Tested In-Depth: Pebble Steel Smart Watch
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- What's the point of a smart watch, and how does it complement your use of a smartphone? That's what we wanted to figure out in our testing of the Pebble Steel. Will and Norm both use the Pebble for a month and discuss how it changes the way they regularly interact with their iOS and Android phones.
The pebble community is keeping these devices alive. We still have full functionality. Replacement web services. And even battery replacements 8 years later
I wish these guys would stop interrupting each other when the other is talking....
***** Seriously...it takes away from the product that they're interviewing.
For those who are looking to buy a pebble steel, on ebay a new or gently used pebble steel goes for about $125-$150. Also on amazon the pebble steel goes for about $175 new. Prices have gone down considerably since launch and in my opinion this is the best smart watch on the market.
I like the idea. It does not aim to replace your smartphone. It alerts you only to the notifications you choose to be echoed from your smartphone, which limits your interaction with your phone in certain situations in which you don't really need the distraction, or cannot hold your phone in your hand but are waiting for a call or a message or an urgent email. It is also keeps your phone hidden in unsafe locations (like in crowded places in my country where thieves abound), and you can see whether an incoming call or message is something that you need to attend to right away, or if you can just leave it for later. And in my case, when my phone is in my hand all the time or right in front of me on my desk, there is always the temptation to fiddle around with it. Very distracting! With the Pebble, I can keep my phone in my bag or in my drawer, and forget about it.
I have a 1st gen Pebble and at that price it was totally worth it. The main thing it's useful for is to know if you should bother taking your phone out. Which doesn't sound like a lot, but it really reduces interruptions. For some reasons, if I'm working at a keyboard, I can glance at my watch with a twist of my wrist and not break m workflow. But to look at the phone, it needs both hands and a mental shift.
I stopped watching these guys because I feel like there's a lot of tension between the group
Had mine for a few days. Best thing about it is that I never miss calls now. It's not for everyone but to me it's worth the 100$ I paid for it,
Also, 4 to 7 days of battery life is not an issue at all. Other smartwatches have less than a day of battery life. It can be charged in no time too so even in situations where you let it go dead, you will be up and running again with only a few minutes on a charger.
For those who are watching this video with the consideration of purchasing a pebble. I want to add what has changed or improved with this product:
-There are now applications that give directions as one of the guys on the video requested (I don't know their name by face yet, I don't watch them regularly.) However, the only difference between the pebble's navigation applications and google wear navigation applications is that you can't speak to the pebble and ask for directions. This must be done either on the watch or on your phone. It is easier on your phone if you set it up before you start driving your car though.
-You can respond to texts and calls from your pebble. However, unlike the Android Wear watches, you can't speak to them for a custom text message. Rather, on the pebble, you can send preset text messages. (I don't know if there is an app that lets you custom send a text, and if there is, it will take a pretty long time because you are limited to old fashioned buttons that let you go up down, left or right. )
Virtually, Pebble can do everything Android Wear can do, however, it does it differently. Instead of speaking to the pebble you must set something up manually on your phone or pebble itself.
There is not gigabytes of storage on the pebble as it wasn't designed to hold tens of apps.
The screen is not colored.
Now although these cons of the pebble, which I outlined above, sound bad, there ARE pros due to these cons. These are:
-Longer battery life. Most Android Wear watches last 2 days AT MOST. (Based on consumer reviews). Pebble watches typically last at least 3 1/2 days, with HEAVY usaged. Meaning, if you use it casually and don't play too many games on your pebble, it will last at least 5 days. Unlike the Android Wear watches. This is all due to the fact that the pebble is monochrome, simple, and does not run extensive background applications.
-More functionality. There are far less bugs with a pebble as opposed to a Samsung Gear for example. The pebble is older, simpler, and therefore it will have less bugs because the bugs were either non-existent or fixed over it's lifetime.
-The app store on pebble is MUCH bigger than the appstore for Android Wear devices. With over 3200 applications and thousands of developers.
-Lastly, the pebble is simple and you get exactly what you get. It is uniformal with no unpleasant surprises. For example, the Android Wear devices function on Google Now's card system, which displays cards with information relevant to where you are or what you're doing. Therefore, if you want the weather, it is not always in the exact spot on your watch as it would be with the pebble. Many users reported having to sit for a minute or two to just find where the weather is on their Android Wear device, unlike the pebble, which has it in the same spot everytime.
