Microsoft Band 2 specs

By Jared DiPane
last updated

Microsoft announced an all-new Microsoft Band on stage during its Windows 10 Devices event in NY. The new Microsoft Band 2 brings curves to the band to make it fit better, a barometer to measure your altitude and a number of other changes as well. The metal wraps around to the back of the band, leaving no hard corners, and the front is now covered by Corning's Gorilla Glass 3.

Additionally, Microsoft announced a number of new partnerships for the new band. Some of these include Uber, Lose It, and many others. The Microsoft Band 2 will begin shipping on October 30 and is priced at $249.

Pre-order the Microsoft Band 2 from Microsoft (opens in new tab)

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CategorySpecification
Display TypeCurved AMOLED
Display Size32 x 12.8 mm
Display Resolution320 x 128 pixels
Band MaterialThermal plastic elastomer silicone vulcanate (TPSiV)
BatteryLi-Polymer
Up to 48-hours per charge
SensorsOptical heart rate sensor
3-axis accelerometer
Gyrometer
GPS
Ambient light sensor
Skin temperature sensor
UV sensor
Capactive sensor
Galvanic skin response
Microphone
Barometer
Additional TechnologyHaptic vibration motor
ConnectivityBluetooth 4.0 (Low Energy)
Charge Cable ConnectorCustom charge cable
Water ResistanceWater Resistant
Devices SupportedWorks with Windows Phone 8.1 update, iPhone®: 4S, 5, 5C, 5S, 6, 6 Plus, iOS® 8.1.2, and many Android™ 4.3-5.0 phones, with Bluetooth®
Jared DiPane
Jared DiPane

Jared started off writing about mobile phones back when BlackBerry ruled the market, and Windows Mobile was kinda cool. Now, with a family, mortgage and other responsibilities he has no choice but to look for the best deals, and he's here to share them with you.

59 Comments
  • Time to invest...
  • battery life?
  • Yep! It looks great.
    .
    Water resistance - so no swimming?
  • Yeah I checked they have a water resistance link and sure enough no swim tracking (for me a big deal swimming is my exercise). O well maybe someday.
  • Sold.
  • Is this band 2 iot or bootstrap???
  • So many things I want from today yet so little money
  • Truth.
  • same. I want to get the Lumia 950, Band 2, and Surface Book but only have enough money to buy a Band 2 :'(
  • Needs a trade-in program for original Band owners.
  • Absolutely, that would be great
  • Why? Technology advances and new models come out all the time.
  • To foster adoption of new devices and increase long-term market share. A trade program for each iteration keeps people buying into the brand. Forcing them to pay full price gives them an excuse to look at competing products, like the FitBit Surge. If both are $250, they can be compared. If a trade deal puts the Band 2 at $150-200, the decision becomes much easier and obvious.
  • +1
  • +1
  • Water Resistant? does that mean i can take a shower with Band 2?
  • No, its not waterproof
  • It's probably like the previous band. Wash hands, yes. Swimming and shower, no.
  • A question remains... How long does the battery last?
  • That is a HUGE one and a major deciding factor on a smartwatch....
  • That's what I want to know now and wish it had swimming support... probably will pick up one when the price drops. Bills come first >.<....
  • Battery is the same, 48 hours of normal use; advanced functionality like GPS use will impact
  • Probably sold too
  • Amoled on this too!?!? The 950s have them too...ugh... I got burn in on three 1020 screens... Has this been solved or what?
  • Amoled is perfect for glance, set it to time out and burn-in is drastically minimised.
  • Certain apps have icons in the same place, 9gag is the worst offender. Feel like a smart watch would not fare well if its always on.
  • I mean, that's what you get for using 9gag.
  • I have burn in on my 1020 too, but AMOLED is the best choice for watches right now. Hopefully any static images have some type of burn in prevention, like subtle moving like Glance does. Posted via Note 4/Nexus 7 (2013)/Lumia 1020/ Lumia 2520
  • Hi.. Is there any info about its availablity in other countries???
  • It seems like it's only available in UK, US and Canada at the moment: https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.co...
  • Shame it's not waterproof. Swimming is my main activity. Will still probably buy one to go with my windows phone. The original band was good until I lost the recharge cable. I will just wait until I can get one of these!
  • I didn't see the thing (wlll try to find a stream later), Did they say how Water Resistant it is ? The Pebble steel I have is claimed 30m Water Resistant, I have gone swimming with it and even diving to about 10 feet with no problems at all on it.
  • It states water-resistant not waterproof. So I doubt swimming is an option. I wonder if they could bring out a waterproof cover that allowed the optical heart rate monitor to still work.
  • Is there any waterproof smartwatch? Just asking.
  • There are waterproof fitness bands out there, which is what this is marketed as.  But admittedly, not a ton.
  • Garmin's fenix 3 ;)
  • Yeah, I was disappointed by this, too. It was my biggest complaint about my Band and I really hoped they could address that in the new version.
  • Still not waterproof. darn. Gotta love the "Capactive sensor" though!
  • If it holds up better then the first band, that started pealing and falling apart after a while, I will be getting one.
  • Pre-Orders are live!!!! http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/productID.324438600?icid=US_Band_ModD_Band2_100615
  • Does it have built in music player?? I want to go on runs without my phone but want music. Don't want to buy an iShuffle for that.
  • No mention about battery life, and the inside glimpse would suggest a different charging cable.  They talk about voice control with Cortana, but no mention of voice with iPhone or Android.  
  • Battery life is the same, 48 hours of normal use; advanced functionality like GPS use will impact
  • Damn cool! ;)
  • More tech specs at the bottom of, http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Microsoft-Band-2/productID.324438600
  • So excited about this, can't wait to get mine!
  • Is it waterproof?
  • The real question is should I pre-order online right now or will I get it sooner if I go through my MS store? /dilemma
  • Under Satya, MS is quickly becoming a company that makes us (fans) proud.
  • I would have loved to see NFC in this.
  • I was really excited to see this design... I skipped the first band, I'll get this one!
  • Great product, sratch resistant,kinda cool, blood pressure feature missing.
  • So would this work if i'm an insider on win 10?  
  • Too little screen I suppose.. Less frame would be so much better
  • You could not wash your hands with the previous model because it could not come in contact with soap. Only plain water. That was a dumb decision for materials. I'm on my second band because the first one was basically destroyed by soap and lotion because I didn't realize it was so fragile.
  • Seriously? Is that why mine is peeling on the inside? Where did you find this fact out? It's a great tip and I just figured mine was damaged by wearing it while doing yard work.
  • but does it have w10 or still a firmware?
  • I've had the Band 1 since March and use it daily both for exercise and receiving notifications. English is fine but it's unable to render Kanji or Chinese characters -- would like to know if 2nd generation has full unicode support. After looking at this morning's run on the Health app, it indicated UV exposure is now recorded but only if using Band 2. (Yes, Band 1 has UV sensor but it doesn't record data while running... Band 2 apparently adds this new feature).      
  • One thing I was hoping for was Xbox Live achievments and connection to your friends list. Then you could compete with your Xbox friends, just like Fitbit.