How i use the Band.

[Jakoh]

Use:
I have a Lumia 1520, a giant of a phone, so the notifications on the band are nice.
To combat bad battery life, I only wear the band at work, and turn it off when i get home (about 12 hours average). This gives me 3 days of tracking. Its like a productivity measurer, if you measure productivity walking.
I like to track my runs.
Occasionally check the UV on a hot day.
Like to look at my heartrate a few times a day.
I check the weather on it.
Search cortana in the car by speaking to the Band.

1 Wish:
Music while running.

How do you use your band and 1 feature you would like to have?

 

[jayblazer]

I work in a blue collar environment so I'm the exact opposite. I never wear it at work but wear it anytime I'm not. My one wish is I wish it would recognize when I'm done with a set while working out and buzz when my heart rate drops to where I should start my next set.

 

[jeffydude05]

I don't have a band, but I wish they made one without a screen and/or without GPS as well to help with battery life.

 

[jojoe42]

I don't have a band, but I wish they made one without a screen and/or without GPS as well to help with battery life.

What's the point in a Band without a screen?!! Then you can't see the notifications!

 

[jeffydude05]

What's the point in a Band without a screen?!! Then you can't see the notifications!

Meh I'd prefer something similar to the Jawbone up3. More fitness, less smartwatch. But that's just me.

 

[Derausgewanderte]

I don't have a band, but I wish they made one without a screen and/or without GPS as well to help with battery life.

sounds like a fitbit flex to me...

 

[jockopablo]

Meh I'd prefer something similar to the Jawbone up3. More fitness, less smartwatch. But that's just me.

I'm the opposite. I'm not into fitness at all (to my detriment), but I'm interested in the Band for the notifications and Cortana access. The heartbeat and step tracking would just be bonuses for me.

 

[jeffydude05]

I'm the opposite. I'm not into fitness at all (to my detriment), but I'm interested in the Band for the notifications and Cortana access. The heartbeat and step tracking would just be bonuses for me.

So you would prefer a Microsoft version of the Moto 360 or Apple watch :winktongue:

 

[Jakoh]

I'm the opposite. I'm not into fitness at all (to my detriment), but I'm interested in the Band for the notifications and Cortana access. The heartbeat and step tracking would just be bonuses for me.

And just tracking your steps can get you into fitness, hopefully.

 

[Titaniumgiant]

It seems some people are hyperworried about battery life. I use it daily...take it off about an hour to shower and let it charge and then bam. its back on and running. I have my txt message notification enabled, GPS enabled, and watchmode on. I have zero issues with the battery and I put in approx. 2 hours of workout mode also on it. No issues.

 

[Nate Silver]

It seems some people are hyperworried about battery life. I use it daily...take it off about an hour to shower and let it charge and then bam. its back on and running. I have my txt message notification enabled, GPS enabled, and watchmode on. I have zero issues with the battery and I put in approx. 2 hours of workout mode also on it. No issues.

Yup, same here. It's just part of the morning routine now. Get up, turn off sleep mode, throw it on the charger, catch up on email, shower and breakfast, put on the Band and go. Simple.

 

[berty6294]

I don't see how anybody could be having bad battery life. I text on my band all throughout the day, never turn it off and always wear it. I even wear it throughout the night during my sleep to track that as well. I let it charge for like 20 minutes while I'm in the shower and getting dressed, once a day and have never been close to killing the battery.

 

[NBrookus]

Agreed. I just top mine off in the morning. I don't use many notifications, but as usual I had GPS on for about 2 hours today and my battery is still about 75% full.

Given the expectation of daily charging, I don't have any battery issues. I am concerned about when I go on long hikes. I'd use my phone to track, but I can't import logs (yet). Hopefully they will add that soon.

 

[jockopablo]

It seems some people are hyperworried about battery life. I use it daily...take it off about an hour to shower and let it charge and then bam. its back on and running. I have my txt message notification enabled, GPS enabled, and watchmode on. I have zero issues with the battery and I put in approx. 2 hours of workout mode also on it. No issues.

Thank you for that info. Considering one would want to use it all day and then track sleep with it I was wondering when people are charging it. A top-off during the morning routine makes sense.

 

[kenjancef]

I pretty much do the same, wear it all day and to bed, then when I get up in the morning I throw it on the charger while I get my son, and myself, ready for the day, then put it on before I leave the house. I figure I'm not doing anything that I would want to be tracked while doing these things...

 

[Jakoh]

Its not the fact that i can charge for 10 mins everyday, its the hassle of doing it. Anyways, i was just describing my use case and how i get better battery life with it, which is a plus.
But the reason i am here today is to talk about Guided workouts, the biggest opportunity in the Band besides being a bluetooth music player on the run.

Start at the beginning:
1. "Find a workout" - Why is this not under the home tile of "Guided Workout" and then edit. The way it now, someone has to make a connection that Find a workout goes into Guided Workout.
2. Lets utilize that beautiful color screen and have a GIF of how to do each exercise or JPG of stance on the Band. I know this a large undertaking but an important one to make this a defacto workout partner. Currently i have to either know how to do the exercise or look on my phone. Reduce the number of workouts if needed.

Thats it.

 

[kenjancef]

You should buy the Iphone and the Watch, they both get about a day of battery life.

Umm.. and what does that have to do with what I said?? Am I complaining about the battery life? And by the way, I do have an iPhone. So does that mean I need to get the Watch too? Guess I'll be selling my Band then.....

 

[stephen_az]

Is it obvious, that you are a M$ man?

Why are you choosing to be so confrontational? One person made a comment questioning bad battery life (something you have not bothered to substantiate or quantify) and your response has been to throw around obnoxious retorts. As to the subject of the things you want, they would require storage and battery usage. Wishing a device that you imply has bad battery life could play music or display images seems like a bit of a logical stretch.

BTW, in my experience the device would easily last two (or a bit more) days of regular use with watch mode turned off. The only exception would be if GPS is turned on. As far as that goes people need to be realistic since active tracking/recording via a GPS chip will draw on any battery and the batteries in a band are necessarily tiny. For general use, a couple days worth of battery life is not bad. In fact, it is quite good given all of the sensors and its other (notification and Cortana) functionality.

 

[Jakoh]

Why are you choosing to be so confrontational?

Sorry Mr. :straight:

But about the music and pictures...they are only used sparingly so the standby battery life shouldnt be affected too much, I would hope. Just like GPS is a guzzler, but we dont use it all the time.

 

[Jakoh]

Recently I found out that The Band could not track a 50 mile bike ride in 5 hours.
But neither could the Sony Smart Watch 2.
Or the damn Sports Tracker app on my 1520 even when it told me it was tracking me...but i have fixed that by deleting it.
Multitasking on Windows Phone is still way behind the Nokia N9.

Daman