Microsoft disbands the Band: fitness device pulled from stores, no Band 3 this year

Microsoft says it's still exploring the wearables space, but has stopped making wearable hardware.

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[LordInsidious]

I guess we're not getting the Band back together....
(I'll show myself out)

 

[Snarky Robot]

Welp, I'm officially sold on the Apple Watch, it looks like.

 

[Vincent294]

Pulled the SDK? Damn, they really want that thing to die.

 

[James S.]

I liked the look of the MS Band, the MS Fitness suite also looked rather appealing. I did want a MS Band over the Moto 360 I eventually got but I wanted to cut down on the number of things I took to the gym. If the MS Band had internal storage and Bluetooth so I could listen to MP3's I'd have probably gotten one in stead.

Moto360 + Bluetooth headphones is much better than keeping a phone or other mp3 player in my pocket. Only thing the Moto tracks is my running and biking, haven't figured out any other decent personal trainer type deals for it yet.

So the way I saw the current gen Band, it was priced closer to the Android Wear but didn't have the features and priced above the devices it more directly competed with like the FitBit Charge 2 or Samsung Gear Fit2.

 

[DaveSimmons]

If only it had been the Bing Zune Band, people would've bought one for each arm!

It does make Microsoft look like a bad choice for any product category they are late to -- PDAs, Zune, Surface RT with not-really-Windows, phones, Steam-like app store....

They're like Google with chat programs or social hubs. Start them up, get bored, leave them to wither and die.

 

[Chemical Tribe]

As if that wasn't bad enough, I decided to return my lumia 635 back to version 8.1 because the health app no longer opens. Yet it works fine on my 640.

First, I did a restore, which unbelievably, put wm10 apps on my phone, including the dialer, so just about every app was greyed out and useless. Then I just reset the phone, didn't sign in, just to use the fitness tracker.

Well, I couldn't open it without wifi, so I opened it with wifi, and it told me the app is no longer available.

Wtf? You can't let me use the step tracker?! Offline? You stopped me from using the app that is built into the rom?! They basically remote killed it! That step tracker worked very well, which is why I kept the phone.

If this is how ms wants to operate, kiss wm goodbye. That and the latest feature update to win10 tanked two computers, so that one person took his ancient Samsung tablet as a backup instead, because the update was taking forever.

Edit some spelling and stuff.

 

[Nacko]

Microsoft's lack of commitment gives me anxiety. Windows Phone, Windows RT, Band, Nokia, Astoria, the list goes on. Solid premises, it's easy to like these products or ideas but they're hard to love because of, in each case, some variety of half-measures. Some get canceled before they see the light of day and others are so neglected that Microsoft begins to feel like a startup that's just evaporated.

They're making some great decisions in the desktop Windows, enterprise, and dev spaces (or at least it seems so from what I've read) but I agree that this pattern elsewhere looks ugly. It's getting harder to have faith in Microsoft's announcements and launches of new products.

Remorsefully, a former Lumia owner.

 

[iamaelephant]

Outside of XBox, Microsoft's consumer division is looking more and more directionless and lost. They just don't seem to be able to find their place in the consumer market.

 

[talan123]

Microsoft builds quality items but nobody wants them.

The veterans i work with hate the iPods because they couldn't take shelling/concussion waves while the Zune's will work through anything. They would sooner slit my wrists before they would trade them.

I am sad about Nadella, he seems to only want to go after Businesses.

 

[truthyboy15]

google and microsoft should just merge they love to start and then kill things.

 

[dieselpunk]

I really enjoy my Band 2 and colleagues at work (mostly apple folks) all wanted to know what I was wearing when I first got it because it looked cool. It really helped me work on my first 5k run ever this year. I got it when it was $75 off and it has been worth it.

However, I had to return mine for a free replacement after just 4 months when the GPS suddenly stopped working. Looks like when this one dies that'll be that.

 

[DaveSimmons]

talan123[/url]":2b09wnbz]Microsoft builds quality items but nobody wants them.

The veterans i work with hate the iPods because they couldn't take shelling/concussion waves while the Zune's will work through anything. They would sooner slit my wrists before they would trade them.

I am sad about Nadella, he seems to only want to go after Businesses.

I see what you did there

When I was buying my iPod 120 GB I also looked at the 120 GB Zune. Surprisingly MS had it priced higher than the iPod. Late to the party, a store with an unknown future, and daring to charge more than luxury-brand Apple. Not a winning combination.