I hope this helps anyone comparing smart watches. I think the pebble is a great device and with all these new smart watches coming out, it is a bit underrated.
SecondHandRelief Thank you for review. I am consider to buy this watch, but I had some doubts because Google Now isn't available in my country this watch is the winner in my smart watch list (as far as I know the smartwatch with Google Wear is heavily integrated with Google Now).
+SecondHandRelief Thank you for writing this. Do you have direct experience with the Pebble Steel? I am concerned about its life span. I am really liking it for its style and that it is an accessory which doesn´t try to replace the phone, just complement it. But, the guys in the review said that, unlike regular timepieces, this will only last two years. What is your opinion on this statement? Thanks.
I found my pebble to be useful. I would have my phone on silent at work, school, and the library. I would get a notification on pebble with out disrupting anyone else. I used the Endomondo app a lot for tracking my running and biking. Plus, when I would drink to much, I would just press a button which would send my brother a message with my location. The thing I liked the best was using it with Tasker. Pebble is very convenient for people who become distracted by their phones or for those who know how to make it function for themselves.
It's about $100 now and they will have a round one soon. Someone must have been watching these guys for ideas.
I love my 1st gen Pebble Black, after getting a metal linked band. As an on-call tech and dealing with other things (life) it's much more discreet to use a pebble. Not that many people where I live recognize it.
ive been using it for more than 3 moths. thought it was a stupid idea but it served me well at work and the gym. you can stay connected without getting distracted
I bought a Pebble Jet Black on Black Friday for $79, didn't want to splurge on the Steel (it was $149). It hasn't come in yet but what really sold me on it was the ability for it to be a fitness band-type device, the notifications are just icing on the cake. Plus the 7 day battery is awesome, even though I agree it should be better but it's a computer on your wrist.
I love my pebble watch I don't go anywhere without it.
Funny he says he'd pay 150 for it in this video, the price on the Steel dropped to 150 now and 99 for the regular.
where did you find it for 150?
Dante Totino It's officially 99 and 149 from Pebble directly now. Not a sale, just the new prices. Happened right after the apple watch keynote I think.
tipoomaster sorry I'm a little confused on their website it says 199 for pebble steel and 99 for normal
Dante Totino Oh, strange, either I'm going crazy or there was a sale just weeks ago then.
tipoomaster Best buy just ran a sale for that price. They are also going to sell pebble for $80 abd steel for $150 on black Friday.
It's pretty interesting to see how this technology is in the beginning. It'll probably be only 5 years before you just have an entire modern smartphone in a watch-sized package.
Whats the Bluetooth range? I am getting one and apparently its really annoying when you leave that zone.
please stop interrupting each other... you've been doing it for years now it's so irritating ahh
If you live here, in Salvador Brazil, you're NEVER allowed to take your phone off your pocket. You'll be mugged in 1 second
They are Gonna throw a mug on my face or smth?
I have one of the original Pebbles and I'd have to say that just adding a light to let you know it's charging is a huge improvement. Knowing if it's charging or not is one of the biggest problems with the original.
Now if they'd only replace the charger with something that works better, like a micro USB port. The contact charger is crap.
I think this looks heaps better than pebble time personally.
This has reminded me of "Bud tucker in double trouble" the "scene" with the laser watch... :-)
I use a :garmin 620 sport swatch". Its a gps watch, not quite a smart watch, but it connects to wifi, blue tooth, and 4g. It is essentially a smart gps. But i love it and its touchscreen. mainly used for running because it is a sports watch (measures elevation, speed, pace, VO2 max, heart rate, distance, time, etc..) but its pretty cool
Still have my Pebble Steel as my daily driver. best looking smart watch out there.
I was really considering one, but not if the glass scratches that badly that easily, and is not easily replaced :/
I think they should replace the battery with a super capacitor, it would probably only last a day or so, but it could charge in 2 seconds
I always wondered what the point of a smartwatch but now I think I'm starting to get it. Of course the Pipboy face was enough to make me want one.
It can display programmed alarms without smartphone in range?
Regarding these new smart watch to me so far were surprised that the original companies engaged in manufacturing watches for decades did not respond at all to the market , by which time forward he knew was coming .
quote from 'they live' ..... "WE'VE GOT ONE THAT CAN SEE!"
Did you guys watch the google i/o keynotes the voice command on "android wear" devises like the "LG G Watch" is its feature.
"Orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-eight million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.."
i need to know if this will vibrating alert when sms incoming and clock alarm wake vibrating.
because i am deaf.
Guys better sync up what you're talking about. Don't step on each others what is talking. This is a typical problem on two people reviewing without practicing first.
Hey guys, I just bought one. I turned location services on but it wont use my location for weather on some of the watch faces?
probably wouldn't need different chargers internationally, just plug adapters. Most usb wall chargers these days are dual voltage.
Wish they made is a little bigger, I love having a grandfather clock on my wrist.
I have to say it does seem a bit niche, BUT if it had voice commands like you talked about... now that would be worth having!
All it would really need is a microphone. Then it could connect to Google Now. Galaxy Gear has S-Voice but that's pretty much crap compared to Google Now speech interpretation. (That said, Google Now has limited use but is definitely improving)
So , moving right along and cutting to the chase , will it detect upcoming Epileptic seizures ? if yes , i am interested , where do i get info ?
This got me interested in looking at the smartwatch thing again. I got the Galaxy S5, and Samsung now has the Gear2 and Gear2 Neo. The Neo is $200 and has a color display, touchscreen, voice activation, and IR blaster. For $300, the not Neo has all that plus a 2MP camera. I couldn't see paying $250 for the Pebble. It just looks really cheap with the monochrome black and gray display and no touchscreen. I think $100 is the most I'd pay for that and even then, probably not.
does it work with I phone? and does it give you notifications from facebook, messenger, instagram, whatsapp viber? thanks
amazing timing with this release just before the google IO event! i think this thing is likely obsolete now (for android users, anyway)
Nope. Android wear is still pretty much a 1.0 product, and all android wear watches have the same problem. Lousy battery life and no screen visibility on direct sunlight. Pebble not only has decent battery and is crisp under the sun, but also has 5ATM water resistance, which means you can go swim with it (IP56 only guarantees some splashes and gentle submerging under 1M for tops 30min). So don't be so cocky about it, you'll have to wait at least another year. And also, no one needs another smartphone for their wrist, just a watch that extends your phone and I find it useful for when I'm cycling or driving and my phone is in my pocket, for that I don't need color screens (and please tell me who would be so dumb to show other people photos with their watch having a smartphone in the pocket). BTW, those are things not even Apple has realized yet, so go for a Pebble or wait for 2016.
Price is the rub, I recently got a Galaxy Gear bundled in for free with a new phone contract for a Note3. I like it, it does a lot of stuff, and it does S-Voice control, so I can speak to my watch, and either it, or my phone will perform the action, and I can use it as Dick Tracy communicator,... but it's still not my daily wear. It's a little too dressy for me daily, I work from home, so am dressed down, usually remaining in the practical outdoorsy clothes I wear to walk my dogs in, and I wear a Suunto when out and about. I'll wear the Gear if I go out in the evening however. I think the Pebble Steel has some nicer aspects of it aesthetics over the gear, the real leather strap option being one, on the Gear the camera is built into the strap, so you are stuck with the small range available. I like the camera option on the Gear, and the 'Vivino' app is quite neat, but would I buy one? No. it doesn't add any must have feature to my life, and I don't think it realistically has any killer app, and don't think there's much on the horizon for that either. I know a lot of people will cite health apps etc, but I plan my runs on Google maps, run, and time them using a basic stopwatch on my wristwatch, I don't need GPS tracking, pace calculations over sections, or the ability to share the route and stats on Facebook, as nobody cares how I got sweaty.
Do you need to have a smartphone to instal aps for the pebble watch ? or can i do it with my computer ? and , can i receive notification if i connect the pebble watch in Bluetooth with my computer ?
because that could be interesting for people who don't have a smartphone ^^
Pass. I'll just stick to my old watch with the arms and ticking. But seriously the Pebble needs a laser and self destruct sequence in case it's stolen.
My gawd... the size of those ads... no way.
all that tech talk and a price tag of $250 but black and white display and no touch screen??! This would be cool in the 80s...
does it has heart beat sensor?
I'd really like to purches this product but there official website getpebble isn't working what so ever. I have tried 3 difernt devices on 2 difernt wifi boxes but still nothing, the only thing that responds on the page is safari can not open the page because the server cannot be found. I have searched other sites but they are duble the amount/cost. Can anyone pleas help me with this???
