I've recently been getting more into fitness and weight loss, and while I considered lots of different ways to approach this I finally caved into my inner (pah!) nerd and got a smart watch with fitness capabilities. I considered a lot of different types, but since I had Windows Phone (then 8.1 - now 10. There is a caveat here which i'll explain later) I got the Microsoft Band 2.
First impressions were generally very good. It pairs nicely using the native Microsoft Health app and works basically out of the box. It syncs the majority of your information where it can, and the app prompts you for your initial stats, like weight and height. Anyone who has used a Windows Phone will know that you don't get the 'last years model' feel to your phone as you're using it and adding new apps and using it for more things. It also doesn't suffer from poor battery life either (you generally get 2 days out of a single charge at heavy use!). The watch was no different really. It works brilliantly as a repeater display for text messages, reminders, emails. While its possible to type using it, I wouldn't recommend it as the display for doing this, however, as it is rather small and clumsy. It might seem unusual at first, but the design is rather comfortable to wear and even sleep in (since it has a sleep tracker, this is useful).
The heart rate tracker is really handy when you're trying to get on top of workouts and routines or just walking. Since the app/watch syncs regularly, the API that it uses can push data to various fitness tracking systems such as endomondo (which is the one I use) and myfitnesspal which makes recording information like this a bit easier. There is also a companion web-app as well which gives you even more information. If you're phone is left behind or the battery dies, you can use the watch on its own and sync to the app using the desktop charger (1.5 hrs for a full charge btw). The battery lasts roughly 2 days which is pretty good considering what it does.
While there are a few handy features that aren't covered in great detail in other review. You can control your media player (spotify in my case) from the watch by quickly double tapping the power button. Very simple very quick. Voice control is another feature (it proxies voice commands to cortana). What it doesn't do is the following (which I'd really like to see!): 1. A 'find my phone' feature. 2. Telling you you've left your phone behind.
Caveat: I recently upgraded my 8.1 phone to 10 (Windows 10 on mobile is amazing btw!) but unfortunately they didn't get the app feature complete for W10 and it won't pair with the band at the moment. I contacted Microsoft and they're working on a fix and have assured me it isn't a hardware problem, which is reassuring at least.
Hope this helps someone.
Thanks for that. I made the really bad decision to get a Jawbone UP2, mainly due to it being really cheap at Curry's PC World for a while (£40). While the actual band is pretty decent the Android/iPhone App that accompanies it and that is required to make it work and view results is horrible beyond belief. I hate to stereotype Americans but this app is so utterly American it makes me cringe "Hey you walked 10,000 steps. You're AWESOME, we love you! Go have a Kale and Pomegranate Juice and soak up that Vitamin D" I'm then invited to 'Smiley' the comment from my 'Smart Coach' and high five the air ..... or something. These mindless and banal 'motivational' messages that number about a dozen a day have motivated me to only do one thing. Throw the Jawbone Up in the bin.
So it's a :D for Microsoft Band 2 and a :sad: for the Jawbone UP2
I've got a Fitbit Charge, which has quite a bit of stuff, but with a hefty price tag. â,¬250
Charges in 1hr, last a week worn daily. Tracks all your exercise, heartbeat, sleep patterns, and categorises most things by itself. Has its own companion app plus website, which also syncs info from the Aria scale if you have one. You can view new messages you receive on your phone, and control media. It also supports other forms of exercise like weights, however you need to select the weights option before doing so.
Companion app can also scan barcodes for caloric intake, or you can add food eaten yourself. It also has a water counter, and also takes into consideration your passive calorie burn depending on your length/weight.
The downside is that you can't type on it, and there's no addition apps like android wear. It's strictly a fitness tracker.
Aye. The band does all that bar the battery life (wow!! a week!!) and the bar code scanner. The passive stuff is quite clever I think, selecting the type of exercise is kind of neat. The band has a 'gold game improver' or something. Tells you something about the target audience I think.
The barcode scanner is part of the companion app (on the mobile). But yeah it's a whole ecosystem with devices talking with your profile.