Microsoft has unveiled a fitness band today, after rumors of a Microsoft wearable were circulating the internet over the past several months. The fitness band, which is called Microsoft Band, is available for $199 and runs on Microsoft’s newest platform called Microsoft Health.
“Microsoft Band’s cutting-edge continuous heart rate monitoring provides a detailed calorie count and sleep quality measurements. With the inclusion of intelligent personal assistant Cortana on Windows Phone 8.1, the band also offers hands-free access to the web and your most important correspondence whether you’re at the office or at the gym,” Microsoft stated in an official blog post.
Microsoft Band is not just a fitness band that gives you data on calories you have burned or your heart rate. In fact, the device also lets you keep your phone in your pocket by offering you quick access to your emails and text messages. Taking things a step further, the Microsoft Band offers Cortana and productivity notifications.
Available on Windows Phone, iOS and Android, Microsoft Health’s open cloud platform stores, organizes and learns from your fitness information in order to give specific prompts to improve your fitness. Microsoft Health and Microsoft Band were made possible thanks to a deep collaboration with Microsoft Research. Microsoft Health offers a wide range of possibilities, including the ability to share data with your medial provider if you so desire.
“Imagine you’ve set the goal that you want to get fit and lose weight as part of your exercise routine. Based on your burn rate and exercise over one week, we will soon be able to auto-suggest a customized workout plan for you. As you follow that plan – or if you don’t follow the plan – our technology will continue to adjust to give you the best outward-looking plan, like a real coach would do,” Zulfi Alam stated. He is the GM of Microsoft Personal Devices.
Microsoft Band features built-in GPS to record how far you have traveled and even provide you with a map showcasing the course you took. You can choose between multiple backgrounds and colors that fit you best and even rearrange your tiles based on what matters most to you. The Microsoft Band is also equipped with a smart UV monitor that gives you real-time measurement of the UV Index.
You can purchase the Microsoft Band at Microsoft Stores for $199, available in the US in limited quantities on October 30th. Head over to the VIA link to read more on the Microsoft Band. You can also head over to the Microsoft Store link below to purchase the device — it comes in three sizes.
