Microsoft Band: New stocks apparently available for purchase starting 3 January in US retail stores

Microsoft's first ever Wearable venture, the Band, finally got a retail release last month ending months of intense speculation. The gadget was sold out very quickly both online as well as at Microsoft's brick-and-mortar retail stores across the United States of America, thus leaving scores of prospective buyers dejected.

Now, in what seems to be good news for people waiting to lay their hands on the Microsoft Band, new stocks of the wearable will reportedly be available across Microsoft's retail centres in the US, starting from 3 January.

According to a Windows Central report, that quotes an email alert sent to faculty at Microsoft's US retail store, the Band will be up for sale at physical retail stores of the Redmond-based company.

However, it is worth mentioning at this stage that the Band cannot be procured via Microsoft's online Store, as stated by the Windows Central report, which means that you need to drive down to your nearest retail centre in order to procure the Band.

Also, it is not known as to how many Band units Microsoft will stock from 3 January.

Hence, if you are a potential buyer of the Microsoft Band, do anticipate limited stocks of the wearable and rush to the retail store nearest you.

Also, do let us know if you managed to procure a new MS Band in a retail centre.

Is Microsoft's Band worth buying?

With the Band getting sold out comparatively quickly every time it goes up for sale, let's check out if the gadget is indeed worth all the surrounding hype and hoopla.

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
• Band weighs in at 60 grams.