Microsoft seems to be dropping its Microsoft Band support.
As ZDNet reports, the company has dropped any reference to its Band devices from its online store and is no longer offering the Microsoft Band software development kit. The company itself has also confirmed that it doesn’t have a new Band device coming this year, and has sold out of its Band 2 inventory.
These developments arrive Microsoft launched software updates for its Band devices earlier this year, and moved to bring the Microsoft Health app to Windows 10 devices. Replying to ZDNet’s inquiries, Microsoft did not officially announce the end of the Band brand, but emphasized its commitment to the Microsoft Health platform, “which is open to all hardware and apps partners across Windows, iOS, and Android devices,” as the company put it in a statement.
That suggests Microsoft is pulling out of the hardware game when it comes to fitness-oriented wearables, and is instead focusing on the software side while other OEMs take care of the devices themselves. And it’s in keeping with Microsoft’s recent announcement that it’s working to extend Windows Hello biometric authentication compatibility to more third-party devices such as the Nymi Band, a wearable that tracks cardiac biometrics through the user’s wrist.
Source: ZDNet
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