Microsoft Band 2 to Debut with Other Microsoft Windows 10 Devices on October 6 in New York!

The second iteration of Microsoft’s fitness wearable, the Microsoft Band 2, will officially make its global debut on October 6 during the American tech company’s big hardware event in New York City.

Apparently, Microsoft Band 2 will be rolled out to the public along with Microsoft’s two new Windows 10 Lumia flagship smartphones and the highly-anticipated Surface Pro 4, details the Christian Post.

Less than a year after quietly releasing to the market its first Band, Microsoft is all set to launch the latest and upgraded variant to the fitness wearable, which is expected to bring a more comfortable fit.

The first Band was heavily criticized for being too uncomfortable and looking quite awkward to wear. Reviewers also ganged up on its unattractive design, poor battery life, and unfortunate handling of notifications.

While the fitness wearable features a wide variety of sensors, its rectangular and flat display makes for a difficult fit and it appears to be trying to find its real identity as it looks very much like a cross between a fitness tracker and a smartwatch, cites The Motley Fool.

Fairly expensive

Indicative that its successor device is already about to be roll out, a fire sale on the first-generation Microsoft Band is now happening.

When the Microsoft Band was launched last year, it had a retail price of $199, which is considered by many as fairly expensive for a fitness wearable, and thus was quite difficult to move out in retail stores.

But since the announcement that the Microsoft Band 2 is about to be released soon, merchants have offered heavy discounts on the Band, which made it easier to sell.

Indicative of how the Band is faring compared to other wearables in the market these days, based on the inaugural report of the IDC, FitBit and Apple led the pack, shipping 4.4 million and 3.6 million units, respectively, of their own smart wearable products.

Samsung was at No. 5, having moved 600,000 units followed by Jawbone and Huawei. Microsoft was not even on the top seven vendors of smart wearables, which means the sale of the Band is way below than both projections and expectations.

It is for such reason that major cutbacks on the Microsoft Band had been made by retailers since July, with the approval most likely from the American tech company. In July, Target reduced the price of the Band to $150. But late in September, Best Buy cut the price of Microsoft Band to $100.

Although it seems the offer has far greater value, it is most likely that the retail giant intends to clear its inventory rather than boosting the popularity of the Microsoft Band.

Focus on cross-platform compatibility

The launching of the Microsoft Band 2 is consistent with the focus of the American tech company on cross-platform compatibility.

Unlike its predecessor that hardly made an impact on the competition when it was rolled out to the market last year, the Band 2 promises to provide a tougher competition for smartwatches and FitBit’s trackers.

The Microsoft Band 2 greatly improves on the design of its predecessor with its more attractive and curved display. The new design also assures of a more comfortable fit and a less conspicuous smart wearable too.

One good thing about the Microsoft wearable is the fact that it is platform agnostic which means that it also works with Windows Phone, iOS, and Android. But it offers the greatest functionality when it is paired with a smartphone running Windows Phone, Microsoft made sure of that. The same feature will be taken on by the Microsoft Band 2, along with its all-improved sensors.

Like its predecessor, the Microsoft Band 2 shall be capable of supporting voice search through the familiar digital assistant, Cortana. But the same feature cannot be activated when used with an iPhone or an Android device.