14 DAY TRIAL // The second-generation Microsoft Band was launched on October 6, 2015, in a press conference that also witnessed the unveiling of Redmond’s new Lumia flagships, Surface Pro 4, and the Surface Book, and unsurprisingly, it has sold very well since launch.
But it turns out that, after several months of heavy use, the device begins to tear either near the end of the clasp receiver or on the band’s sides, with the level of physical damage varying by a number of factors.
Posts on Reddit and an article written by Microsoft watcher Rod Trend seem to point to an issue that some Band units are impacted by after being worn for a longer period of time and during workouts, but it’s not yet clear if the same problem can be experienced on all models or not.
All faulty Bands are replaced free of charge
Microsoft redesigned the Band for the second generation in order to prevent such damage, and the charging connector is no longer in direct contact with the skin while the batteries have been moved from the two sides to the bottom of the band. But still, it appears that the thin rubber used on the sides is suffering from excessive wearing and is splitting, leading to the result that you can see in the above photo.
Microsoft is reportedly replacing all Bands having this problem, so you should really contact the company if yours is showing signs of damage.
“I literally had the same issue, but mine was tearing around the screen. I had to make an appointment at my local Microsoft store, but they exchanged it for a brand new one. Afterwards they even let me purchase Microsoft Complete for it. I had a screen protector on mine and since it was a manufacture defect, they replaced my screen protector for free as well,” one user whose Band experienced similar problems posted.
In some cases, certain features of the device could stop working, such as the heart rate monitor, but only if the tear extends to the edges of the screen.
