Microsoft Band: Unboxing and hands-on tour of Microsoft's new 'smart' wearable

It says cortana can provide directions through the watch.!! Please do check this feature out during the review.!! As per the MSFT site : "Cortana: Use your voice to take notes and set reminders with Cortana. Or ask her to give driving directions and keep you on top of news, stocks, weather, and more. She’s ready to help whenever you need it."

Music playback needs to be there for a device of this form factor meant to assist in fitness.  I mean, many people listen to music while on their workout or in casual everyday travel.  Controlling music is a definite win for this.

This...!

I picked one up this morning. I agree, music controls are the only thing I really miss. However, you can technically control the music using Cortana: "Play music", "Stop Music", "Next Track", etc.

I was just about to comment on using Cortana for playback controls.  Now if i could only spare $200.

If you're a bing rewards member, you can redeem points to save 5% when you order online 

Oh, I guess it's OK then, but a dedicated tile and interface would still be awesome.

Oh yeah, music controls and using it as a phone microphone would be very neat.

Agreed. Music seems to be the only thing missing for me. Does the Band have a speaker? If your playing your Music does sound come from your phone or the band? Unless you have ear phones on of coruse. 

Band doesn't have a speaker. Music goes through wherever your phone is paired to.

Yes, but it would be a stupid thing if it obligates you to carry this band AND the phone when going to run, for example. When I'm running I don't want to carry a phone, a "watch", a tablet, and a hundred of other gadgets... A nice thing would be the ability to store a couple of hours of music and the ability to listen them using a Bluetooth stereo headphone. That's the main reason why I can't imagine me using any of those wearables that exist now. Maybe future generations of those devices will get better and have this feature.

Y..y..you mean go out without my phone? O_O 

Yes kkk Why not? I can survive without my phone for a couple of hours ;) Also I live in a hot tropical country and my phone (L930) is too large (and heavy) to even fit in the pocket of my running shorts.
I think this one is in the right direction, but it is too large for my taste: http://global.timex.com/timex-ironman-one-gps
So, if the MS Band had just 4Gb of internal memory and an independent music player with basic controls (shuffle all, etc) that din't require the phone to operate, it would be perfect.

I totally agree about the music player needing to be there...right now I use my old N8 when I go for a run, would gladly use a this band of it had some way to listen to music...its what keeps me from even thinking about buying one yet.

Cool. This is a GREAT looking device and I like how Microsoft chose to position it. In my opinion it is designed and positioned more progressively (and appropriate for our time and it's desired function) than Samsung's and Apple's attempts at wearables. Namely because Microsoft was not confused by the positioning of the device on the wrist, with identifying, and marketing it as a "Watch" they were intellectually and creatively free to devise a form factor "around" the desired functions. Combined with the new cloud based Health platform, its reasonable price and it's cross-platform functionality I'm convinced Microsoft has winner!
WHO WANTS A SMARTWATCH, NOT ME. MICROSOFT's BETTING YOU DON'T EITHER!
http://jltechword.wordpress.com/2014/10/30/who-wants-a-smart-watch-not-m...
Let's get on the BANDwagon! :-)

Good point!! My first desire of a smart watch came from the old old idea of ipod nano and a taylor-made wrist band and subsequently certain companies' really advertised such a concept many years ago. But think about it, we don't literally need a watch, and this band just suits the desired functionality:D
I guess digital-giants Apple Samsung get confused by those ideas hoho 

Was hoping for more of a band akin to the the kind you see for charities (livestrong, breast cancer, etc). This looks to big and thick. A fitbit sized device with the screen would have been better... There's always v2

The flatness and width of the screen makes it look a bit clumsy. It should be curved like the rest of the band. It should also have a dock or charging plate rather than a USB cord if you have to charge it so often.  

I don't mind the cord, but I wish it was just a plain micro USB port so that I could use the same cord that I use for everthing else. 

I'll never buy one, but that looks pretty impressive.

Just did it with Cortana :). Play Music, Next track ,  Stop Music, Play "name of album" :)

You can also say "Play random music" and she will shuffle your collection, or you can create a fitness playlist and simply say "Play fitness"

I was wondering.. If the surface team made this.. What will the nokia team make? Perhaps a 3G version.. A full fledged smart watch?

I like surprises.  This is a good one.  I bought the first one in the Portland MS store this morning.  Now what's the next suprise, MS?  Lumia 1030 announcement, tonight?  :-(

Anyone know if there's other color options? Like a silver or white?

They only had black when I picked mine up at lunch.

Yeah, I was wondering about the black options during the unboxing tour.  it looked like an inverted color scheme with the color part being the lines that separated each tile.  It would be interesting to see how that looked.

I wished the band have something like "always on" glance. So I don't have to press the button and I get to know the time.... Battery life could be a problem though.. :\

Scroll to "Settings" and select the clock face icon  Choose "on".  This will keep the clock face on 24/7 in a lower power mode (No background, etc.)

It does have a watch mode

Impressive device!

How's its EM shielding?

Ayy lol

Water resistant?

It is IP67 Rated, so 1 meter for thirty minutes. That said, they caution against showering and soapy water in general, so I would take care.

Dust and splash only

Water resistant but not water proof, recommended to dry it off after sweating on it as well

My main complaint so far is that it can't be used when swimming. In fact, I may end up returning it because of that shortcoming.

That was my thought also, i wanted to use it when swimming. It seems to be the only fault this product have, except that its not available in my country. But as a health monitor and companion device it self, I would buy it.

Agree with you! They should think about the swimmers in a next version of the band!

It's already sold out here in austin

Oh noes!.  Thanks,  you saved me a trip to the Domain. 

Ah, thanks. You just saved me a trip to the store.

Just got off the phone with MS retail for Austin. They waived the overnight cost so as long as their warehouse has supply I should be getting mine soonish.

I ordered mine online with 2 day shipping. Hope it comes soon.

