Microsoft Band Fitness Wearable Receives $20 Price Cut, Next Gen Version In Development

If you're a fitness guru or otherwise looking to "live healthier and be more productive," as Microsoft pitches its Band accessory, you have options. Lots of them. Fitness has become a huge point of focus for the wearables category, and speaking of the aforementioned Microsoft Band, the Redmond outfit sliced $20 off the price of its wrist band today.

It now sells for $180, down from its original retail cost of $200. With it you can "achieve your wellness goals and stay more productive with email. previews, and calendar alerts at a glance," Microsoft says. It offers guided workouts, can track your reps, and give you a detailed summary of your effort, number of calories burned, and more. And when it comes time to hit the sack, the Microsoft Band can track the length and quality of your sleep, taking note of how often you wake up, the length of light and restful sleep, and your average heart rate per hour.

Microsoft Band

The price cut comes as Microsoft prepares a second generation Band. Microsoft COO Kevin Turner confirmed as much during a keynote at WPC, though he didn't tease any details whatsoever. All he was willing to say about the Microsoft Band 2 is that "we're working on it," according to Windows Central.

Might Microsoft also make a smartwatch? Anything is possible with Windows 10 around the bend, though there hasn't been much to indicate Microsoft is interested in the smartwatch category. Just the opposite, Microsoft killed off Nokia's Moonraker smartwatch project after it acquired the company's Devices and Services division in 2014. To be fair, Moonraker was an Android-based smartwatch project, not Windows Phone.

Getting back to the Band and its $20 price cut, the fitness wearable is available in three sizes -- small, medium, and large, which you can purchase at the Microsoft Store. To figure out which is the right size for you, print out this PDF at 100 percent.