With that screen design, It kinda reminds me a those early 90s Tamagotchi digital pet things...? I can't really see the point of this tech - I mean, it not much of a stretch from holding up my wrist to look at a tiny screen, to looking at the phone that's probably already in my hand...
It lasts with the screen on for 4+ days. Your phone wouldn't last more than a few hours with the screen on probably.
Maybe! But then I wouldn't have my phone screen on all day?!
Besides, my current watch battery hasn't been replaced in the last 2+ years! years? / not hours/days - YEARS... Sure, my current watch can't show me my emails - but my phone can... also - pushing notifications from my phone to my watch seems a little obsessive - I mean, how important is it for me to know that someone on Facebook ate rice again this week, that I have to have that info fed to me even when my phone is in another room...
B0GlES nobody is talking about this being a vital piece of technology that every person needs.. It's an extra, it's a gadget, it's comfort.
It's not necessary for your pillows to be in your bed, it's not necessary for your food to be cooked.. it's fucking not necessary for swear words to exist, but it's those extras that give us as the human animal an advantage over the other animals, it's what makes us human, to not live on the bare minimum of necessary things. There doesn't need to be a point for something to validate it's existance.
Like your comment for example...
B0GlES
Or likewise yours. (have we reached a circle yet?)
What's the point of switching off most of the notifications (on iOS I guess), when the whole idea is getting the notifications 'at the flick of your wrist' instead of pulling your phone out of your pocket to see whether it was important??
Also.. Android obviously has the superior Pebble app being able to set individual notifications on or off.
From what you guys are saying, you guys should get a Samsung galaxy gear. It have built in memory, it has voice command. I got the first version and paid 99$ for it. I'll wait for the google wear for my next watch.
Between this thing and google glass,I can better identify people I want to avoid.
So, which ones do you avoid?
***** You pretty much proved my point.
Waiting for version 2 ;)
Smarch? Maybe it would sound better if we switched the words order and then took two first letters of the first word and two last letters of the second word. On second thought, maybe not.
When you said smartch I said "!? It should be Smatch" Smatch will catch on. You got it right the third time ;)
To be honest, I enjoy how the first pebble looks over this one. I have the arctic pebble and have a matte black band and it looks much better than this. Not to slash the people who have it or anything.
Would about a normal watch?
so what you want is to be able to call Kitt with your watch? :)
These smartwatches won't take off, noone wants to charge their watch battery every few days.
They already took off.
npeq93 Yup, I have two.
solar tech will catch up, or a miniature nuclear reactor of some sort with a sufficient heat generator.
recharge while you are sleeping via your mattress.. perhaps tapping into the natural voltage given off by the human body via proximity. Run a usb cable underneath the flesh? okay these might be extreme ideas for a watch..
Norm! Love the Ripley shirt! Where did you get it?!
Needs to move away from screens. feedback sensors need to be designed to tell time and text. Or maybe audio only wearer can hear!
i got mine for 20 at a yard sale! score!!!
jason matt Doubt it. Not even shipped yet.
Painmedicine1 what are you talking about? the steel has been out for a while.
it was a great deal looked it up online saw the price and bought it immediately from the yard sale
Painmedicine1 This is the Pebble Steel, not the Pebble Time Steel
You use the same notification light as I did
You guys should do a giveaway of the Pebble Steel
so wait, first they made larger smart phone screens, and now people would rather not take out their smart phones, but prefer to read their text on this tiny screen? yep... humans..smh.
Hey can you play apps on it like flappy bird wihtout your phone connected to 4g or wifi?
Jaer Medina Yes.
JT Rosen thanks
You guys are awesome reviewers.
Very close to utterly absurd. The battery problem is *the* deal breaker-- as you've described about 2 things that are useful-- but the price -- any price-- renders it silly.
Is it waterproof? If not then it should be.
i don't own one, but 5 days battery life is nothing, strange compared to what watch!!
most smart watches have less than that. i don't understand?
Right up there with the chocolate teapot.
How come Adam and Jamie are never there?
I just do too many full-feature type things (web, writing) on my phone for this to be appealing.
Does Will have pink eye?
I would love to try this but it's just not worth $250 for no touch screen, black and white, and bland compared to other smart watches out today
If you were to buy it now the price has gone down $100
Yeah it's on sale at Amazon by a lot
ramatron80
I don't think this thing is worth more than $100, and that's being generous
it is a hundered right now
ramatron80
Can you give me a link? The cheapest Pebble Steel on Amazon is $179
I like my gear fit much more. Touch screen color. And it doesn't look like a refrigerator.
