I have come to the conclusion that the problem with all these smart watches is that they try to be a watch that does other things. Thus forcing them to be ugly.
How about a communications device that is worn on the arm that also happens to tell the time? Might free up conceptual design. Within a year all smart watches would look like the first one to manage that. You know, sort of like a computer that fits in your pocket that also happens to work as a phone changed the smartphone world.
I'm waiting for the iWatch as are probably most sensible people who don't want to waste their money on the usual suspects who have no clue about good design.
For a "hands-on" review, this was decidedly not very hands-on. It looks like a republished press blurb (not even a full release).
How does it work with iOS, what apps does it offer, what other apps are available? Of course you can't answer this, because it hasn't even shipped yet. But that begs the question: "Does simply touching it at a trade show booth really make for a "hands-on" review?
It was pretty clear that they're still working on firmware and the Pebble 2.0 appstore is not completely finished. There's no sense in our being critical when they haven't shipped it to consumers yet.
The iOS Pebble appstore appears to take the form of another part of the iOS Pebble app, and you select apps to install to the watch from there just as you do watch faces today. The appstore will be searchable, and is divided up into categories like Daily, Fitness, Remotes, etc. so you can find what you're looking for.
We hope to have a full review when it's actually shipping.
Simply touching it at the trade show can help us say, "does it feel good, does it feel like they're on the right path, will it be worth reviewing critically when released?" Here, we know that they have strong partnerships with Mercedes-Benz and are able to lock and unlock doors from Pebble, that Lockitron will allow us to lock and unlock our home doors from Pebble - so yes, it feels like they're on the right path. It'll be worth reviewing.
I just wish I didn't have to look at their branding quite so large on the crystal. I know I bought a Pebble, do I need to be reminded of it?
The iWatch has to be more than just a viewer. Its one thing to receive push notifications to a wrist-worn display....but I need to receive iMessage and Email, hear the tones through the Watch, see the message scroll across (text and image), and be able to respond directly via Siri/Dictation power from an easy-to-reach dedicated button on the watch.
And the pure geek in me wants to be able to answer incoming calls....
Please look at the Omate TrueSmart. You can have Android 4.2.2 and a micro SIM on your wrist. Place and take all the calls you like. Sideload Google Now / Google Search and you should be able to use Google's voice prompts to place those calls.
It's looks clunky to me. The watch face is much too big relative to the display, which is made worse by the logo on the face pushes everything off centre.
I like the concept and category, but Apple needs to enter this space and quickly so we have a stable, iOS-like platform for good development ideas to flourish.
Firstly we need to decide if the smart watch is something that pushes biometric data to the phone, or something that replaces taking your phone out of your pocket (or a combination of the two).
Comments
Precisely.
For a "hands-on" review, this was decidedly not very hands-on. It looks like a republished press blurb (not even a full release).
How does it work with iOS, what apps does it offer, what other apps are available? Of course you can't answer this, because it hasn't even shipped yet. But that begs the question: "Does simply touching it at a trade show booth really make for a "hands-on" review?
It was pretty clear that they're still working on firmware and the Pebble 2.0 appstore is not completely finished. There's no sense in our being critical when they haven't shipped it to consumers yet.
The iOS Pebble appstore appears to take the form of another part of the iOS Pebble app, and you select apps to install to the watch from there just as you do watch faces today. The appstore will be searchable, and is divided up into categories like Daily, Fitness, Remotes, etc. so you can find what you're looking for.
We hope to have a full review when it's actually shipping.
Simply touching it at the trade show can help us say, "does it feel good, does it feel like they're on the right path, will it be worth reviewing critically when released?" Here, we know that they have strong partnerships with Mercedes-Benz and are able to lock and unlock doors from Pebble, that Lockitron will allow us to lock and unlock our home doors from Pebble - so yes, it feels like they're on the right path. It'll be worth reviewing.
I just wish I didn't have to look at their branding quite so large on the crystal. I know I bought a Pebble, do I need to be reminded of it?
The iWatch has to be more than just a viewer. Its one thing to receive push notifications to a wrist-worn display....but I need to receive iMessage and Email, hear the tones through the Watch, see the message scroll across (text and image), and be able to respond directly via Siri/Dictation power from an easy-to-reach dedicated button on the watch.
And the pure geek in me wants to be able to answer incoming calls....
Please look at the Omate TrueSmart. You can have Android 4.2.2 and a micro SIM on your wrist. Place and take all the calls you like. Sideload Google Now / Google Search and you should be able to use Google's voice prompts to place those calls.
I like the concept and category, but Apple needs to enter this space and quickly so we have a stable, iOS-like platform for good development ideas to flourish.
Firstly we need to decide if the smart watch is something that pushes biometric data to the phone, or something that replaces taking your phone out of your pocket (or a combination of the two).