Review: Pebble smart watch is worth the hype

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  • Reply 21 of 64
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member

    it makes sense for the people who have phones that are too big to fit in a pocket. they won't have to dig through their bag to find their galaxy note whenever they get a text.
    the rest of us will just pull the phone out of our pocket like we always do when we want to know what time it is.

    Not necessarily.

    If you're in a business meeting, it's considered rude to pull out your smartphone, but considerably less rude to look at a watch.

    There are a lot of scenarios where this might make sense. This isn't a bad first step, but it has a long way to go before it's really ready for prime time.
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  • Reply 22 of 64
    trip1extrip1ex Posts: 109member
    Seems like a niche product to me thus difficult to believe Apple is close to releasing such a product.
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  • Reply 23 of 64
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    solipsismx wrote: »
    1) I completely disagree with the score. The price isn't even a con, but he states at the end "Pebble is worth the price of admission.".

    Agreed. $150 to make your $700 smartphone (or tablet) more functional isn't out of line.
    solipsismx wrote: »
    2) For a proof of concept I like it but nothing about Pebble entices me to want to wear a watch. I'm not even concerned about the price (which seems high for the "look" of quality) but of the functionality I think it offers. What I really want is something that talks with my iPhone better, and that means APIs which means Apple being directly involved..

    I don't have any inside information and have no idea whether Apple is working on it, nor do I believe ANY of the rumors floating around. However, if Apple DID release a product like this, I think it could be significantly better and well worth the money.
    solipsismx wrote: »
    3) This is one area I think a wireless charging dock might work. Make the back of the device conduct when in the present of the dock. Have that dock be part of the watch as a nice stand to place it. Since we're only talking about a very small battery it's possible it could fully charge in the timeframe it takes one to shower and shave.

    I don't want to see wireless charging EVER catch on - even for small devices. It's a waste of energy and doesn't really make things any faster. You can accomplish the same 'quick connect' feature with the magnetic cable they're using, but without wasting energy.
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  • Reply 24 of 64
    trip1extrip1ex Posts: 109member
    If I get a text or call, I don't have to pull my phone out of my pocket to see who it is. If the brief glance at my watch reveals that it's important enough to stop or modify what I'm doing, e.g. running, driving or in a meeting, then I can pull my phone out.

    Yes good luck scrolling through text messages on your watch-sized screen while driving. Similar deal with running. Also means you would have your smartphone with you while running. If you are constantly glancing at your watch in a meeting then might as well have your phone out and glance at that. Same difference. Or do you think it would be years before anyone caught on that you have text messages on your smart watch?

    jragosta wrote: »

    If you're in a business meeting, it's considered rude to pull out your smartphone, but considerably less rude to look at a watch.

    Yeah until these things come out. The rude thing is not paying attention in the meeting.
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  • Reply 25 of 64
    zozmanzozman Posts: 393member


    Id love having a watch that gave me notifications, even better, be able to talk to siri, send texts or check stuff. 


    this is just the beginning. 

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  • Reply 26 of 64
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    trip1ex wrote: »
    Yes good luck scrolling through text messages on your watch-sized screen while driving. Similar deal with running. Also means you would have your smartphone with you while running. If you are constantly glancing at your watch in a meeting then might as well have your phone out and glance at that. Same difference. Or do you think it would be years before anyone caught on that you have text messages on your smart watch?

    Where did he state scrolling through a text message? If you can glance at a name in milliseconds, if you need to stop jogging to read the full message because it's someone you were waiting for or if you're driving you need to tell your hands-free system to call back the person that just texted you, that's what you do. I don't see how it can all be negatives with no pros.
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  • Reply 27 of 64
    wwchriswwchris Posts: 60member
    You guys couldn't have taken off the plastic film covering the screen before you took pictures?
    I have one and so far I find it very buggy but the potential to be great.

    It is waterproof so I use it to change songs when I am in the shower.

    It has a vibration motor and it has alerted me to calls I did not feel vibrating in my pocket.

    Because I am in business, I keep my phone on mute and in my pocket during meetings. I can decline calls with a quick glance down to see who it was or read a text message without being rude and taking my phone out of my pocket. I flag messages from the CEO as VIP and have those emails pushed to the screen as well. Again, I can read it without taking out my phone (which BTW is always passcode locked and requires me to unlock it to read those emails).

    Also, it's a watch :-) You would not believe the subtle indicator that glancing at your watch in a meeting sends to people as a non-verbal way of saying. "get to the point".

    Anyway, I dig it, but I imagine alerts will be buggy until Apple decides to release their watch. Then it will get cleaned up :-)
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  • Reply 28 of 64
    jammanjamman Posts: 2member


    I own a Pebble smartwatch and a Galaxy Note II smartphone.  The reason I bought the Pebble, as stated by others, is to avoid pulling the "large phone/small tablet" from my pocket when a text, calendar reminder, or email arrives.  The Pebble notifies me of these things.  And when a call comes in, pressing a button on the Pebble sends the caller to voice mail if I don't want to talk.  Also, since the Pebble vibrates on these actions, I can turn off all phone sounds and vibration.  No one notices the Pebble's vibration but me.  So, instead of BEING a smartphone on my wrist, Pebble COMPLEMENTS the smartphone in my pocket.  This is why I believe Pebble will succeed.  

