Smartwatch showdown: Android Wear v Apple Watch The sleep tracking on the Band 2 offers metrics such as duration of sleep, your efficiency percentage (time spent sleeping divided by total time), how many times you woke up, how many calories you burned while sleeping, how much of your sleep was 'restful' and what your heart rate was. What's important is consistency and the Band 2 did have that – although be sure to tell it what position and what arm you're wearing it on for added accuracy. In terms of accuracy, the step counter was pretty much on the money – if maybe a touch more generous than our Fitbit Charge HR.Īs we always say though, all step counting and calorie burn calculations are estimates based on algorithms, so it doesn't really matter if it isn't exactly in line with a competitor's measurements. The Microsoft Band 2 has a feature list to make its rivals jealous but there's also basic daily lifestyle tracking on offer too. Microsoft Band 2: Daily activity tracking It's a simple setup but one that feels very natural, even the first time you put the Band 2 on. Pushing your selected metric brings up the activity screens and again, it's just a case of swiping along to catch up on the stats. There's a few colour themes on offer and you can also personalise the metric you see next to the clock – steps, floors, calories, heart rate, date and so on – by pushing the secondary button. You fire up the screen by pushing the main button underneath (a basic clock only visual is also on offer) and then swipe left for your chosen tile arrangement, that you can tinker with in the companion app.
The display is responsive, easy to read in all lighting situations and, as you'd expect, simple to use, as it utilises a Windows-esque tile approach that works really well on the thin horizontal based screen. Wareable guide: Best fitness trackers you can buy It's also a world away from the monochrome displays of many of its rivals and it makes the Band 2 much more of a smartwatch hybrid (more on that later) than anything offered up by Garmin, Fitbit, Jawbone and co. It' a 32 x 18mm, 320 x 128 pixel AMOLED one covered in Gorilla Glass – that's a ppi count of 255 and all-in-all, it's a comprehensive improvement on the TFT panel found on the original. We're glad the straight edges are gone but we're afraid Microsoft has, again, served up somewhat of a dud in the design department. However, we've tried wearing the Band 2 on both the inside and outside of our writs and, even though the design isn't as solid as the original, it's not flexible enough to be comfortable for long periods of time. Microsoft claimed it has listened to feedback from consumers and had attempted to eliminate rigidity in the strap for extra comfort. It sticks out ridiculously far and every so often digs right into your wrist. It's thicker than its older sibling and, while the battery compartment is now out of sight at the back, behind the clasp, it's anything but subtle. It definitely looks cooler - a kind of hybrid of the first Microsoft Band and the Samsung Gear Fit - but it's still a chunky monster and, compared to its rivals, looks a lot more 'gadget' than 'accessory'. And while the new device has enjoyed a substantial rethink, it's still not the slickest, or most comfortable activity tracker to wear. Even at this early stage, a few features seem obviously absent.It was design, not features, that let down the previous Microsoft Band. The Band has a UV monitor, which can tell me whether I need sunscreen today, but there’s still so much relevant external data that just isn’t being considered. That’s the thing about all fitness trackers: even the most powerful ones are only measuring internal data, data about me. What I really want to know is whether I keep the room too warm (or too cold) and whether I’d sleep better with the blinds down. So far the only thing I can figure out is that I should go to bed earlier. That’s great - the more you know and all that - but I have no idea why any of these things are the case.
#Microsoft band 2 sleep tracker full#
For instance, I really do sleep terribly: I sleep lightly, I wake up a lot, and I rarely get a full cycle of REM sleep. I’ve learned a lot about myself using the Band.
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