Awesome

Yes it is, but I would not mind to have double that screen, I think it would look really cool

I didn't think about that.. That would be awesome❗

Yeah, it's better than I thought it would be.. I seriously want one.. They did a great job on this SB, but I just hope they market it properly. The public really needs to know about this.

1) where are the apps, because it is 2014 and MSFT didn't just launch without an app store did they? 2) where is the SDK, because it is 2014 and MSFT didn't just launch w/o an SDK did they? 3) if you live in the north west, it needs to get wet and survive or nobody will buy it. A joke considering its parent company is based in redmond.

Waterproof and shock resistant would seem to be requirements

I believe they said it isn't water proof. it is sweat proof which...not sure what it means. this is a HUGE problem for a two hundred dollar device that breaks should you get accidentally caught in the rain OR splashed by a wave...is well, ridiculous. are you supposed to carry a bag or something around your wrist? is that all the engineers at MS can come up with? It rains in seattle!

I'm pretty sure you can get a little water on it. Do you take your Lumia deep sea diving?

my lumia phone is in my pocket silly. this is going to be oh my wrist. what if I have to wash my hands? what if it is raining? what if I'm walking in the city and I get splashed? neither is a worry with my phone. If you have to take this off every time it rains, well, have you been to redmond?

Most competing products are also not fully water resistant.  Including the Apple Watch and new Fitbit Charge.  The upcoming Fitbit Surge, however, is supposed to be. I wish MS would have made this more water proof, but it certainly isn't a a "joke" that they didn't.

The Band is not waterproof, but it is water resistant.  MS recommends not to swim and take shower with it, but it handles raining, washing hands, splashing just fine.  I bought the $19 Microsoft Complete 13-month extended warranty with my Band.  That includes the damages caused by the water accidents.  I'm 3 hours into wearing the Band now.  So far so good.  I finally got rid of my old Swiss Amry dumb watch.  But I have to get used to charge my Band every other day from now on.  That's the trade off.  This Band is a 'must' for the WP owners.  But It is a 'May be' for the IOS and Android owners since it doesn't support all the features of IOS and Android at this point.  MS needs to do more for them.

where is this recommendation? all I say was that it was dust and splash. how do you define "splash". wave splash? garden hose splash?

Do u hold ur hand up in the air when it's raining?

does the rain only fall at 90 degrees to the surface? ever heard of wind?

You didn't watch the video, did you...

I'm trying to find the ratings on MS site. Danie's word is just his. I don't see anything he says backed by the MS site so, sorry but MS word overrules his. If you have a link to the ratings in MS's site please do link to them. Daniel is pretty pro-MS so I can't really take his word for it.

They clearly said it is water resistant so rain shouldnt be a problem. Or as you put it, a HUGE problem. And maybe you should try one before you start the clarion call for "no apps", the basics are covered but if you want to play Halo on it you might want to wait for something else. Talk about overreacting.....

halo has nothign to do with it. that is the most ridiculus thing I've heard. if windows phone had no apps, would you argue it doesn't need them because you can't play halo on it anyway? silly.

And what apps to you want to run on a screen this small? You have texting, email, and other notifications that come through. You want to look at pictures on this thing? This type of device is only good for receiving notifications. The screen is not big enough to type on. There will be API's released to allow other apps to send notification. I don't you will get apps that run on this.  

Watch the unboxing. Daniel explains the difference between water resistant and water proof if bing, google, or wikipedia are out of reach for you.

I would add common sense to that list.

The manual that comes with it says that it is water resistant and designed to survive getting splashed or rained on. They say that it is NOT designed for swimming, though, which is a big disappointment.

Have fun running in the rain.

have you been to seattle? ironic given which company is WA based? oh that's right. MS.

It is a pitty that they did not think about the swimmers. That would have been a great differentiator.

There's an actual link on the Microsoft page itself for the developers ;) I saw it as I was reviewing the device. It will be launched and ready to go.

SDK has been announced. As for apps, you obviously overlook the fact that it's more a fitness band than a smartwatch. It's IP67 certified, so winter in Europe etc. will be fine on your Microsoft Band.

why do you think a fitness band shoudln't have apps? are we not already past the point where apps are somehow a BAD thing?

Dude it has apps lol its a narrow horizontal screen what do you want to do on this? Timer & Alarm, Cortana, Email, Text, Calls, Notifications for Twitter, Facebook. It does sleep tracking, steps, run, Calorie, Guided workouts, and the niche UV monitor lol I mean they're great features, sure not full apps but whats your phone for? Until I see how the Apple Watch does and the response from developers, I strongly believe smartwatches are going nowhere. I feel like OEMs are trying to hard with the watches. I feel like they are trying to win attention in your wrist where really there shouldn't be any else to do but take a quick glance. I think Microsoft is on to something. Time will tell lol

the original iphone had a lot of stock apps. many argued that was all you needed. we now know that the zune failed because it never created an ecosystem like the ipod did, with is apps. do you need more proof of why an app store matters? because it is 2014.

I agree. Very nice device. Unfortunately Microsoft decided to concentrate on a market that doesn't want it's gadgets.

  What apps do you feel are missing? How many consumers care about an SDK?  Microsoft has already promised a SDK anyway. It is water resistant thus even someone in the Northwest will be OK.  

-it's missing basically everythign developoers can create with these many sensors. the possibilities are huge IF they get the sdk out. -MS promised an SDK for xbox 1 universal apps about one and a half years ago. still waiting. how's the xbox doing vs the competition? do you still think consumers don't care about an SDK? if the iphone hadn't made one for its "apps" do you think apple would be where it is at? don't be silly. consumers love 3rd party apps. and these apps cannot be made without an sdk.

"Plug me in to get started" Thats what she said! Lol

And said by many people all over ze world!! Mwah ha ha ha!!

what would Tim Cook do?

Not a good thing to say !! That man is courageous !! You should appreciate his courage !! But I'm still not saying I appreciate someone being a gay !! But if someone chose to be gay! They have every right to be!!

