Speculations suggest that the Microsoft Band 3 will never see the daylight. According to reports, the Redmond giant may already have scrapped its plan to release the new smartwatch this year or at least in the near future. The Microsoft Band 2 can be the last of the company’s venture into the fitness band industry.
While Microsoft may cease to manufacture the hardware, the Microsoft Health Service will continue to be developed and updated regularly. The dismay about the future of Microsoft Band came to light when one of its official spokesmen told ZDNet, “We continue to invest and innovate in the Microsoft Health platform, which is open to all hardware and apps partners across Windows, iOS, and Android devices. We also continue to sell Microsoft Band 2 and remain deeply committed to supporting our customers and exploring the wearables space.”
Even though the statement does not straight away rule out the possibility of a Band 3, but it strongly indicates so. On the top of it, people familiar with Microsoft have firmly suggested that the company does not have any plan to launch a new fitness wear anytime soon. In fact, the tech giant dissolved the group of employees who were working on the Band’s Windows 10 version.
Microsoft first released its Band in October 2014. The first generation Microsoft Band came with a host of sensors and numerous capabilities. The smartwatch which shipped with a price tag of $199 was highly popular at the time of its launch and sold out multiple times. Next, exactly after a year, the company came up with the Microsoft Band 2. This too came with an array of sensors, inbuilt GPS and uber rich functionalities. It featured an introductory price of $250.
In this Band 2, Microsoft faced a lot of complaints regarding quality issues. Numerous users grumbled upon the inferior band material which developed cracks after prolonged usage. Afterward, the company has improved the strap quality and made it slightly thicker. This has damaged the Band 2’s reputation and lead to a price cut to $175.
Additionally, the advent of Android Wear and Apple Watch has rapidly slowed down the sales of the Band. The company which has faced the same issue with its smartphone line-up has hence focused more on its software and services department. This indicates that even if the company put an end to its Band series, it will continue to work on its services like the Microsoft Health.
