Pebble – Hardware Review
With the upcoming release of the new Pebble smartwatches, we decided to take a trip down memory lane, albeit one that does not go back too far in the past. With the many smartwatches currently available it’s hard to imagine them being a tad simpler than what we’re used to nowadays. At the advance of these gadgets, models such as the Pebble watches might have been some sort of pioneer, as they were affordable and still offered a decent amount of functions. Let’s take a look to see how relevant these watches still are, with the pending release of the new ones.
Design
The Pebble looks like a fairly standard everyday digital watch, with some influences of more classy traditional watches. You’ll be presented with a simple, yet elegant frame that does not have any extra whistles and bells.
The watch has a simple rubber strap that’s actually quite good against sweaty wrists, as it is easy to clean. If you’d rather go for a more classy appearance for your Pebble watch, you can always replace the strap with a leather one, or even a metallic one, if you can find one the right size. This creates a few extra opportunities to personalize your smartwatch.
Overall the design is pretty great, as it is a more subtle way of owning a smartwatch but it still gives you certain options to make this watch ‘your own’.
Comfort
As for comfort, the Pebble is as comfortable as many other watches, as it’s pretty much the same size. The rubberized strap is quite soft and flexible, making it easier to actually put on the watch. Also, the weight is no problem either.
Newer models are often a lot bigger, thus being slightly less practical for those who have thinner wrists. With the small size of the Pebble this proves to be no issue at all. Of course, bigger models have other practical advantages.
Even with the lack of touch screen controls, you will have no real problems navigating through the menus on the Pebble. It’s a simple case of up, down and select for nearly everything you wish to do with the watch.
Specs
- Lots of customization options (watch faces, straps, …)
- 5 to 7 days battery life
- Works with Android and iOS
- 5 ATM Water resistance
Overview
Even though the Pebble calls itself a smartwatch, it’s not what we’re used to nowadays. The Samsung and Apple smartwatches are nearly the same as our very own smartphones, when it comes to their functionalities. Their OS looks spiffy and nearly the same as the ones on our phones. The Pebble aims for a more old school approach with the very small black and white screen. Overall the Pebble becomes more of an extension of your smartphone instead of an evenly strong device.
If you wish to connect your smartphone with the Pebble, you will need to install the proper app on your phone, before you’re able to do so. With your app you will be able to further control your Pebble, allow certain actions and of course add extra features and customization options.
Whilst most of these options allow you to stay up-to-date by integrating your daily apps into the Pebble, it looks a little more dated than it would on your smartphone. Nonetheless, the watch itself proves to be quite practical, as you will have very swift access to notifications of said apps. Messages can be read quickly, music can be controlled, etc.
Other than the basic functionalities, the Pebble also has a decent amount of things to mess around with, if you wish to personalize your device. You can swap the existing watch faces for different ones. You can decide if you’d rather have a classic watch face instead of a digital one, or perhaps one that spells out the numbers. If the standard pickings don’t suit you, you can also opt to download several new ones.
There is also a decent amount of apps to be found on Google’s App Store. Whilst not all are official ones, there are still many that can be useful, or even better than the original apps. Some provide a better experience to manage your music, whilst others might be fun for planning and so on.
Conclusion
The Pebble is certainly a fun smartwatch, if you like a fairly basic experience. Whilst the apps in combination with the watch will allow you to do many fun things, you’ll merely be extending the abilities of your smartphone, to a limited extent. You’ll be able to scroll through several basic functions, have easy access to music, text messages and so on, but that’s pretty much about it. If you’re looking for a fun watch that allows you to keep track of certain basic notifications, the Pebble is a great device. If you’re looking for a smartwatch to complete more professional goals, it might be better to look a bit further.
Pebble - Hardware Review,
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