 

[waasoo]

Fuck Microsoft! I say it as a former WP7 /8 Lumia device owner and a current Band 2 owner. The Band 2 was way ahead of any $199 or lower Fitbit and at least for me did enough as a phone notification device. I use the Band 2 for its solid tracking of my runs and bike rides. I said this in another story earlier; they needed a Band 3 with Swim tracking (and waterproof capability).

So basically Nadella's vision is a pure software player? They have gutted the Windows phone as a product line which leads to the question why have a Windows 10 mobile? Now the Band... Will another clobbering by a future version of PSx see them kill Xbox too?

 

[Uxorious]

Glad that MS went all-in on the Surface, and it paid off for everyone involved.

 

[iamaelephant]

BINARYGOD[/url]":213djcfg]"It looks like a pattern is forming"

Sorry, no, you would need more examples more frequently to make this statement. They are a large company that does lots of things at once and over time - with any such company you can find crap like this as well as success, and stuff floating in the middle.

I mean, your case for a pattern is Zune, which is a product from a decade ago and now the Band? Yes, I am sure there are others, but then what about all of the other products that don't fit this pattern?

I guess the actual pattern is "sometimes something of the such will happen - move late and then give up after no clear direction" Ok... but didn't we always know the big boys would sometimes do this?


Article seems to be like many tech articles of the past year or two - choose a narrative that is not necessarily supported by fact, and then beat the drum - with many readers who should know better just eating it up without a second (or first) thought.

How about another article about MS giving up on mobile, or Intel doing something similar?

Microsoft's recent history is littered with examples. Windows Phone 7. Windows Phone 8. Games for Windows Live. Kinect. A bunch of important Azure services. The XBox family sharing scheme. Zune. Windows RT. Xbox Music. These are just off the top of my head, there are certainly many more.

In the next few years I expect to add HoloLens, Groove Music, Windows 10 Mobile and the entire IoT division to that list.

 

[jnk1000]

And this why I ignore Microsoft's "me-too" forays into every new device market where there's a dollar to be made. It always end the same.

 

[Kazman20]

not really all that surprising if you go look at the quality control issues they have been having with it. I loved my band 2 when it was working at the moment I'm on my 4th warranty replacement. Which leads us into the atrocious customer support they have had for it, I send it in it gets rejected (they auto-reject any band with issues involving the clasp) and then I escalate it and send in again and get it replaced. a couple of months later the screws holding the clasp together rust out and we go through the process again. ffff- MS customer service

 

[keithzg]

Microsoft says it’s still exploring wearables space, but has stopped making wearables

So what, they're exploring it from afar and in theory? Pointing a telescope at Mars doesn't mean you're exploring Mars.

 

[dgh81]

Won't be missed by me honestly. I had mine replaced twice within a year. Once because the waterproofing failed and after a hard race in the heat the screen froze up and the whole device shorted out. The 2nd time, less than 3 months later, because the the connecting board on the band tore through the wrist strap.

Best Buy didn't have a replacement because of this unannounced discontinuation so I had them transfer my warranty replacement to store credit and bought something else. I guess that 50 dollar extra 2 year warranty paid off for once.

 

[rm]

I generally liked my band 2. From the start I said that it would be a fine device as long as they kept developing the app. It really felt like a device with potential but it did feel like there was a lack of commitment to it. Just read the play store reviews in reverse chronological order.

Mine just died and I am surprised to find out how may people had hardware issues, so maybe it was flawed from the start.

 

[mshaslam]

In many ways I like my Band 2. The feature set (however 'weird' for others) was a great fit for me. What kills it is that the damn thing breaks all the time. I'm on Band number #3 and because I managed to crack the screen, it's my last one. They just were not reliable enough. That and the lackluster battery life are my only real complaints.

 

[a place to call home]

Classic Microsoft. Push developers and partners into building up a platform for them, then abandon those people the minute Microsoft realizes it has no clue what it is doing.

 

[Infinity4011]

rm[/url]":1pi52u8q]I generally liked my band 2. From the start I said that it would be a fine device as long as they kept developing the app. It really felt like a device with potential but it did feel like there was a lack of commitment to it. Just read the play store reviews in reverse chronological order.

Mine just died and I am surprised to find out how may people had hardware issues, so maybe it was flawed from the start.

The wristband came apart on mine, and then it stopped charging a few weeks ago. I wore it nonstop, outside of when I was in the bucket. I used it to track walks, bike riding, jogging, and it always worked great. I never thought it was uncomfortable, and I never had problems with the software side. It just worked.

I'm disappointed there won't be a Band 3.

