This may be the Microsoft Band 3 - sorry, you can’t have it

Microsoft might be nearing the end of its venture with Microsoft Band, but it appears a successor to the Microsoft Band 2 was in the works before the company abruptly halted its line of fitness trackers.

A user by the name of FUD Hater on the Windows Central forum posted images of what they claim is (or rather, was) the Microsoft Band 3. 

The device reportedly featured RFID communications, an EKG sensor to track blood pressure, and a waterproof design built for swimmers - the latter being a particularly sore absence from the Band series. 

The user behind the pictures chose not to reveal their source, citing NDA concerns. This unfortunately puts the photos' validity in question, despite being convincing and in line with what Microsoft would most likely have done with a third Band iteration.

While we take these images with a grain of salt, it does lead us to think of what might’ve been. For reasons still not entirely clear, Microsoft scoured its fitness trackers from its website and pulled support for the wearable’s software development kit, putting a sudden stop to the brand.

Microsoft has not formally put the Band to rest, stating that it still intends to support the software for the Band 2 and simply has “no plans to release another Band device this year.”

Parker Wilhelm
Parker Wilhelm is a freelance writer for TechRadar. He likes to tinker in Photoshop and talk people's ears off about Persona 4.