Besides the physical improvements of the Microsoft Band in version 2, there’s actually a bunch of small but valuable nuances you won't find unless you're using it as a fitness device. I’ll be digging into each of those as my testing continues.
For Band v1, you could either set the clock face to show constantly or set it to never show until the Power button was pressed. I like being able to view the time constantly, so I kept it on. Band v2 adds an additional option which is one of a dozen or so really nice touches between Band v1 and Band v2. The option called “Rotate On” causes the clock to remain off until you rotate your wrist toward your face. At least that’s the idea, though you can get the clock to display with pretty much any quick wrist rotation.
This is not a new function, just new to Microsoft’s Band. There are several smartwatches that already have this capability. Apple Watch is an example.
P.S. the Rotate On function doesn’t work while Band v2 when its connected to the USB charging cable.
To turn this function on…
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Swipe left on the Band v2 face until you reach the Settings Tile.
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Tap the Settings Tile and tap on the Watch Mode icon.
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Select Rotate On from the list.
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Choose the location where you wear your Band (Left arm/Right arm > Inside wrist/Outside wrist).
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Tap the checkmark to accept.
The Rotate On clock function should help with battery drainage somewhat. However, I’ve noticed that simple wrist movements can set it off, which sometimes lends the clock to staying on quite a bit anyway. Maybe a future firmware update can add a sensitivity setting to the Rotate On function.
Microsoft Band v2 on Amazon.com: Microsoft Band 2