 

[talan123]

DaveSimmons[/url]":rixramd7]

talan123[/url]":rixramd7]Microsoft builds quality items but nobody wants them.

The veterans i work with hate the iPods because they couldn't take shelling/concussion waves while the Zune's will work through anything. They would sooner slit my wrists before they would trade them.

I am sad about Nadella, he seems to only want to go after Businesses.

I see what you did there

When I was buying my iPod 120 GB I also looked at the 120 GB Zune. Surprisingly MS had it priced higher than the iPod. Late to the party, a store with an unknown future, and daring to charge more than luxury-brand Apple. Not a winning combination.

Failure or not, one of them dropped it outside their camp and left it in the snow for the winter and they found it later the next year and it was still functioning.

Prices for a new Zune 32GB? $589.

 

[Daedalus207]

I owned an original Band and currently use a Band 2 on a daily basis. I like it quite a bit as far as comfort and capability goes - I have very large wrists and the Band and Band 2 are the only fitness smartwatches where the "Large" size is ACTUALLY large.

I'm on my second Band 2 (the strap came loose from the metal body on my first one), replaced under warranty, and I went through 3 original Bands in about a year. I'd hoped that the Band 2 would fix the wear and tear issues with Band 1, but it looks like they improved in some areas while introducing new failure modes.

I can't say I'm surprised MS is dropping it for now, given how much of a hit in the pocketbook all the warranty replacements for Band and Band 2 must have been, but I am disappointed.

I'm starting to think about what to replace my Band 2 with when it gives out next. I'm looking at a Pebble 2+ or a Pebble Time Steel when the new model with heart rate tracking comes out. Anyone here have experience with Band and Pebble able to offer a comparison?

 

[TBoarder]

I feel like an idiot I purchased a Band 2 in April from Best Buy, only to have the band crack apart on me in less than two months. Because I didn't get Best Buy's stupid Geek Squad crap on it, they refuse to do anything, and all Microsoft can do is constantly replace it. I'm not an active person, so the fact that the band broke on me is disappointing, to say the least. So now, I don't even want it anymore... It's rare for me to ever absolutely regret a purchase, as I usually put a lot of research into what I buy (and I thought the band wouldn't be an issue with my generally low activity levels... I just needed it to maybe spur me into getting more fit and to make sure that I was at least getting a minimal amount of activity per day...), but I REALLY regret this. I feel like I wasted $175.

 

[grahamwilliams]

BINARYGOD[/url]":3nprlb00]"It looks like a pattern is forming"

Sorry, no, you would need more examples more frequently to make this statement. They are a large company that does lots of things at once and over time - with any such company you can find crap like this as well as success, and stuff floating in the middle.

I mean, your case for a pattern is Zune, which is a product from a decade ago and now the Band? Yes, I am sure there are others, but then what about all of the other products that don't fit this pattern?

Zune. Band. Surface RT. The entirety of Windows fucking Mobile. The Sidewinder line. The Ergonomic keyboard line. The ill-fated Microsoft WiFi router. Hell, even the Xbox is being left to wither on the vine as they allow UWP to degrade any reason to buy the platform.

Really, at this point, it's a race as to who is going to abandon promising tech sooner: Google or Microsoft. I feel bad for Hololens.

 

[nosensewhatsoever]

Bite me Microsoft.

I have the original Band. When it works, it's fantastic. Great at step tracking, heart rate (I wore it and tested on a "reliable" device and the heart rate was within 3) sleep tracking, exercise, etc.

My biggest issue is what was many other people's issue; quality control. One went on the fritz, another wouldn't hold a charge, the third wouldn't stop vibrating. This fourth one seems to be decent, but I'm wary. I was assuming it was because it was the original and had various bugs that were being fixed. At least I had no issues with their customer service, so props to them.

I was going to buy the Band 3 when they put it out. After all, they'd have most of the bugs fixed by then right?

Now if I want to have a fitness tracker I have to get a crap quality at too high price fitbit or get an Apple Watch.

Never again Microsoft.

 

[Head Pirate]

They just re-branded MS Health to MS Band like 2 weeks ago.

This seems odd.

 

[Baumi]

keithzg[/url]":xuc5e77j]

Microsoft says it’s still exploring wearables space, but has stopped making wearables

So what, they're exploring it from afar and in theory? Pointing a telescope at Mars doesn't mean you're exploring Mars.