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  • Reply 29 of 64
    msimpsonmsimpson Posts: 452member


    The tech media is running out of things to hype.  If you are in the business of generating noise, you have to regularly chew on something new and spit out or you will be out of a job, if even what you are hyping is really not that important.


     


    A watch that requires regular recharging is an immediate fail.  Even if it runs for a few days.  


     


    The people who will wear a watch like this are the ones who still walk around with a bluetooth earpiece on all the time, even when they are not on the phone.  


     


    Photo

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  • Reply 30 of 64


    I thought smart watches were useless, but they might have some merit after all. And if the Pebble is looking good so far, then imagine what Apple could do if they decided to make an iWatch that had complete, native integration with your iPhone.

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  • Reply 31 of 64
    bdkennedy1bdkennedy1 Posts: 1,459member
    Wow, I wasn't expecting it to be so ugly. It looks handmade.
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  • Reply 32 of 64
    rhyderhyde Posts: 294member
    I wear a watch.
    People with smartphones are asking me what time it is all the time.
    Kinda tells you something, eh?
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  • Reply 33 of 64
    I received my black pebble watch about a month ago and I'm really enjoying it. When I originally supported it on Kickstarter I wasn't sure if it would be useful or not, but I thought it would be a fun project to follow and support regardless.

    Design: The jet black color looks sharp, and the matte black strap is a good fit. While the size may be a bit large for some, I find that it's not awkward to wear and it looks very nice. I've received quite a few compliments on the watch, all from people who were unfamiliar with what the watch does. I wear it with anything from suits to tshirts and jeans.

    Useability: First and foremost, I use the pebble as a watch. The text display is very readable and looks cool. I'd probably consider adding this watch to my rotation even without the bluetooth connectivity. I pair the watch with my iPhone 5, and have it set to display text, phone, and email notifications. I had no idea how useful this watch would be. It's convenient for glancing at texts when in meetings, driving, or walking through the cold with my phone in my pocket. It's also great when my phone is charging in the kitchen, and I'm able to see a text from the couch in the living room.

    Overall: I love my watch and my more expenses watches haven't seen the light of day for about a month.
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  • Reply 34 of 64
    Unless you suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or are waiting for a helicopter evacuation there is simply no need to constantly be consulting your "watch". Seriously, think how many times you check your e-mail every day, already. What would be served by tripling that frequency, other than to make people think you've developed a wrist tic. This motion will also be interpreted as checking the time, implying to other people that you can't wait to get out of the room.
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  • Reply 35 of 64
    I just blogged about my experience with Pebble since receiving it on Saturday--talks about my personal use cases and justification for backing the project and now integrating it into my life. "The Ripples of Pebble Across My Life's Pond"
    http://multicastmatt.blogspot.com/2013/03/pebbles-ripples-on-my-life-running-blog.html

    I'd love to hear what others think!
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  • Reply 36 of 64

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wildcatherder View Post



    Unless you suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or are waiting for a helicopter evacuation there is simply no need to constantly be consulting your "watch". Seriously, think how many times you check your e-mail every day, already. What would be served by tripling that frequency, other than to make people think you've developed a wrist tic. This motion will also be interpreted as checking the time, implying to other people that you can't wait to get out of the room.




    It doesn't require compulsive checking, rather it provides convenience when you do want to check.  I find that the watch makes me less dependent on my phone, and texts/emails are less disruptive to my day.  A quick glance at my watch when I get a text message is more convenient and less disruptive to me than pulling my phone out of my pocket. 

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  • Reply 37 of 64


    It is worth pointing out the photos are of a watch with a (homemade?) screen protector on it. That does make it look a bit more "handmade" but mine is shiny, black, and looks very polished. I wouldn't mind it being a little thinner and the charge docking area to be less obvious. 


     


    I own one. (Would never own a bluetooth earpiece, by the way, msimpson!) 


     


    Still some bugginess with notifications being sent consistently, but overall I really like it, and I have gotten a lot of complements on it. My biggest frustration with a bug with it being seen by my phone as a bluetooth audio source so I had issues with text-to-speech and Siri, but that was fixed yesterday. 


     


    I will be watching (no pun intended) Apple's "iWatch" if/when it ever happens with great interest, but in the meantime this does provide a great deal of convenience and the apparently robust developer community will have great apps for it in the months to come. There is a great deal of the watch that is still not accessible with the software but has hardware in place (accelerometer, pedometer, BT 4.0, linking to phone GPS & data for weather, news feeds, etc.)  


     


    The haters are gonna hate... Someone who doesn't wear or want a watch isn't going to find something compelling to put on their wrist but for those who wear one it is a strong entry that will only get better in the months ahead.   

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  • Reply 38 of 64
    drblankdrblank Posts: 3,386member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Rabbit_Coach View Post



    My personal prediction: It won't win a lot of design awards.




    Doesn't even have a color display.   This looks like 80's technology, nothing more.

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  • Reply 39 of 64
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by trip1ex View Post



    Yeah until these things come out. The rude thing is not paying attention in the meeting.


    Hah- that's true.  Everyone will know while you're looking at your iWatch or whatever it's called that you're just checking a message.  Once (if) it goes mainstream, you won't be able to "hide" it.

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  • Reply 40 of 64
    mundtymundty Posts: 10member
    I hope the Apple iWatch is a product intended to throw the competition off the trail. Whatever the next big shift is in the technology market, I sincerely hope it's not a glorified calculator watch. Here's to hoping Apple's new TV set brings something far more interesting to the party.
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