Renderings were posted online the other day claiming to show the Microsoft Band 2. MicrosoftInsider believes these images accurately represent the second generation of Microsoft’s wearable. Our review of the original Microsoft Band found it to be competent but with lots of room for improvement. From a looks point of view, the Band was decently stylish when it was released, but only a year later it looks rather stale and clunky. The second version of the device appears to be much slicker, featuring a curved display and improved battery integration. We are also digging the metal accents versus the all-black-plastic style of the original.
Functionality wise, we still don’t know too much about how the new device differs from its predecessor. The only leaked information is that the Microsoft Band 2 will include the ability to detect changes in altitude (such as climbing steps). This is likely done through a barometer, which is present in a number of smartphones including the iPhone 6. Otherwise, we would expect to continue seeing a deep integration with Windows Phone and perhaps a degree of Windows 10 integration. We do not believe we will see any of the results from Microsoft’s WearDrive project in this year’s Band.
Microsoft is expected to unveil the new version of the Microsoft Band at a media event planned for October 6th.
