Microsoft today entered the fitness tracker market with its new Microsoft Band wearable device to compete with new offerings from Fitbit and Apple's upcoming Watch device. The Band's biggest feature is its cross-compatibility, supporting iOS, Android and Windows Phone. It also moves beyond a fitness tracker and inches into the smartwatch category with support for notifications and other smartphone-connected features.
The Microsoft Band includes a variety of different sensors to measure heart rate, sleep, UV exposure and physical activity. The device also connects to a compatible smartphone, allowing users to receive text messages, incoming call alerts and other notifications without having to look at their phone. Cortana voice assistant control is built into the device, but that feature is available only to Windows Phone owners.
To accompany the Band, Microsoft is enabling Microsoft Health, an online repository for your fitness data. The service syncs data from your Band and allows for the import of information from third-party apps such as MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper and MapMyFitness.
The new Microsoft Band costs $199 and will go on sale at Microsoft's online and retail stores starting October 31.
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