Microsoft Expands Fitness Band Distribution to Retailers Amazon, Best Buy, Target

Microsoft (MSFT) said it will expand distribution of its $200 fitness Band beyond its own retail stores and online site to include Amazon (AMZN), Best Buy (BBY) and Target (TGT) and increase available inventory of the device to ramp up the wearable’s sales ahead of Apple’s (AAPL) impending Watch debut in April.

The vendor also said the Microsoft Band will be available in the U.K. on April 15, its maiden foray into the international market. The device will be available in the U.K. at Amazon, Curry’s PC World, Dixons Travel, Harrods, and O2 for £169.99.

Matt Barlow, Microsoft New Devices general manager, in a blog post said that each of the retailers will receive “increased shipments” of the Band wearable in the coming weeks. The vendor’s authorization of the three retailers to sell the Band marks the first third-parties granted access to sell the unit.

“We are excited to announce that we will expand our presence in the US retail channel with the addition of three new retail partners–Amazon, Best Buy and Target,” Barlow wrote in a blog post. “Microsoft has a long history of partnering with these retailers and we are pleased to welcome them on this journey with us.”

Microsoft’s Band features 10 sensors to measure things such as heart rate, stress levels, UV exposure and, as with most fitness units, it can count steps throughout the day, number of calories burned and evaluate sleep quality. The unit includes a stopwatch and lap timer as well and also allows users to follow pre-set workout routines.

In addition, the Band can display notifications from a user’s mobile phone on its color touchscreen, take notes and make a reminder list with Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant. The device can show users their incoming calls and texts or a brief preview of new emails and reminders from their calendar.

The Band is powered by two 100mAh rechargeable lithium-ion polymer batteries for 48 hours of standby time.

The kicker with the Band device is that it works with Apple’s iPhone and Google (GOOG) Android devices so it’s good to go with any platform. The Band’s baked-in GPS enables it to work without a mobile tether.

Microsoft has tied the band into its Microsoft Health online service and app that stores data and syncs up notifications to the Band. Last month, the vendor issued its first software update for the Band based on customer’s direct feedback, Barlow said, offering a new web dashboard and other productivity features.

“We also added biking functionality, new productivity features for viewing and responding to notifications, deeper integration with MapMyFitness and Microsoft HealthVault, and the introduction of the Microsoft Band SDK Developer Preview,” he wrote.

As long as the user has either a Windows Phone 8.1 device, an iPhone running iOS 7.1 or later, or an Android phone running version 4.3 or later, they’re good to go with the Band’s apps and the Health service.