Top Customer Asks for a Next Generation Microsoft Band

I love jigsaw puzzles. The more pieces the better. It’s one of my favorite quiet-time hobbies. For those that share my enjoyment of puzzles, you might feel the same exhilaration I do when completion is just within grasp with less than 10 unplaced puzzle pieces.

Another passion of mine is fitness and health, and lately that relates mostly to the Microsoft Band (though I’m finding some newfound value in “other” devices – details later). A string of news and rumor recently about a 3^rd iteration of the Microsoft Band has afforded me the opportunity to combine these two passions.

So, let’s stoke the fire a bit. I’ve read some personal visions from bloggers who, over the past couple months, have given their ideas of what they’d like to see in Microsoft Band 3. But, when you get right down to it, those commentaries look at Microsoft Band from a general view, i.e., as a wristwatch with fitness features instead of a fitness device with watch features. They are essentially using the Microsoft Band as a Fitbit step counter and not achieving their full potential. Just strapping on a fitness wearable doesn’t immediately make you healthier or more fit conscious, but, it’s a good first step. But, I digress.

For those of us that use the Microsoft Band for more than a pedestrian device, I think it’s more interesting to see what current customers are asking for in the next generation device. The Microsoft Band team has done a great job delivering customer asks, and they continue to do so. So, it makes complete sense for use to delve into the top customer requests from the Health/Band Uservoice page.

I’m purposely leaving out the general consumer wants and focusing solely on those requests that are fitness related and that require a new design and new hardware to accomplish. Thankfully, some of these can be obtained through a firmware update even on the Band 2.

Here they are (in order of popularity) with comment:

These are the top customer requests right now and I believe most of them will make it into the Microsoft Band feature stream eventually. Will they all require a brand new Band design to accomplish? Not all of them. However, as much as I played off that new Band hardware is critical in It’s about the Microsoft Health Platform, Not the Microsoft Band, I still think it’s important for Microsoft to release something soon. If you believe that Panos Panay was wearing a Band 3 prototype on the Microsoft Expert live video feed a few days ago, it would seem that the company is dead set on the Band’s design. So, what may roll off the assembly line may not exactly be a reimagined Band, but instead more of a Microsoft Band 2.5 that’s intended to fix Band 2’s flaws and show customers that it’s still listening. Microsoft needs to do something with the wearable if it wants to remain in this space. If anything, the company needs to release a new Band to save face. It doesn’t have to be Microsoft Band 3. 2.5 will do just fine.

I’m getting excited – the puzzle pieces are falling into place.

What about you? Are there wants/desires for a next generation Microsoft Band that is not included in this list? Let me know…or start your own Uservoice thread and let me know so I can drop out and vote it up.