In this day and age it isn't courageous to be gay or come out as gay. If you are gay, so what. What do you want a cookie?

Chose? I think you may have the various definitions of the word gay mixed up.

who said anything about being gay? it was you.

Who cares!

Tim Cook will add in 1 extra feature on the iWatch

Can't wait to get mine!

The feeling is mutual.

It is a pity that it does not support swiming with it, it would be vey cool.

technically it is a lot like a phone, let's say you go for a run and you get splashed by a car or on the rain? MS isn't clear as to what will cover or not. I suspect water damage of ANY kind = out of warranty or coverage.

I've seen several places that it is water resistant to a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. I think you will be fine if a car splashes you or you get caught in a rainstorm. It would be nice of it supported swimming, but it probably has to do with the microphone or (if there is one) the altimeter.

It would be nice to have a band for swimming in a next version of the band!

Why is this US only? :( I will buy it on day 1 in the uk! Cant wait!

Trial ;)

Ditto want want want want Nownownow

Beta testers u c

I read somewhere that European countries have restrictions on health data. This device is supposed to record and track your health info. There will probably be regulatory hurdles to clear to release this in Europe.

Because Microsoft is trying their best to get 'muricans to lose their fat arses lol

Wasn't MS suppose to released three smart bands(watches) ? Or were those just rumors?

It comes in small, medium, and large.

Just 3 wrist sizes, S,M,L.

There are 3 sizes of Bands available, due to the fact that the band is not removable.

Is it sunlight-readable like clearblack displays, Daniel?
(and a question, where should I tell you the name of a game to be introduced in windows central?)

In the settings, there is a sensor setting similar to Lumias that allows you to "auto-adjust" screen brightness based on surroundings.

One has to wonder why they didn't go with the curved-display-style á la the Asus smartwatch among others. This looks really awkward, with it's long, flat display on a rounded wrist. Picture two really shows how much it sticks out - looks like a no-go with long sleeves...

It's an interesting design choice for sure. If you watch the Microsoft promo videos, it is shown to be worn so the display is on the inside of your wrist, not the outside. Presumably that allows for a tighter fit.

The guy who sold me one in the MS store wore it with display on the outside... I told him its designed to be using with display on the inside.

Did he obey?

While it's primarily shown with the watchface worn on the inside of the wrist, they do in fact show it both ways in at least one of the videos.  The longer "Live Healthier" video shows the guy doing pull-ups with it on the outside of his wrist...  both when he checks the Band prior to and while actively doing the pull-ups.

Cost, perhaps? Could also indeed be that flat works better inside the wrist, and also provides better contact for the sensors?

Because then they would have just produced a complete copy of Sony's Smartband Talk.

Except Sonys uses E-Ink and around the same price? that's a slap on the face lol

I guess it has to do with that "rectangular" design philosophy crap in lieu with their tiles etc. Have they made also a "rounded corner"  option for tiles on WP I bet they would have had at least 1% more worldwide marketshare.. my 2c..

My text messages are not consistently syncing, Cortana is not working. They have some work to do

Mine work fine when its connected, but my issue is the instability with Bluetooth doesn't always stay synced. Had that problem with my fitbit too.

What do you mean by when connected. The band does not stay connected constantly. It only syncs every once in awhile? Cortana does not work for me at all

Mine will receive texts and show them to me, but I cannot use Cortana or get email snippets. Tells me to make sure Bluetooth is on and my Band is near my phone even though they're "paired" and are right next to each other.

yes, same error for me! I think there is a bug

The guy in MS store demo the Cortana with the band, works perfectly.

Cortana workign fine here. Just got her to play music etc too

I think there will be more updates coming

I tried to buy one. They were sold out of the Large

Is there any guide for size? My nephew is going to by me one, but I don't know what sir to pick.

It's on the MS website, with wrist measurements

Does Cortana nags at you if you enter McDonalds or KFC?

Starbucks probably paid to be on the whitelist!

That depends on the frequency of the visits to McD... ;-P

"McDonald's for the fourth time this week??"

Automatically extends goal to 10,000 steps.

Got one this morning.  Guess what.  It pairs just fine with my Lumia Icon with DP installed!  YAY!

This is good news. That was my only worry. Waiting for mine to come in the mail!! ​

Only wish it was water proof

Hmm... What do you think will happen to it if some water got in?

A message flashes on the screen before the device dies: "RTFM. It says no swimming."

Cortana will yell at you.

Can anyone who has this please comment on the initial comfort level of the device around wrist? I noticed a bulge at the end of the band. Would appreciate it.

It feels fine. The band has pads on the inside so that the clasp just sits on the other end. And the slit you see on the back is a slider to adjust the size. It's pretty cool band.

Thanks

I was curious about this too. I'm worried the flat part where the screen is will be uncomfortable. Glad to hear it isn't bad.

I generally wear larger watches so this thing doesn't feel awkward or uncomfortable to me at all.

Not as comfortable as a Fitbit Flex, but not too bad. I don't like it with the screen out, and wear it as recommended, since it feels a lot more comfortable to me that way.

Picked mine up this morning in Chicago on the way to the airport. Can't wait to give it the full test during the Grand Prix weekend.

It would be great to hear a user review in two weeks or so :-)

I am two levels of jealous being an F1 fan in Canada and not being able to get this device.

Thank you Daniel. The review is very good. Kudos!

Can you comment on how it handles altitude changes without an altimeter? Can it accurately count the number of floors that you climb in places without GPS? My fitbit handles this beautifully, but it looks like the Band does not have an altimeter. How does the accuracy of the pedometer stack up? Can we get some detailed screenshots of the interface on the phone and the Band?

Does it have a boot animation?

Nope, just a little haptic feedback is all.

I haven't been particularly interested in wearables, but I have to admit this device looks pretty spiffy.

Call me skeptical but it seems that the watch is more like an alpha product than a consumer one.

