Microsoft Band new stock available at US retail: Is the wearable worth purchasing?

Microsoft's foray into the wearable gadget market - the Band - which was released last month, sold out very quickly both online and at Microsoft's physical retail stores across the United States, with new stock slow to arrive.

The Redmond-based company has now officially announced that new stock of the Band will be hitting Microsoft retail stores soon, although it is still not available to purchase online via the Microsoft Store.

If you planned to buy Microsoft Band, and lost out due to stock issues, do let us know if you manage to secure one from Microsoft's physical retail stores this time around.

Is Microsoft's Band worth buying?

At $199 (£128), the Microsoft Band wearable may seem a bit over-priced when you take the $149 (£93) Samsung Gear Fit into consideration, but you may be interested in the former because of its cross-platform support which allows you to sync it with devices running Windows Phone 8.1, iOS 7.1 and 8, and Android 4.3 - 4.4 devices with Bluetooth.

Also, with Cortana built into the Microsoft Band you can keep tabs on important activities without depending on your Windows Phone 8.1 smartphone.

Samsung's Gear Fit does not offer a personal digital assistant (PDA), or even a voice assistant for that matter, which means that you need to depend on your smartphones for updates about activities.

With Redmond's Band also featuring fitness apps (much like other major wearables, including Samsung's Gear Fit), you could use the Microsoft Band to monitor your health and fitness regime.

The above are some of the most important aspects of the Microsoft Band which may give it an edge over competition.

Other key features and tech-specs of Microsoft Band include:

• Touch-enabled TFT full-colour display;
• 64MB internal storage;
• ARM Cortex M4 processor;
• Optical heart rate sensor, GPS, UV Sensor, along with a host of other sensors;
• Low-energy Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity;
• Microphone and Haptic vibration motor embedded;
• Compatibility: Windows Phone 8.1 Update, iOS 7.1, iOS 8, and Android 4.3, 4.4 compatible;
• Built-in Smart UV Monitor;
• Ability to read text messages, and view incoming calls, even when on the move;
• Email notifications and Calendar integration;
• Two 100 mAh rechargeable Li-Ion batteries, that are claimed to operate for at least 48 hours in normal usage conditions;
• Batteries can be charged to full, in less than 1.5 hours;
• Dynamic accessibility to Microsoft Windows Store, Google Play Store and Apple App repositories; and
• Band weighs in at 60 grams.

Microsoft will also take its wearable Band to more countries of the world very soon.