Update: It’s now official
Whoops! Before Microsoft even got a chance to announce that they’re making a fitness tracking band (a la Jawbone Up, Fitbit Force, etc.), the device’s companion syncing app has found its way onto the Mac App Store.
Spotted first by 9to5Mac, the app spills lots and lots of details about the unannounced wearable.
Here’s what we know so far:
- It appears to have a color screen built into the face
- You can sync it with Windows, OS X, or your phone
- While the Mac app’s various documentation doesn’t mention which mobile platforms the Band will support, similar apps just went live on the iOS App Store and Google Play — so it looks like it’ll support iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.
- The app consistently calls the device the “Microsoft Band”, which seems to be the official name
- It’ll track: heart rate, steps, calories burned, and sleep patterns
- You can use the device to get notifications from your phone. According to this page (linked to from within the app), it can handle notifications for emails, calendar reminders, incoming calls, texts, Facebook, Twitter, and Weather/finance.
- It looks like Microsoft is at least toying with the idea of letting you use the band to pay at Starbucks (displaying your Starbucks’ card’s barcode on the Band instead of your phone), a detail spotted lurking in the files tucked inside the app by Travis La Marr on Twitter
Update: About an hour after Microsoft let the apps sneak out, they’ve pushed the product live on their site. Here’s the new info:
- It’ll cost $199, go on sale on Thursday, and come in three sizes
- It has built-in GPS for run tracking, and a UV sensor for real time measurement of sun exposure
- It does indeed work at Starbucks, and comes with a $5 Starbucks gift card
- It works with Windows Phone 8.1, iOS 7 and 8, and Android 4.3/4.4
- It weighs 2.1 ounces
- It’s sweat resistant, but not waterproof