Is the spelling in this post also "Alfa"?  ;-) Seriously, what about this appears Alpha?  Looks very slick to me.  Seems like a strange comment.

I didn't realized that the phone changed it. Tnx

Always great to vent your opinion, without any examples....... %-)

How on earth did you end up with that conclusion??

No buzz, no launch event, no store, limited number of bands. (my spider sensors are tickling.

Microsoft's plans were to release this as a launch device to launch the Microsoft Health Platform, that is why the device came in so quietly. In a way it kind of backfired on them lol the demand was higher than they predicted and now most stores are out and online its been back ordered. But yeah, think of this band as a launch device for the Health platform. They want other fitness OEM's to use this as a concept, they are even licensing the 10 sensor modules to whoever wants and they want services to use the Health platform so that a user can keep track of the same data no matter what device, smart watch, phone, or fitness bands :)

+930

Me wants.

Me has

Me hasn't got it. But me want.

So much want.

Ordered one last night. Can't wait for it.

I don't think you have a choice.

Amazing post, thank you.

Seems faster.

Thank you, Daniel! Two questions: 1. Any possibility to change a music track via MS Band? 2. Is there a possiblity to get notifications from WhatsApp on the Band? Here in Germany 95% of texting is done via WhatsApp...  PS: Kilograms is the international standard for weight ... everywhere - expect the US. It is also the weight unit in science... ;).

I was wondering about (2) myself... for Facebook Messenger.  Don't so a lot of texting. (Actually, after finishing the video I see that there is an option to display a FB Messenger tile on the band.  Sweet!  I didn't see if WhatsApp was in there or not.)

I think third party apps will have to wait on the SDK unfortunately. Twitter and Facebook are considered first class citizens on all 3 smart phone platforms so yeah those automatically get the first integration lol

you can get any notifications that show up in notification center. as long as whatsappp show there itcan be seen on the band

Sure? Do you have a source for your information? Thank you! :))

AND yes you can control music with Cortana :)

Yeah, but thats not what I want to do in the gym. Also, in Germany we do not have Cortana :-(.
Do you have a source for your claim that we can get any notification on the band? Thx!

i have one on my arm right now :) one of the tiles you can choose is notification center which "Enables all other notifications from your phone's notification center on your  Band"

I don't have this option... where are you seeing this?

It's in the video in this article. You can see at 14:28 he goes to a notification center and chooses which he wants to see. There appears to be a limit on how many apps are providing notifications. I don't know if whatsapp is one of those apps. There is an option for general notifications and I bet those will show whatsapp notifications, among others, until whatsapp adds support for this device.

I don't understand why its not available in Ireland or UK? Can you purchase in the states and ship to UK? Will it work here? It's a step towards a smart watch but it was definitely designed in stealth mode, there was very little or no development involvement with this.

I'm in the UK, and tried (nearly) all ways of purchasing this morning, The MS STore website requires a US delivery address (which is easy to arrange via one of the US-UK shipping partner sites), but the MS Store also requires a US billing address that matches your payment card.  PayPal UK doesn't work, and US-UK personal shopper helper websites won't work either. I think we're reduced to either flying to the US, getting a friend to ship one back, or paying over the odds on eBay. I hate it when Microsoft do this US-only thing, it stinks.

This video made me want one even more.  

Doesnt has a camera?

What the fuck? Who needs a camera on a watch... c'mon.

It was just a question, you don't have to be a jerk. Who needs a camera on a Glass?

007

lol right

Nope. Anyways a camera would be next to useless on a device like that

Go tell Samsung.

Haha, true. But to be fair their device has a larger square screen. Imagine trying to Skype chat on the Band

I really want this device.  I hope it can track my cycling though.

You can track a run with GPS, so that should work for you.

Agree.  I think it will work for cycling but in a "limited" capacity.  I wish it had ANT+ capabilities for cycling so it would pick up standard bike sensors such as cadence and power.  I know bluetooth sensors are available for things and in time perhaps the Band will interface with those.  However reoutfitting bikes with bluetooth sensors is cost very prohibitive, especially if you have more than 1 or 2 bikes and are already invested in ANT+ based sensors/computers.  Also obviously including ANT+ would have increased the cost, perhaps the size and had an impact on battery life.  So there are always trade-offs. Now, on the other hand...  if Microsoft Health was smart enough to be able to import and automatically merge workout information from multiple sources such as the Band plus my Garmin Edge computer to pick up that additional ANT+ data, then that would be awesome!

If the Health app works as well on iOS and Android as it seems to work on WP this could be a Trojan horse for MS and WP.  It's brilliant how they are capitalizing on a current trend in technology even though they are fairly late to the game.   

I agree with the initial statement but not the last part.  They are not late to the game.  Android is still figuring out the wearable space and Apple only teased their Watch because they knew MS was about to launch their device. It is great timing in my opinoin.

Really?  Fitbit, Garmin, Nike, not to mention others, all have fitness trackers already.  Apple may not have released their watch yet, but there are a number of Android wear watches as well.  I think it's safe to say they are late, but they definitely aren't last.  Great timing indeed!

For me, i put this in a different category than a fitbet and the likes.  It does more. And more to my point; fitness trackers are not on everyone's wrist yet so there is a huge market that is still available. It is still early in the process.

android is coming out with a platform, not a single device that will not stand a chance when everybody and their grandmother OEM makes a fitness band with android wear. android wear has apps, this does not. apple is apple. there is no chance in hell for a product that doesn't create a platform that is not from apple. the last time they tried this was the zune, and see how that went. So I'll agree they are not too late, but they are out with the wrong product. nobody will buy this over android wear. The only chance MS had was to convince them to use windows wear or whatever on the flood. This pretty much ensures windows wear is dead...

I think their bet is not on selling a lot of these but rather getting people interested in the overall service of Microsoft Health. Other OEMs will be able to make bands, apps, etc. I think it is still too early to tell.  I think i will end up getting a MS Band and checking it out.  Seems like a fun device and does the things i need a fitness tracker / smart watch to do.

