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Sarah Tew/CNET
Consumers interested in the Microsoft Band fitness tracker can save $50 via a Target sale that runs this week.
Normally selling for $200, the Microsoft Band is now on sale at Target for $150, a full 25 percent off the regular price. The sale, which is valid in-store only, expires on Saturday, July 25. Target’s Microsoft Band sale page requires that you generate and print a barcode coupon that you can then take to your local Target store to snag the sale price.
Launched last October, the Microsoft Band was initially available only in the US and only through Microsoft’s website and its retail stores. As a result, the device quickly sold out due to its limited stock. In March, Microsoft expanded the supply and reach of its first wearable to Amazon, Best Buy and Target in the US and to the Microsoft Store and local retailers in the UK.
Like other fitness bands, the Microsoft Band features an all-day heart monitor, tracks your daily physical activity and displays workout data on its screen. The Band can also download fitness instructions and let you take notes and set reminders via the built-in Cortana voice assistant. Of course, the Microsoft Band has to compete with a range of other fitness and activity trackers as well as smartwatches that offer health-related features. But Microsoft’s device offers one key advantage. It can sync with iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices via Microsoft’s Health app. But it still has to compete with Fitbit, Pebble and other fitness band makers that also work with both iOS and Android.
The Band initially received just a 3-star review from CNET, which cited mediocre battery life, buggy Bluetooth pairing, the hard-to-use Microsoft Health app and inconsistent heart-rate accuracy. But Microsoft has been updating the Band on a regular basis with new features and improvements, striving to continue to evolve the gadget.
And now a new Microsoft Band is in the works, according to Windows Central. During last week’s keynote at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference, the company’s chief operating officer, Kevin Turner, revealed that the next Microsoft Band is presently in development.
Responding to a question from CNET asking about Microsoft Band sales figures, a spokeswoman for the company said: “We do not comment on sales numbers, but the response to Microsoft Band has been exciting and we’re happy to be able to offer customers this great opportunity.”
Update, 10:10 a.m. PT: Adds comment from Microsoft.
