It appears that a Microsoft Band Sync App has appeared on the Apple App Store, implying that Microsoft’s fitness band will be simply called “Microsoft Band”. Images show that the Microsoft Band features a horizontal display akin to that of the Samsung Gear Fit.
Although Microsoft’s fitness band may not surprise a few as news of the band was reported a few weeks ago. The fitness band will boast a few features such as the tracking of footsteps taken, heart rate and calories burned through the sensors located in the device. Microsoft is also expected to ship the band with two days of battery life.
The fitness band comes equipped with a 1.4 inch TFT full colour display at a resolution of 320×106 pixels. The band is also capable of low energy Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity which means that the device will consume less energy when Bluetooth capability has been switched on. The wearable will support compatibility with Windows Phone 8.1, iPhone and Android 4.3-4.4 phones.
To complement the Microsoft Band listing on the Apple App Store, the software giant had also put up a “Microsoft Health” app for Android on Google Play. Images of the app reveal that it will feature 24-hour heart rate monitoring for the Microsoft Band, a display of the user’s running routes, as well as a summary of the user’s sleeping schedule.
Coming as no surprise, a Windows Phone app listing had also surfaced. The listing confirmed that Cortana will be integrated for Microsoft Health, which allows users to command the fitness band with their voice.
In terms of availability, the fitness band is only exclusive to customers in the U.S. in both the online stores and physical stores for the time being and will carry a price tag of US$199 for the time being. It will be interesting to see how Microsoft’s fitness band will fare in the market of wearables as the masses are not really sold on the idea yet.
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[Source: Engadget]