My dad got me a samsung gear 2 as a replace to my smashed up broken bulova watch. About the same price point but way better
That's a matter of taste and needs. I for one would never buy a Galaxy Gear. Just the chance that it might run out of battery before the day is over is a no deal for me me.
Also, what happens if you want to change phone? With a gear you are stuck with Samsung,
I really enjoy samsung phones so I have no problems with that.
You can root an android phone and make it work with most android phones
Lastly, the Samsung Gear 2 (made with Tizen so is not called Galaxy Gear 2) has a battery life of about 2 days. I actually got it to work for 4 days
I went to a music camp where I didn't realize that it wasn't charging when plugged in
Who else thinks that this could totally evolve into pipboys for everyone
I will keep my Seiko motion drive watch that I have had for 10 years with no issues.
26:59 was that a sex joke from Norm?
I expected less 4-5 days is pretty good battery life
Love Norm's smirk after the sly masturbation reference there...Great work as always guys!!
Well as a person who has not yet bought a watch and doesn't care for Android smartphones (if I did, Android Wear would be my choice), this looks quite shnazzy.
Why don't they put a solar panel on it like regular watches well cheap regular watches
will you look at android wear
is it waterproof?
Yes, on the back of the watch it says it's waterproof up to 5 ATM.
"The International Organization for Standardization issued a standard for water resistant watches which also prohibits the term waterproof to be used with watches, which many countries have adopted. The international standard ISO 2281 Horology - Water-resistant watches defines the water resistance of watches. This standard was introduced in 1990 and only designed for watches intended for ordinary daily use and are resistant to water during exercises such as swimming for a short period. They may be used under conditions where water pressure and temperature vary. However, whether they bear an additional indication of over-pressure or not, they are not intended for submarine diving." That said, the Pebble claims to be water resistant to 5 ATM which is equivalent to 132ft or 40m. ATM increases by one every 33ft (10m) of water depth. 1 ATM is the normal pressure exerted on us on the surface of the earth.
+Sidney Blondell No one cares m8
Spotify doesn't have good enough support for avrcp, and that's the reason it isn't working in this video ;)
will it work for nokia Lumia 635
Nah
I found out that it will
Practically since birth, having a Dick Tracy watch has been the dream. I don't think they are at that stage yet, but in a generation or two, ill probably get a smart watch.
At the moment the battery life is deal breaker, another device to charge is just not something I need in my life.
OH RLY ?
www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2013/09/samsung_smartwatch_galaxy_gear_is_the_dick_tracy_watch_for_real.html
I'll stick with my super smart Casio CA-53W calculator watch for the moment, but the possibility of an iWatch might win me over. Apple has a strange power over me...
Nice thorough review... but umm...nah, I'll stick with a mechanical watch / a g-stock depending on what I'm doing that day...
I really wish the order of your reviews were overview _then_ minutiae, instead of the other way around.
Battery: 10%
fap fap fap
Battery: 80%
fap fap
Battery: 100%
Smosh?
Norman sure loves that shirt :D --- i can see why tho :p
Lol, runkeeper tracks on GPS, not shaking xD
i prefer the burg 16, in my opinion its far superior to the pebble or any proper phone for that matter; and even if you dont like the 16 you would be hard pressed to argue against the burg 17 (demonstrated at ces 2014)
Right, so new pebble is the old pebble but in a metal case.
OK.
Can't they use a kinetic charger, I feel like that feature would be worth a little extra bulk.
you would be lucky if it gave you an extra hour per charge. not worth the extra weight/ size
86gtforme
what if they replace the silver part of top of the watch case with a solar pannel, how much battery do you think that would save? i know it probably won't be a lot, but i think it would be more than a kinetic charger, and wouldn't be much more bulky.
beardedsk8tr I often have my watch tucked into my jacket, that with the sub-optimal orientation I think would produce little power, however it would probably be less bulky.
86gtforme how long does it run on average? What's the kwh rating on the battery?
shadfurman no idea. but i know a kinetic charger makes next to nothing and a solar panel the size of the bezel will be just as bad if not worse. you could probably make more energy using body heat if anything but with any of these the price to add wouldn't be worth the added 2%.