Microsoft has pulled all of its listings for its Band devices from the Microsoft store, along with revealing that the company no longer plans to release the Band 3 this year, suggesting that it is finished with the product line.
Although the Microsoft Band 2 was received reasonably well by critics, its high price-point led to it failing to set the world alight, with it not helping the tech giant make the impact in the wearables industry that it was hoping for. This news follow the disbanding of the team tasked with bringing Windows 10 to the Band, who were disbanded a few months ago.
Priced at $250, the Band 2 sat at the pricier end of the market and struggled to garner a significant audience as a result. The Band 2 was released back in October 2015, so it was expected that its successor would launch this month, with Microsoft now revealing to ZDNet that this won’t be the case. A statement released by the company reveals that it has “no plans to release another Band device this year,” with it also being suggested by ZDNet’s sources that the Band would be removed from the company’s brick-and-mortar stores.
Though Microsoft hasn’t officially confirmed that it will be bringing an end to the Band product line, the future doesn’t look too hopeful for the fitness device. Microsoft has stated that it will continue to fund the Microsoft Health platform, which indicates that it will still be looking to branch out into more fitness-oriented products in the future, but as it stands it seems that the Band is another failed Microsoft hardware venture after news earlier this year that it will be dropping its feature phone line, selling Nokia to Foxconn and the rumor that it is folding Microsoft Mobile into its Surface group. It’s a tough time for Microsoft hardware, but it seems that the company hasn’t given up on wearables just yet, even if the Band has proven to be a flop.
