Apple Watch vs Microsoft Band Specs Review: Price, Features Comparison - Band Beats the Watch When it Comes to Features

When comparing a fitness band against a premium smartwatch like the Apple Watch, it would stand to reason that the band will be a poor cousin. But in the case of the Microsoft Band, that is far from the truth. In fact, the device even manages to outshine the Apple Watch when it comes to battery life and features offered.

Design

There isn't any doubt that the Microsoft Band is primarily a fitness band. It has a familiar band-like design and is made almost entirely from thermoplastic elastomer with a clasp that can be adjusted. It is also designed to be worn with its screen facing outwards, and inwards which gives users a lot of privacy when they are working out or when they need to check notifications.

Coming to the Apple Watch, it has a rectangular body and comes in two sizes: a bigger 42mm version and a smaller 38mm version. The device also has a lot of customization options and comes in three lines: the Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition. The Watch Sport is crafted from anodized aluminum, while the Apple Watch is made of stainless steel. The Apple Watch Edition comes with a solid gold body. As for straps, there is a huge range starting from sports bands made from Fluoroelastomer to others crafted from leather and stainless steel.

On both the Microsoft Band and the Apple Watch, the straps cannot be swapped out with standard straps available in the market. In terms of water resistance, the Band can withstand splashes. There are rumors that the Apple Watch will have a IP 67 rating and therefore can be used in the shower.

Display

The display on the Microsoft Band measures 11mm x 33mm and has a resolution of 320 X 106 pixels. The Apple Watch's smaller version will have a 1.32-inch display with a resolution of 240x272 pixels. As for its bigger version, which Apple hopes will be worn mostly by men, it has a 1.5-inch display with a resolution of 390 x312 pixels.

Specs

The Microsoft Band has an ARM Cortex M4 MCU and 64MB of internal storage. As for the Apple Watch it has an Apple S1 chip and is rumored to come with 8GB of storage.

Features

This is where the Microsoft Band takes the lead as it has GPS and can track movements during running without a phone. It also has an optical heart rate sensor, skin temperature sensor, accelerometer, capacitive sensor and haptic vibration motor. On the Apple Watch is a heart rate sensor and accelerometer. However, it does not have GPS and relies on the paired iPhone to track the wearer's movements, which is then used by various apps to gauge activity level and even set goals. The Microsoft Band can be paired with Windows, Android and iOS devices, while the Apple Watch only works with iOS devices.

Battery

The battery on the Microsoft Band lasts for 48 hours without recharging while the Apple Watch's battery could last up to 19 hours only.

Price

The cheapest Apple Watch costs around $349. Its solid gold versions are priced between $10,000 and $17,000. As for the Microsoft Band, it is priced at $199.