Microsoft Band 2 Review

[Curr946]

Microsoft Band 2 Review

By Curr946

As many of you will know, I reviewed a band 1 via Try the Tech some time ago, and I wasn’t overly impressed with its design.  See full review here.  None the less, I bought one on sale and was fairly content. 

I recently decided to upgrade to the band 2 as it was heavily discounted on the Microsoft store.  I am not going into all the band features, as there are only a few additional ones over the original band.  I would suggest you read over my band one review before continuing.

Let’s get the obvious out the way first…

Look and Feel  

I have to say, the new band is much more attractive with its thin black rubbery band and sleek stainless steel clasps. It’s also much more comfortable now that the charging port and sensors have been moved, and the display curves around your wrist rather than across it.  Credit to Microsoft for listening to their customers.

However, the new design is not without its flaws.  The sleek stainless steel design might look more premium, but it suffers terribly for signs of wear. My band is only a few weeks old at this point but the clasps look like they have been 10 rounds with Mike Tyson… and lost.  That aside, the band does feel premium.

*disclaimer, the pictures were taken while a used screen protector was in place.

New features

Well, there are a few… most notable would be the UV sensor and the Barometer. These allow the band to monitor your activity more accurately.  The band now has gorilla glass 3 and voice input features that are far superior to the original offerings.  While working out, you can now pause tracking (to have a drink etc) meaning better overall recording of your workouts.  Nothing worse than having three records in the health app for the same run.  Other features to note is better battery life and Bluetooth 4.0.

Conclusion

Do I regret my purchase? No, not one bit.  Do I wish the stainless steel was more durable? Sure I do.  But it doesn’t make me want to switch back to the original band. 

The band 2 is what the band 1 should have been, a good looking comfortable wearable that nicely blends the lines between a serious fitness tracker and a smartwatch.

Oh yeah, and Cortana can now be disabled