Microsoft Band

The Microsoft Band may be teeming with features not found in most other activity trackers, but none of that matters if you can't stand wearing the thing.

The Microsoft Band is far from perfect, but it is a super-powered activity tracker that offers some smartwatch capabilities. It is well priced, and flexible. The Apple Watch is considerably more expensive, but offers many more functions and features. And it will tie you to using only a recent iPhone, unlike the Microsoft Band. So buy a cheaper, more flexible but less functional product which complements your existing watch, or go all in with Apple. The choice is yours.

What will happen when we know everything about ourselves?

The Microsoft Band was a surprise. I wasn’t expecting to like it quite as much as I do. I find it comfortable, it lasts just long enough to not be annoying and simply works without too much fussing.

The Microsoft Band is the most well-rounded fitness tracker available for the price, but the design could be slimmer.

The Microsoft Band is the most Microsoft product imaginable. It does useful stuff. And mostly it does that stuff well. But it is ugly and uncomfortable and no-one is ever going to point at a Microsoft Band and say ‘I want one of those’. Which is a shame, because having used it for a while – and despite issues with battery life and distance measurement – I like it and will probably keep using it. Whether that is enough to make people drop £169 inc VAT to get one when they can buy an Android Wear watch for an additional £100 is the key question. I suspect they won’t.

We still need to get the Band 2 in our hands for some proper testing, but it’s clear that there are big improvements in the new model that make it not just a decent upgrade for existing Band owners, but also a compelling new purchase.

It’s difficult to be entirely prescriptive and fair at this point. Suffice to say that the Microsoft Band is the more powerful and full featured device, but it will likely cost more (and we don’t yet know whether it will make it to the UK). This is a classic case of picking the feature set that best suits your needs, rather than spending more to get more if it is overkill. Existing Fitbit users will likely upgrade to the Charge HR. Windows Phone users should definitely consider the Microsoft Band, although the Fitbit works with this mobile platform too. For everyone else the choice will be subjective.

The Microsoft Band has the potential to be the best fitness tracker, but the lack of apps and its overhyped Health platform aren't quite there yet.

The Microsoft Band is an activity tracker packed with features. If you’re looking for something to bridge the gap between a Fitbit or Jawbone and a dedicated sports watch, the £170 Band fits the bill. There’s a touchscreen display to view progress on the move and ten built-in sensors, as well as