Purchased the first one in San Diego Store. Includes free gifts: $5 starbucks card, gym bag and a screen protector for first few customers. 

Is there any other colors available?  

Any color you want as long as it's black.

said Henry Ford ;-P

Black only. You can only change the display color.

Great stuff

Daniel, did you verify as you mentioned you would that it works with the Icon? A few people have already said that it does, which is kind of weird, but I'm happy if it does!

Ah, saw the other article about that now. :)

yes it does

I cant find the app in the store. Has it been pulled or does it just not work with my 920?  

direct link http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/microsoft-health/0168b504-ca...

I am definitely getting one next week, especially after this video of it in use! Hopefully if they make another version that it is mostly waterproof.

It is mostly waterproof. At least that is how I define water resistant. It's waterproof for about 30 minutes. :)

Man, I like it a lot!! I want one!

Nice, my order is still in process. Does the workouts alllow you to create your own?

Definately need music controls.

Nice one!

Want this. Sadly MS have locked out overseas purchases by requiring a US registered CC to buy. My usual buy and ship within US won't work. Anyone's guess as to how long MS will take before deciding to allow overseas customers to buy but my bet is it wont be soon.

How about using PayPal? Microsoft can't detect the region then.

Tried that too but either PayPal wont allow split CC billing / delivery addresses or MS has somehow queried PayPal for local billing address. Paypal said couldnt complete the payment and bounced me back to the MS store.

Wonder how well this will work for an individual in a wheelchair? This would be a GREAT gift for my nephew. Obviously, he can't walk. How would it register the number of times he PUSHED his chair? Hmmmm. Time to do some research before Christmas.

I feel this may be more of an "app" feature than in the default for when they open to 3rd party apps.   But in the interim, it can still track stuff like UV exposure, notifications and sleep patterns.  May still have some use even if you can't see the push number.

Only way to know is to try. I would assume since it is wrist mounted, it would work somewhat. The distances travelled may be off though. But it would at least give him a number to compare against if he wants to be more active.

It uses GPS for tracking distances

Look so cool!!!! I want one :P

I picked mine up this morning, and I like it a lot. You have to have Windows Phone 8.1 update 1 for it to work, so most people will need to use developer preview to upgrade if they haven't already. Daniel, can you change the screen color and background without resetting the device? I haven't found a way to do that yet, and you "conveniently" cut away during that part of the video ;) Thanks.

You configure the screen and background with the Health app..

You are correct. I finally found it. You have to tap on the band at the top right to get that menu to open. Thanks.

I have the latest Dev Preview on my 822 and I couldn't get it to stay connected to the Band. It would pair, then immediately loose connection. I had four MS guys with me - none of us were able to get it to connect with my phone. We concluded that you need the Cyan update with the updated bluetooth for it to work with the Band. It paired fine with my friend's 920 that was Cyan.

Whoops! Double post!

I have a Lumia 1020 that already has Cyan. From Daniel's other post, it doesn't appear that Cyan is required, so it must be a different issue. I had disconnect problems like that when I tried to pair with an OBDII reader until I got the Cyan update. I hope you can get it resolved.

you dchange colors and wall paper  in the app. touch th eband icon to go to personlaize band

Also: WHY IS MICROSOFT DOING THESE HAMBURGER MENUS??? I love the pivot style Windows Phone UI. They seem to be abandoning it for this idiotic hamburger thing. They already have the "..." for menus. I don't get it.

To keep consistency with Mobile Websites and Android if you ask me because thats usually where you see it most.

Yeah, I still find it disheartening to see them value consistency with OTHER OSs and products in this matter over UI consistency with their OWN design rules, since a WP user will already know fully well what pivot menus and "..." are. Why even bother with their own design philosophy if they don't value it. One reason many of us like and keep using WP is the design language used. Abandon that, and it gives us one less reason to bother.

why a back button??? http://i.imgur.com/qYOlrIS.jpg

I'm thinking the WP version is just a straight port of the iOS version... :/

This.
The Facebook app used to look more "modern" in the beginning.
But then Facebook required Microsoft to change the apps' design to meet Facebok's guidelines across all platforms.
I understand Microsoft wants consistency across all devices.
But they should go along their design principles and make the apps on all platforms "modern".
This is my concern with Nadella's multi-platform stuff.
They sell out to the other platforms!

Sometimes signs get universal, like the Play-button or sign in every machine that runs or plays something. Every OEM use it regardless of the brand. MS just decided to go with the flow with that hamburger.

because that's what people use. the windows phone UI has lost in the market. the market has spoken.

I want one. In Europe, Microsoft! Why do they always, with every single product somehow omit Europe?

What's the battery life like.

48 hours of usage

One question: What will happen if I buy it from US then ship it to another country (my home) to use and setup it? Is there any limitation? In the setup step I saw the zipcode :(

I believe the zip code is just to find the nearest gold gym since it comes with a 2 week free membership to gold's gym.

Should work when u put ur region settings on the phone to US.... no limitation (zipcode is optional).

Thanks for the great first impression video, Daniel! I didn't see any signs of music playback control, I'd LOVE to have my phone out the way while exercising and not have to fish it out whenever I want to change playlists and such! :-)

They could use the action button when it's locked. One tap pause/play, two taps next track, three taps prev track. Nice and tactile.

I would be very surprised if this isn't in an upcoming update.

Thank you for this review Daniel. I really want to get one, but no luck here in France... Except if you sent me one, of course ;-)
By the way I talked with an US store rep, and she told me that the warranty would be broken if I got one outside the US... Kinda sad.

Ooh well, by the time it arrives outside US, I can at least customize it to make a smartwatch from it, and disable all the fitness tiles.

Excellent and thorough review as always Daniel!  I especially like the bit that it pairs and runs well with the Lumia Icon...it sort of makes the Icon not feel like so much of a doormat now...and the fact that my ole trusty Fitbit Flex won't sync and this device will, makes the $100 extra sort of melt away. A. 

