Microsoft Band: What You Need to Know About the Scary-Smart Wearable
It may look like just a fitness tracker, but the Band 2 is so much more.
— -- Microsoft's first wearable, the Microsoft Band, has stood out as a sensor-rich device for tracking everything from sleep, heart rate and activity to keeping up with messages and calendar events throughout the day. Now, the company is ready to bring the Band into the world of Windows 10.
The software company showed off the newest Microsoft Band today at an event in New York City. The latest version of the Band includes an 11th sensor -- a barometer -- allowing wearers to track their elevation. It also includes more integration of Cortana -- Microsoft's digital virtual assistant -- along with a curved screen with extra tough Gorilla Glass. Microsoft Health, the dashboard letting Band wearers see their data, will also now including readings for VO2 Max, a key metric for fitness buffs looking to measure their maximum oxygen intake.
The latest Band will also include experiences from partners, including Uber, Facebook and a variety of other companies, making the wearable even more seamlessly blend into a person's everyday life.
In an August interview discussing the first Microsoft Band and the power of the wearable, Farah Shariff, a software development engineer who has worked on the Band since its start, told ABC News she was fascinated with packing sensors into a lightweight device that could ultimately deliver a treasure trove of data to the person wearing it.
"The one thing I have been very focused on is the aspect of sleep. There is so much that happens during that time," she said. "Being able to see exercise timing, intensity, stress, as your body goes throughout the day. Sleep helps you realize how your body is coping with everything you’re putting it through."
Pre-orders for the new Band begin today and will be available Oct. 30 for $249, company officials said.