Microsoft addresses Band shortages, will sell devices at Amazon, Best Buy

The Microsoft Band, which has adorned the wrists of company executives and celebrity spokespeople but been regularly unavailable to the wider public, is set for a broader release.

Beginning Tuesday, the health-tracking device will be available at Best Buy, Target and Amazon.com, the company said. More-frequent shipments are bound for Microsoft's own stores, too.

Since its October launch, the Band has been sold exclusively at Microsoft's retail stores and website, but availability has been patchy. The devices have regularly been listed as sold out online, with availability varying by location in Microsoft's brick-and-mortar stores.

A visit to Microsoft's website late Monday revealed the devices were out of stock in all sizes. On Tuesday morning, the Band was available, with an estimated shipping date listed as April 1.

Microsoft's Matt Barlow said in a blog post that the company had heard feedback about the availability of the devices. Microsoft's stores, he said, "will receive larger shipments than before, on a more regular basis."

Barlow also announced that the Band would be released in its first international market, the UK, on April 15.

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