Daniel there is Starbucks integration now not  "at some point" add the card/your card in the app bytouching the Band icon in the top right and then selecting Manage Tiles. Scroll down to Starbucks, turn the tile on and touch the little pencil. then add the card. go to starbucks and when you are going to pay go to the starbucks tile on the Band. it gets scanned. done

I was waiting for this unboxing :)

Should get some Xbox controls on here :)   Use the bluetooth to the phone to connect into smart glass so it can turn on the device and "voice control" the xbox for those that don't have the kinnect 2 (now that xbox is without it).. where is the MS Band uservoice page?!? :D

Thats a very good idea!

I find it slightly annoying that the screen is horizontal only. I have been wearing it on the inside of my wrist for easier reading. Also, there needs to be an easier wakeup method than pressing the power button. For example Moto 360 comes on when you turn your wrist

You have been using it as designed. They made it to be worn with the screen on the inside of your wrist.

I have rarely been a first day buyer, but I am today. And the last one was Lumia 920!!

Thanks Kevin S.

Beautiful gorgeous band

This is good. I like it and very much too. Interesting though is the fact that MS made a good product, lauched very timey, fair amount of features and sensors, priced fairly ( that one fairly debateable), good looking, Like Daniel said, Well built and MS went cautious (chicken) on the supply and distribution. I can understand not wanting to build firesale inventory, but there are times you know you built something good like this fella here. I don't know about you, I am getting one of this little fella and lying through my teeth to the wife on how I got it. I still have time to drum up a good story for her.

Alien abduction is always a good one. Would also explain why you need to sleep with it on "they soldered it on!! It was terrifying!!

This is the comment of the day lol!

Haha...

Thanks a zillion for the tip. We are on a roll here, I somewhat knew help and tips are near

Get her one too. Arguments and Problems, solved.

Hows the fit?

Battery results anyone

Microsoft is saying 2 days of battery life......not bad at all 

Yeah, it's on the market for about 6 hours... how can you come up with this question? Oo

Cool!!!

Nice!

Picked mine up in Natick today :-) Using it with iOS at the moment and works perfectly with everything including all notifcation alerts. Loving it :D

Does cortana work, even with the band paired to iOS?

I love the Cortana integration, but in the video, activating Cortana on the Band also activates it on the phone itself. I hope that if the phone is asleep it won't wake it up every time you access Cortana on the Band.

The Cortana processing is done on the phone, so it would have to wake it up.

So, how would it be if the band is conected to an iphone or android? Would cortana work?

If the band is dependent on the phone for that, I don't think it would work with iOS or Android. I don't think Microsoft would add compatibility for Siri or Google Now but you never know.

True, I didn't think that through. I hope if it's in your pocket the screen doesn't light up when it does so. I can see some accidental screen taps happening.

Hi Daniel! Possibly picking one up after work today. What does the Notification Center tile entail? Do you get to see all notifications?

hamburger button on top and.. a BACK BUTTON too??

Yeah. Absolutely ridiculous. Sorry, but this is a huge deal. Same with the OneDrive app. They are abandoning what made the UI of WP so fluid and enjoyable to use.

This. Sadly.
And I see this as Nadella's fault.

Go on the user voice site and vote for the related petitions /suggestions.

Got mine! Loving it! It does pretty much everything you would want. You don't need a full fledge water proof computer on your wrist. Thats why you have a smart phone, minus the water proof. I am running the app on a Lumia Icon with 8.1 DP.    

I think it is a good start into the wearable buisness for MS; however, I personaly will skip this first iteration of theirs. The device would be more to my liking if the display would fill out the frame more and if it would be bending around the wrist a little. Right now it just looks way to bulky for me.

Now they just need to go ahead and start selling the 830 here in the US so I have a phone that can connect to this thing.  Can't convince the wife I need it if I don't have a phone that it works with. (Still on a lumia 900)

Would she be able to tell?

I think it is too ugly. They should have made a smaller bezel, and maybe a curved display.

daniel, can you play music through Cortana?

I'm not Daniel, but yes.

As its already sold out in some places in US, so is there any possibility of world wide availability soon ???

I want this in my country ASAP

Ordered it!!

Saw the video and ran out and got one. I am still paying for it.

Got an advanced warfare tshirt when I bought mine

These are the bands to make her dance.

I kind of have to wait, but even if I could get one now a few things would hold me back 1)I have a small wrist, looks a little wide. Waiting for curved display 2)Would love more...robust water resistance (swimming, even if limited, would be nice) 3)Want to know aboout real-world battery life/wait for a version with longer life or at least a quick-charge feature (considering it's supposed to be on overnight/all the time

https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.co... ^.^
They always have a glitch in their marketing.
Why didn't try simply choose https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.co...

That's reserved for their in house marching band.

Does it have workout parameters for cycling and swimming, or does it just do walking/running?

hamburger button.. and now back button too. RIP metro ui

We can pray its only for multiplatform apps (which of course most MS apps are/will become)..

What it's the range. Can I leave my phone at my desk while you go to another room. Does it have glance so the clock is always displayed

It has a "watch mode" where the time is always shown (light text on black background to save battery)

Glance would be great on this device

Glance would make it a must buy.

Ordered as I don't have time to go to the store.  Looks interesting and hopefully will motivate me to be more active.

Ordered onlline $189.00 plus 5% discount.  NICE!!!

How is the sizing?  Using the printed out sizing guide I seemed to need a large, so that is what I ordered, but I was a bit surprised since I usually get Men's medium gloves.  Has anyone been able to try them on?

They should just buy fitbit and rebrand it. It has superior technology and is currently the market leader.

Looks like I'm buying 2 as soon as MS gets them over to us in UK, looks a good product.

Wow..this is looking great. Smart functionalities with fitness principles. Music integration would have been awesome. I ordered one last night and eagerly waiting for it. MS might have got this one correct as far as the review of the product goes. Eagerly waiting for mine.

