Disbanded: Microsoft Kills Band 2 Fitness Wearable
If you’re a fan of Microsoft fitness wearables, there’s some bad news in the air today. Microsoft announced that it is unceremoniously ending sales of the Band 2. The Redmond giant has already pulled listings for the wearable from its online store and even went so far as to remove the Band software development kit (SDK).
If you’re hoping to score a bargain basement deal on a remaining inventory at stores like Best Buy and Amazon, you might not ever get the chance according to Microsoft insider Mary Jo Foley. “I've also heard anecdotally that Microsoft is removing remaining Band devices from its some, if not all, of its brick-and-mortar stores, but have not verified that myself,” reports Foley.
To add insult to injury, there’s no chance of an immediate successor for the Band 2 arrive anytime soon, as the company has provided the following statement:
We have sold through our existing Band 2 inventory and have no plans to release another Band device this year. We remain committed to supporting our Microsoft Band 2 customers through Microsoft Stores and our customer support channels and will continue to invest in the Microsoft Health platform, which is open to all hardware and apps partners across Windows, iOS, and Android devices.
The above statement doesn’t mean that Microsoft won’t release a future fitness wearable, but given the tepid response from customers to its first and second generation wearables, we wouldn’t fault the company for throwing in the towel for good.
With Microsoft bowing out of the market, it still leaves plenty of competitors to pick up the slack including (but not limited to) Fitbit, Misfit, Samsung, and Apple.
