Microsoft Band 2 Review

Like many out there I received the new Microsoft Band 2 for Christmas.  I had the original Microsoft Band almost from the day 1 release, so today I'd like to give my first impressions on the difference.

The first major difference you will notice is the look and feel.  The new band is much lighter, and more flexible on the band.  The new curved screen is both bigger and much easier on the eyes.  I am still getting used to putting it on, as it takes me a few more seconds due to the flexibility of the band.  As far as feel, it is less noticeable on your wrist, and feels much more natural.

Things I like.

1.  The Look

2.  The Feel

3.  The New Screen

4.  The New Notification Look

5.  The Inactivity Reminder

6.  The Step Counter showing flights of stairs climbed

7.  The New Buttons seem to be more durable

8.  The metal parts are no longer the parts that will be soaked in sweat

9.  The connection for the charger is no longer in a location that will be wet

Things I Wish Were Improved But Are the Same.

1.  The Alarm must still be set every day

2.  There is still a tile limit, so it add one, you must remove one

3.  The inability to read more than the subject of a message

4.  The same limited color schemes without 3rd party

5.  The battery life doesn't seem to have any major improvement

6.  The charger cord is about 1/2 the length, and is difficult to get attached compared to the original.

Summary:

Overall I like the update, there was definitely an effort to make the band more comfortable and better looking.  Time will tell if it is more durable than the original, as I had to warranty it once, and even the replacement was showing major signs of wear after.  I feel because of the placement of the charging port, and metal, this band has a better chance of lasting through every day use, and workouts, since the device is designed to be a hybrid between a workout band, and every day watch.  Hopefully the software will continue to improve, and at some point remove the tile limit which I can't believe would be memory related in this day and age.  In short I think it was worth the update, and the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

Doug Routledge, C# Lync, Skype for Business, SQL, Exchange, UC Developer  BridgeOC
Twitter - @droutledge @ndbridge