I just ordered one online (size Small). Showed up as a pre-order and says it will ship by 11/6. Was still able to use my Bing Rewards 5% off promotion. The discount applied to the band and to the Complete extended warranty. Plus free 2-day shipping for Rewards members. Nice. One question I have is if the band is connected to my phone via Bluetooth, can I use my Bluetooth headphones at the same time? In other words, can two Bluetooth devices be connected to my phone at the same time? And the band does work with the AT&T Lumia 1520, correct? I have all the updates that AT&T has pushed out so far. Also thinking about getting a Lumia 830 when it comes out. I assume the band will work with it.

Heh, did not notice you had the same question as I did before posting...

Wow. After watching the video I may need to go on my best behavior to get one for Xmas... Luckily Santa comes from my home country so I have some connections. Question (and I gather the answer may be no) - can you have both the band and a Bluetooth headset paired to the same phone at the same time? Would love that at the gym (especially if the band gets music controls).

Why wouldn't it u can have a headset for voice and a headset for music

Paired and on at the same time? That would be great. [Btw, why would you a voice BT headset and a music BT on an paired at the same time? Hmm.. I guess you might want that if the music headset cannot be used for receiveing calls]

Dan, I'd be curious to see how the Band integrates, if at all, with weight training.   I don't see anything obvious.    How would the device know how many reps or sets of an exercise you've done? Or your progression in weight lifted?

I was already looking those new fitbit devices, but kind of holded off for some time because Charge is not good for me. I want it to have a heart monitor which meant that I need to wait for Charge HR or Surge which even has a GPS. So while that got me thinking this whole MS Band thing happened and although 200$ seems like a lot of money for a fitness wearable it's actually not that much since I was thinking about possibilities to buy a Surge who's price is even higher. So basically the real question is how will Fitbit Surge compare to MS Band in extra "smart" features, since it's fitness features are quite on par. Maybe 3 times battery life difference between these two "smart" devices will take the decision with some people, maybe it will be the whole CLOUD system behind it I don't know. I don't live in the USA so I can't really get neither of the devices I'm thinking of. It gives me extra time to think, then. So far it seems more logical to go with MS Band for my own preferences, but in reality the color screen means really nothing to me. I want to see the Surge in action at least on video so I can mentally categorise it. I hope this MS Band comes to United Kingdom this year with a reasonable price and I hope it will be able to integrate with more apps in the future. Answering WhatsApp messages seems more important to me than plain SMS which nobody really uses here. Sendin a voice memo via WhatsApp would also be a big deal for me - maybe someone want's to write my wishes down ;-)

I also was on the verge of buying the Fitbit Charge as it supports Windows phones. However, with all the rumors about the fitness tracker from MS I told myself to wait. I bought the MS band today and so far cannot complain. I don't really need the messenger function as mentioned by you. I'd be more interested in a integrated music player to play music during workouts (I usually don't take my phone on runs). The limited memory in this device however will not allow such a function. Nevertheless, I think MS got it all right with this device.

I now need this but no one will give me $200.

Too bad it isn't completely water proof. Just splash and sweat resistant. I find that annoying about most activity trackers that are to be worn 24/7. 'Yes, you can where our device 24/7...unless you are taking a bath or swimming.' With that said, that is not a deal breaker. I'm still wanting to acquire this neat gadget. Soon....SOON.

It is not waterproof ? So what happens if you start to sweat too much?

It is waterproof.

Here are the details of its water resistance classification.  http://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-band/en-us/support/safety-guide  

Better than I'd thought it would be. Cross platform support will help sells. I'm actually kind of impressed. Microsoft is finally realizing they can't bully themselves into the lead in mobile, and is taking appropriate action.

I wood have prefer a surface 3 but still good news

It needs a Windows Sync app because Verizon has screwed me to a point where I can't sync it to my Lumia without Cyan.

Got mine this afternoon and it's really nice, gonna use t tonight when I do my run.

This should have glance screen for the clock to show in sleep mode. I would like to buy one to replace my clock and to have all these fitness and notification features, but glance is very important almost essential, at least on my phone. Glance is the only thing that keeps me from buying a Lumia 930, hope Microsoft will bring this feature to the band.

Would be nice if the tiles were different colors. Make it more colorful.

Looking good. 

I got mine today too and love the way it looks. Finally a fitness band that offers full Windows Phone support (whatelse coming from Microsoft). Will test it later during a run. 

Having gone to the Microsoft store to check this out, the UI and the screen look great, but it's a little clunky. It's at least 4 times the weight of my wife's Fitbit Flex. With the screen being flat and so long, it was a little uncomfortable to wear and that was just for a few minutes.

Great for fitness people. By I still want a simple designer like watch with nothing but notifications. Probably just me.

This sounds like a great blend of features. I have 2 immediate reactions.    1. I wish it supported music playback over BT. I want to sync a playlist or a podcast from my phone or PC to the Band, ditch the phone at home and go for a run and listen to music via my Jaybirds. Sounds like with 64MB of storage this is a non-starter and maybe this would cripple the battery life. It's a bummer.   2, Looks pretty rigid and clunky. Not totally unacceptable, but I can imagine that stiff screenback and that knob at the clasp could get pretty uncomfortable with all-day wear. Eager to hear the comparos.  

My only criticism is that it looks a little chunky on the wrist. It would've been much nicer if it curved slightly to match the curve of your wrist much like the similar looking Galaxy Gear. One thing about Microsoft hardware design is that it never quite looks 'right' for some reason. I can't explain why but their devices always look slightly dated to me for some reason. The Surface for example, is a great tablet but it looks 5 years older than it should if that makes sense. Hopefully now with Nokia integrated their phones and further products won't follow this path.

They better release it to the rest of us or that's just bloody selfish on Microsoft's part greatly

I Will wait for Daniel to make the big contest "win a band"

Nice video, just want one more now!!

Canada :'(:'(:'(:'(

Does this have Gorilla glass 3?

