#Microsoft band sleep tracker install
#Microsoft band sleep tracker full
#Microsoft band sleep tracker software
#Microsoft band sleep tracker windows

It’s not as fancy as it sounds (I was hoping that maybe it would offer voice based guidance) but it is a nice way for beginners to add structure to their workouts. These plans can include gradual ramp-ups in difficulty over time. One unique feature is something called “Guided Workouts.” This library of workout plans can be downloaded to your Band, and will walk you step by step through a routine, while tracking your progress. However, I wish there were a setting for stride length so it could be even more accurate at calculating mileage without GPS.

#Microsoft band sleep tracker full

Run tracking is most accurate outdoors when you enable the battery-hogging GPS, but I managed to get good results on a treadmill as well, with the Band only falling 5% short of the mileage that my treadmill reported after a full hour workout at varying speeds. Throughout your run, the watch notifies you every time you tick off a mile, displaying your progress on screen and alerting you with haptic feedback. Running and fast walking are my activities of choice, so I spent the most time in the Run app, which tracks steps, mileage, calorie burn, pace, split times, and heart rate. To start a workout, you simply swipe to the proper tile on the screen, and hit the smaller “Action” button to start and end fitness tracking. By default, the Band tracks all of your steps, calories burned and heart rate automatically. Of course, the number one reason most people buy a smartwatch is for fitness tracking, and the Microsoft Band is quite adept at that. For instance, I played with one where you can use the Band as a musical instrument and play air guitar, while the sounds come out of your phone.

#Microsoft band sleep tracker windows

These apps can interact between Windows Phones and the Band. Third parties are also making apps for the Band already, and you can browse those on the Microsoft Store. You can enable extra tiles for social media, a UV exposure checker, and even a Starbucks payments that displays a barcode for paying for your coffee, and you can reorder the tiles in the Microsoft Health app. Out of the box, you get tiles for tracking a variety of activities, as well as email, messages, phone call notifications, calendar, sleep tracking, alarm clock and more. At this point, the touchscreen is active, and you simply swipe to access the various app tiles on the Band. When you want to view the full Band interface, simply press the large button on the side, and the display lights up.

It uses surprisingly little power, and makes the Band much more friendly as a watch, since the time is always displayed. It takes a few minutes to adjust to reading the time sideways, but once you get used to it, it’s just fine. This activates a low brightness time and date display which is on at all times. One of the first things you’ll want to do on the watch is activate “Watch Mode” in the settings. In addition to viewing your data in the various apps, you can also log in to the Microsoft Health online dashboard to view your fitness history. For purposes of this review, all testing was done using a Microsoft Lumia 640XL smartphone, so your mileage may vary on non-Microsoft devices. Unlike some smartwatches, you’ll spend time in both the app and using the screen on the Band itself, thanks to a smart application of Microsoft’s Tile UI and an intuitive touchscreen interface.

#Microsoft band sleep tracker install

Setting up the Band is simple – just install the Microsoft Health app on your smartphone (Windows, iOS or Android), and pair it via Bluetooth. Oh, and you can also customize the color of the display and its wallpaper background. The only choice you have to make is whether to buy a Small, Medium or Large model based on your wrist size. The design is unisex and works on either wrist without a problem. The Band itself is designed to be clean and minimal, so it’s not exactly a fashion statement, but it is very good at what it sets out to do and provide just about every feature you’d ever need from a wrist wearable. Sold first and foremost as a fitness tracking device, the Microsoft Band is a very capable smartwatch, that does almost everything that its much pricier competition from Apple can do.

I’m happy to say that the Microsoft Band is right up there as a solid piece of hardware, balanced with very good software. Between the Surface, the Xbox One and Lumia phones, they’ve really come into their own as a serious hardware player. But over the last couple of years, they’ve released some really good hardware that can keep up with the best players in the market.

#Microsoft band sleep tracker software

For the longest time, I thought of Microsoft primarily as a software company.