14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has just released an update to the Health app on all supported platforms and has also rolled out a new firmware version of the Band 2 fitness tracker.
The company hasn’t provided any kind of details about what’s included in this update, but it’s believed that this new release was specifically developed to address problems reported by users following the most recent update, including battery drain issues on Android.
Plenty of users complained in the Google Play Store that the Health app eats up too much battery power, and Microsoft acknowledged the problem, promising a fix as soon as possible. This is very likely to be the said fix, although it’s worth noting that the Health app update is also available on Windows Phone and Windows 10.
The new Band 2 firmware version is available once you update to the latest Health app release, and it’s just a minor download that doesn’t seem to bring anything else than bug fixes and minor improvements here and there.
Improvements following the latest firmware update
And yet, these new releases take place only a few days after the launch of another firmware update that brought quite a lot of goodies for Microsoft Band 2 owners.
For example, the update included heart rate zone tracking, and with today’s update, the Band also receives real-time notifications when you reach certain thresholds.
“Your Microsoft Band can tell you exactly when you hit your target heart rate zones, and for how long, while using the Run, Bike, and Exercise Tiles. When you reach each zone, you’ll get a vibrating notification and your heart rate display will change color: orange for 80 percent and red for 90 percent. You won’t have to look at your band to know that you’ve reached your target, so you can focus on getting the most out of your workout,” Microsoft explains.
Microsoft says that the heart rate zones are tailored to each individual and are passed on data from previous exercise sessions, which makes the Band 2 one of the few fitness trackers that do not rely on generic information.