Oh, they're probably also going to buy some Fitbits and Apple Watches to explore up close. ;-)

 

[GenericAnimeBoy]

I liked my Band 1 alright, and it served me well through nearly 2 years. Yes, the battery life was 2 days at most and the touch screen could be awkward at times but it worked fine. I used the GPS feature a lot since I started cycling. Eventually it died because I ran it without a screen protector and gouged the touch screen a few too many times. All good things.

To the author's point about the price point being an awkward medium between a fitness tracker and a full smartwatch: I disagree. If I had one of the cheaper fitbit type products, I would still need to buy a bike computer if I wanted to GPS track my rides. The same would go for runners and swimmers, I'd imagine. There is at least a good sized niche in the market for products like the Band. To that end, my replacement for the Band 1 is a Garmin Vivoactive HR, which is roughly the same price point and still not really a full on smart watch. It is better than the band in 3 key ways, though: it's more comfortable because it's slightly wider, the battery life is much, much better, and it's waterproof enough to go swimming in. Here's hoping it lasts me longer than the Band.

 

[GJC]

DaveSimmons[/url]":1tph1vex]They're like Google with chat programs or social hubs. Start them up, get bored, leave them to wither and die.

The difference between Microsoft and Google is that at least Google is doing pretty well financially and business-wise (market share, etc.). Microsoft's countless blunders have cost and are still costing them. Google seems to be almost immune to the failures resulting from their throw-everything-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks method, at least as far as I can tell. Heck, they even surpassed Apple as the world's most valuable company, albeit for just a week or so.

 

[IAAL]

I'll add my voice to the others that liked the band 2. But just like them I had two fail within a year. Wristband broke on one and the other quit charging after less than a month. Probably will have to finally give up on my Lumia 1520 and get an android phone so I can get a new smartwatch.

 

[Tonkaman]

Gerzer[/url]":14ak06k5]

DaveSimmons[/url]":14ak06k5]They're like Google with chat programs or social hubs. Start them up, get bored, leave them to wither and die.

The difference between Microsoft and Google is that at least Google is doing pretty well financially and business-wise (market share, etc.). Microsoft's countless blunders have cost and are still costing them. Google seems to be almost immune to the failures resulting from their throw-everything-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks method, at least as far as I can tell. Heck, they even surpassed Apple as the world's most valuable company, albeit for just a week or so.

Microsoft can afford quite a few failures though. They currently have over $30 billion more than Google in money sitting around to play with. The Band experiment is a drop in the bucket for them. Microsoft doesn't seem to get that without hardware, their software plays are useless. Every company wants to have its own app and its own data store now, so without Microsoft hardware to drive it their Health software is useless. I find it laughable that they want to kill their Band focused software to focus on HealthVault. I used HealthVault exactly twice, because I created an account to play with it. It was extremely confusing, and the website reminded me of something from the 90s. The Health Dashboard website where all of the Band data went however is amazingly easy to use, and very informative. Typical Microsoft though. Kill the amazing consumer focused software to go after to horrible business focused software.

 

[SYNERDATA]

I have had my Band 2 for almost an orbit now, and it has been a wonderful accessory for my Lumia 520, both of which work perfectly and remain like new. I never thought of it as a fitness tracker and have the biometrics turned off. To me, it is a wristcomputer and a great interface for my phone computer, and is the kind of accessory for the phone that I would not want to be without.

I find Microsoft cancelling things to be very troubling as a person who buys their products and finds them to be the best, until they cancel them. The solution to the issues some had with the Band was to make it better, not cancel the product. Buying NOKIA to reduce the quality of their windows phones and then gut the makers of them to reduce business partners and cooperation in the market has been sickening to watch. Nadella has his heads in the clouds.

Now I have less reason to buy a Surface Phone if it ever comes out (until they cancel it too).

In their next round of layoffs to continue appearing profitable they should lay off those who keep cancelling things, for a change.

 

[H2O Rip]

Kazman20[/url]":yuisks6k]not really all that surprising if you go look at the quality control issues they have been having with it. I loved my band 2 when it was working at the moment I'm on my 4th warranty replacement. Which leads us into the atrocious customer support they have had for it, I send it in it gets rejected (they auto-reject any band with issues involving the clasp) and then I escalate it and send in again and get it replaced. a couple of months later the screws holding the clasp together rust out and we go through the process again. ffff- MS customer service

This, sadly, has mirrored my issues. Had to mail it in last time, 2x my band 2 having a band break.

Really hearbreaking though, the band is probably my favorite wearable on the market right now. It does everything I want in the form factor.

 

[effgee]

"Microsoft says it’s still exploring wearables space, but has stopped making wearables"

Yup. Just like they're still exploring mobile phones. And media players.