Nice of MS to offer this to all eco systems unlike Android Wear and the missing Apple Watch. I will get one when they come to the Great White North. Solid product, should sell well. Nice job on the preview Daniel. Wonder if I will work in -55 deg Celsius when I go back to Goose Bay this winter?

Does it show WhatsApp messages?

I want one SO badly!!!

:333 I want it! MS's got to bring it to Mexico!

I wonder what'll happen with the MSN Health and Fitness app? Will it somehow be integrated or will that just be a separate thing in itself?

I will definitely be getting one of these! This will be a great holiday season for me. Surface Pro 3,plus the Band. Keep the cool stuff coming Microsoft!

Does cortana works when the band is pared to an iphone or android???

IPhone and android do not have Cortana... So nope.

What are the dimensions of the screen (including the bezel)?   dah, nevermind, they are Display AA size: 0.43" x 1.30" (11mm x 33mm)

Love how Daniel says " you can have those crazy kilograms"

Does is register your heart rate while exercising. ie sweating a lot. I have a basis watch and it loses my heart rate when working out

I like it!  Too bad you have to carry around your Lumia!  If not; it a "win" but with it; it not!

As I understand it you do not have to have your phone with you when you exercise as it will store data and then upload to your phone on the next sync

Great overview! The UI and packaging feel like a refinement of Microsoft's current design language, I'm liking the subtle changes. Defintely considering picking this up. Also, sweet start screen on the 1520 :D
   

It's an over-priced first generation device. Wait.

WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT WANT!!! Bring it to Norway!!

With sensor core on newer models that work with fitbit does the band also work with fitbit? I am asking because I have the flex and aria scale I could give my wife the flex and still use scale myself.

I want one! Waiting for Brazilian launch! Or some muambeiro friend!

I want one !!!!!!!!

Bring it to Jordan !!!!

I'm so bummed that this doesn't have a normal watch orientation. I'd buy one immediately if I didn't tilt my head to read it.

I want one =(

It doesn't look cool on wrist

Sold out in STL and online

Shocked. Announced yesterday and people can already buy it? I hope this "trend" extends to future smartphone launches :)

Got one!! A family member is in US atm and she picked up one to bring back to AUS on Tuesday for me! Can't wait ;)

If Starbucks has so much interest in Microsoft... Why do we still not have a Starbucks app on Windows phone?

A whole smartphone app probably takes more effort to do than the one that's currently on Microsoft Band. 1. It's only used to pay for purchases, so it only needs to be able to create a barcode. 2. Microsoft probably just offered to make the app themselves.

Thank you Daniel for an awesome first hands on and unboxing <3 q. will cortana works on all windows phone or just the Snapdragon 800 series?          i want one plz post update when its available in INDIA...

After a full day of use I can say, this thing is great! It's very comfortable and everything is very readable. And after 7 hours of use its down only 10%...so the 48 hour life might actually be extremely conservative. Cortana integration is fantastic. I used it all day for texting and set a reminder. Can't wait for more apps.

Is that with watch mode on?

Just awesome

Its good but isn't it difficult to use the band when the screen is horizontal ? 

Nice but a couple things about it I would have them modify. Its too thick around the inside of the wrist. That needs to lay flat or it becomes very uncomfortable to wear for those of us that are on the computer all day.  I have the Jawbone fitness band and that is one of the few things that returned me to the Fitbit, its too thick while on the keyboard. Microsoft's band has that same issue. (assuming that material is hard plastic or rubber.) Second, unless  you are a contortionist, the clock is not in a natural position to be read by its wearer. Its in a great position if you plan to ask strangers to read the time to you but if not, its just a bad position.  I'll wait until the band thins out and the clock is in position for the wearer. 

I think the heart rate monitor (and the other sensors) necessitates a thicker band than the ones you mention.

I expect you are correct but that makes for an uncomfortable wear. I'll be skipping the Microsoft Band purchase for now. I tried to get used to that thickness while at work with the Jawbone but it was too uncomfortable to ignore. I already know this won't be any different for me.  I went back to the Fitbit. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of the Microsoft Band but comfort should have been a bigger consideration.

Gonna sell fitbit to get this badboy

This band was manufactured by "Nokia" or Microsoft themselves?

OMG... This is ugly as shit... Microsoft should have included some Nokia designers with the deal. It's awfully ugly... That's even sadder because the product is good and has some serious features but even for sports I can't afford to wear something that ugly. I don't ask for eye wanking stuffs like Apple products but come on... give me some sexyness. I do hope those designers are not involved at all in future Lumia products...

Great job on the video! Just ordered one. -Rick

the charger will fit nicely into the usb port on the sp3 charging brick :)

Thank You Daniel for nice unboxing video!

Definitely cool, wish the large band was a quarter of and inch longer

I am impress. No wonder it sold out early. And that green 1520 look gorgeous.

looks like a great product...it would be even better if it had a micro usb port...then u dont need to carry a xtra charger u can easily use any micro usb chager.....or maye  make it more like nike fuelband where u can plug it in  any usb port and charger as welll......just a tought :)

If you should wear this device 24/24 (as a step tracker, sleep tracker, fitness tracker) except when you're taking a shower or bath, I ask myself when do I have to charge it?  It think this is a great high quality looking device, but 2 days battery life...?   Unfortunately, only US. Why not launch such a great product worldwide from the start?

I charge my Fitbit Flex while I'm sitting at the computer or watching TV.

Could I connect my bluetooth headphone with Microsoft Band?
Band has a internal gps or do I need to use the band connected to my phone?

Loving mine so far.  Keep my phone in my pocket and get the haptic feedback for texts, emails.  Have yet to try it on a run to see what the battery life hit will be but also need to see if I can get the data to somehow import to Strava.  Also double tap to wake would be awesome too (watch mode is nice, though).  

I can't get Facebook notifications or notification center to work on my Microsoft Band. Can anyone give me some pointers plz?

When can we expect a full review?