Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Gestures As He Speaks At The Company's "Build" Conference.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gestures as he speaks at the company's "build" conference in San Francisco in this file photo taken April 2, 2014. Microsoft Corp's new Chief Executive Satya Nadella likes to boast that Bing is growing and powers 30 percent of the Internet search market, making it a worthy competitor to Google Inc. Reuters/Robert Galbraith

Microsoft launched its sleek wearable gadget dubbed "Band" and released in the U.S. towards the end of October. It was reported that the Microsoft Band garnered exceptional attention from the gear crazy crowd, and subsequently, the stacked units were sold out in no time.

However, other reports pointed out that the Redmond-based tech giant had stocked only 5,000 Band units during its launch, hence, the units went out of stock quickly. On the contrary, Microsoft told the tech website, Windows Central, that the company sold more than the alleged number that is being circulated. Nonetheless, the company did not communicate the exact numbers that were sold, according to Phone Arena.

Furthermore, the company assured that it is gearing up to make more Bands available to the potential buyers via its online store, as well as through Microsoft Stores, across the U.S. The Microsoft Band is priced affordably at US$199.99, and it is being marketed as fitness and health tracker combined with several smartwatch functionalities.

As far as the features go, the Band comes with a heart rate monitor, UV sensor, GPS and Bluetooth v4.0. Adding a cherry on top, Microsoft's digital personal assistant Cortana can also be integrated with the Band, in case the gear is paired with a Windows Phone powered smartphone.

Apart from the umpteen sensors, the gear can also keep track of steps, calorie burn and even sleep quality. Plus, it provides support for Guided Workouts. The smartwatch-like features include previewing emails, getting calendar alerts, taking notes and setting reminders via the Band owners' voice commands, with the help of Cortana, according to Windows Phone site.

The whole configuration is held together by not one but two 100 mAh batteries. These duo battery units have the capability to provide up to 48 hours of charge. Most importantly, the Microsoft Band is compatible with Windows Phone, Android and Apple iOS devices. Nonetheless, the company has not announced the release date of the Band pertaining to other regions outside of the U.S. Plus, there is no information available at this point on Microsoft Band's Black Friday deal. Interested readers in the U.S. can check out Microsoft Store to purchase the Band.

Meanwhile, it is worth noting that, there are a slew of choices available in the gadgets market with Pebble, Martian, Cookoo, I'm Watch and Sony leading the heavy pack of wearable gadgets. The recent addition to the list being Samsung Gear, Motorola Moto 360 and LG G Watch R. Nonetheless, Microsoft is not part of the rat-race of smartwatches; instead, the company has built a sleek fitness and health band. Is Microsoft on the right path in deviating from the formula that has worked for many OEMs? Feel free to leave a comment.

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