It seemed to be the case that Microsoft was starting to unify its product portfolio. The company has already renamed its Health app "Microsoft Band," which indicated that the company wanted to help consumers better identify Microsoft services (with the end goal being that consumers would buy more product from Microsoft). Unfortunately, it appears as though the idea of product portfolio unification comes with a drawback: the company has decided to stop selling the Microsoft Band 2.
According to The Verge, who got the story from ZDNet, Microsoft has stopped selling the Band 2, meaning that the claim earlier that the absence of a Band 3 announcement would mean a greater push to sell the Band 2 has now been debunked. Microsoft had already moved its Band 2 Windows 10 port team over to other projects; now we know why.
Microsoft appears to be in the process of preparing itself to stop selling fitness bands altogether, which may be a wise decision considering that the Windows platform as a whole (whether mobile or PC) isn't doing too well with the majority of the worldwide consumer base. Additionally, with the company's reduced prices on the Band 2 (even extending some discount deals), it appears as though the Band 2 hasn't done all that well in sales. Sales are for all companies an indication of success or failure, and, if this is true, Microsoft's Band 2 is a flop.
Microsoft has said that it will continue to support the Band 2 and Band 2 users who intend to follow through with their purchase, but new buyers won't have access to the smart fitness band. It's a shame, considering that the Band 2 was one of the most functional smart fitness bands on the market.
