoughts were ?Wow! Nice thing Microsoft, but why sold out and why US only??. It was a time I had Nike FuelBand SE and it was okay, just for counting my steps. Well at least I thought. Unfortunately the count wasn?t quite accurate, because I?m a teacher and writing at the chalkboard counts a lot of steps. Wearing a band on the other hand? No way. Feels strange. Maybe other bands will cause the same ?troubles?, I don?t know, well I guess they will.
However I was having a look at the market and wanted to see what other companies do. My mobile phone and tablet come both from another big and well known company settled in the US, but their smart watch solution was way out of sight concerning delivery dates, design and battery life.
Getting started
So I ended up looking for some different products and came back to the MS Band every now and then. Finally I saw it was available in the UK and so I took my chance and ordered one last Wednesday. It arrived early Saturday morning and the time till then refused to pass, so I had lots of opportunities to watch different videos, reviews and tutorials. So unboxing and setup went well and without any problems on my iPhone 6. I didn?t even had to change my language and/or location settings.
I knew, I wouldn?t be able to use Cortana or the keyboard function, but that?s okay for I don?t use Siri as well and answering on my phone is the better option for me.
What I like
Short: A lot.
Well let me start with the physics. I like the design, especially the way the display unit is implemented in the band. The components are allocated around the band without having one bulky part on a sleek wristband.
I happy about the sizes, because I?m really skinny, but the S-size is fitting fine, maybe M would have worked, too. Weight and fitting are quite good, I wear it with the display turned inside which is more comfortable for me.
Two buttons is about the number I?m used to (forgetting about volume settings which aren?t needed here).
So the setup was easy and so is the daily use. The watch-mode provides the most important information which is time and date at a glance. The notification center does a good job, because it shows me that new messages via whatsapp and threema arrived. Well I cannot read them on the band, but it?s enough to see that they arrived. Standard text messages, of course, can be read right on the Band. The discrete vibrations with inform about incoming messages, mails or calls are a great pro, because in my job (I?m a teacher) I cannot check my phone whenever I want, but I can still see, if it?s something important or not.
The weather app is a nice one, too. I don?t know from where it takes the information of where it?s currently located (either from the smartphone or by its own GPS?), but it?s a nice overview.
A point I was very curious about was the sleep tracking. From what I saw in different threads and reviews I was very excited and when I got my band my expectations were fully met. Exactly what I wanted. I can see how often I woke up, how deep and how long I slept. Nice. Even better with Microsoft dashboard which allows a bunch of useful and interesting overviews and summaries.
Today I took my first ride with my bike for this year (yes, quite late, but the weather was rather bad and I had a cold for weeks now). Well the data output is overwhelming. A map where I can see which route I took and lots of data about HR, speed, elevation, distance and so on. I don?t do professional sports, but I bike quite often and I have my standard route, so I hope I can see some progress during the season.
Another pro is the battery life. ?What?? I hear some yelling. Yes it is in opinion. The Fuel Band I used before had to be charged once a week. But it counts steps and some calorie burn. The Microsoft band is full of sensors, it has a display and is way more actively used than a band which shows time and steps. A full charge lastet from Sunday noon (12:00) until this morning (Tuesday) 7:30. Unfortunately I had to pass the working day without it, but on the other hand I had the chance to measure the time for a full charge, which was 2 hours and 8 minutes until the display showed 100%.
That is enough battery life to make it through a whole day. I think I will recharge it daily while I?m swinging in the hammock or couch potating. Both won?t count many steps or burn a lot of calories.
To be honest, I didn?t spend much time on the other apps, yet. Calendar, UV monitoring and E-Mails work, but I can?t say much more about them at this time.
Third party apps: As an Apple user there aren?t that many, but I found what I wanted. ReBand allows me to change the background of the ?home screen?.
What could be different/better
First of all I would like to have the band waterproof. I don?t like swimming, but I would prefer it, if I wouldn?t have to take it off when I take a shower.
It would be nice, if I could control my phone?s music app. Next song/previous song and play/pause would be enough.
The battery-status should have a percentage and the charging-indicator should be more precise. It takes ?ages? to jump from 80% to 100%. It could count one by one which would be better.
Scratches? Scratches everywhere. The amount of scratches is d*** too high? A screen protector is a must have. Maybe the next generation will have some kind of hardened glass. Would be nice.
Conclusion
I think it?s a great product and it will even improve in future. Microsoft did many many things right with this one and I?m really glad they made it cross-platform.
Thank you for reading and sorry, there?s no potato for the long post?
Great review. I've had mine since yesterday, well strictly speaking since Monday but the larger is just easy too large for me despite what the sizing chart suggests.
Anyway the medium fits perfectly with space to enlarge and tighten. I do think it is rather utilitarian and ugly which is a shame, however it is comfortable to wear and sleep and run. At times I actually forget it is there which I guess is a good thing.
So last night I went on my usual dog run/walk. It was nice not having to carry a mobile phone and still track the GPS route. It was accurate and comfortable. The right information gets tracked and logged.
A couple of gripes. Sharing from the Microsoft health app is incredibly basic. That really has to improve.
And why can't the days from multiple sources like my Nokia Lumia 930 and the band be combined? I hate to say it but it is that kind of mature integration where Apple has the upper hand.
It is a promising start but a long way to go from a software perspective.
Anyway the medium fits perfectly with space to enlarge and tighten. I do think it is rather utilitarian and ugly which is a shame, however it is comfortable to wear and sleep and run. At times I actually forget it is there which I guess is a good thing.
So last night I went on my usual dog run/walk. It was nice not having to carry a mobile phone and still track the GPS route. It was accurate and comfortable. The right information gets tracked and logged.
A couple of gripes. Sharing from the Microsoft health app is incredibly basic. That really has to improve.
And why can't the days from multiple sources like my Nokia Lumia 930 and the band be combined? I hate to say it but it is that kind of mature integration where Apple has the upper hand.
It is a promising start but a long way to go from a software perspective.
Paolo Ferrazza
New member
- Dec 7, 2014
- 441
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Today I went running, the Band is just perfect. Heart rate is correct and GPS is incredible I'm really surprised about the GPS.
What I can't believe is so poor is Facebook integration
What I can't believe is so poor is Facebook integration
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