14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is working to bring out the second-generation Band, but photos that reached the web recently showed that the company was working on a much more advanced smartwatch that impressed in terms of design and features.
While it's not yet clear why that project was canceled, it was certainly a very appealing device that could have pushed Microsoft closer to rivals Apple in the smartwatch fight, as the Band remains a smart wristband more appropriate for fitness tracking.
Armend Lleshi created a concept with his own version of Microsoft's smartwatch that runs Windows 10 and which could become a more powerful Apple Watch rival, not only in terms of design, but also as far as features are concerned.
Live tiles and lock screen configuration settings
The so-called Lumia Watch comes with a 1.7-inch screen with a resolution of 315x380 pixels, so it doesn't feature a perfectly square display, but one that better fits your wrist. It boasts the traditional live tiles, which make much more sense on such a screen and lets you track heart activity, read emails and text messages, perform several tasks with Cortana and basically all the other things that the Band can already perform.
The Lumia Watch comes win 6 colors and features a metal body, which should be extra durable, but could make it prone to overheating.
There are more than 50 lock screen style and plenty of other features, so Microsoft should really have a look at this concept for a future smartwatch.
Obviously, there are things that need to be improved, and the Lumia Watch concept looks just too much as an Apple gadget, but Microsoft has the know-how to take a simple concept and bring it in production with its own personal touches.
In the meantime, the Band 2 is very likely to be built on the foundation set by its predecessor, so expect a similar design with improved feature when it launches later this year.
