I’ve made a correction to his text - “"If you're worried about this," he wrote, "the easiest solution is to buy an Apple Watch."
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Apple Restricting New Pebble Smartwatches From 'Being Awesome' With iPhone
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Least of all publicly complain about it. The sense of entitlement. It beggars belief really.
There's many many things I dislike about Apple currently, but this isn't one of them.
I found this an interesting and honest summation of the problems he’s faced dealing with Apple. The full article on his website is well worth a read.
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Limiting features on other smart watches to give the Apple Watch an edge is 100% anti-competitive. If Apple is so afraid that Pebble, Garmin or Google watches will hurt Apple Watch sales, maybe they need to make the Apple Watch even better.
They don't own their products, they own the software. I own the Phone, Watch and MacBook.
Decisions like this is why I'm becoming anti-ecosystem, as a concept, from any company. I don't subscribe to any services from Apple, and my next watch will likely be a Garmin.
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If it can be done securely, I'd love to see more competition.
I think it's a nerdcore thing, like the Gen Alpha kids running around with a Casio watch, an old school flip phone and a cheap retro digital camera from 25 years ago.
It begs the question though, is this trademark infringement by Pebble? Assuming Intel renewed it.
Anyone else notice that Pebble doesn't abbreviate their operating system? Probably because it's a pOS.!
Apple has absolutely nothing to gain from supporting products like this that compete with Apple's own product. Let 'em sink or swim on their own merits, hardware and software.
Apple has absolutely nothing to gain from supporting products like this that compete with Apple's own product. Let 'em sink or swim on their own merits, hardware and software.
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I agree with most points but "There's no easy option to allow developers to create watch faces and apps for Pebble that would be available through the Pebble iOS app", really? How is it Apples job to make it 'easy' for developers to develop stuff for your hardware?
I have recently gotten a fitness band that just does the bare minimum with the only notifications I get for calendar events and phone calls and it lasts for about 2 weeks before another charge
I went through 5 Apple Watches over different generations and what it only thought me was why buy a smaller screen to avoid using a larger screen
I don’t want notifications on my wrist and happy to charge once in 2 weeks
Then I take it you don't use any third party apps on your iPhones? Having an ability for notifications to work is no different to a third party app using notifications on an iPhone.
Completely agree. I had an OG Pebble and it was great; I've since moved on to iDevices and have no plans to get this new Pebble.
It's shocking the number of people here saying "it's fine for Apple to do this". Yes, that's true--it is fine. Given we all ultimately have 2 phone choices: Android or iOS--it would be great if iOS was more extensible.
If Apple were to open up smartwatches on iOS, it should create competition between Apple and other device makers which is great for the consumer. Obviously, this is the same reason Apple hasn't allowed this.
I would never send this guy a dime. He sold out and left original Pebble owners with basically bricks and paper weights.
Fool me once.
Fool me once.
Putting aside all of the ecosystem ties, wouldn’t it be pretty much impossible for Apple to make some features work with devices outside of the ecosystem?
iMessage forwarding for example, iMessage is E to E encrypted, so unless the third-party watch ran iMessage locally wouldn’t just simply forwarding that message to the watch break encryption?
I am honestly asking, not trying to make excuses for Apple or anything.
iMessage forwarding for example, iMessage is E to E encrypted, so unless the third-party watch ran iMessage locally wouldn’t just simply forwarding that message to the watch break encryption?
I am honestly asking, not trying to make excuses for Apple or anything.
A cry baby just like that Epix guy…
Two new PebbleOS smartwatches were announced today by original Pebble watch creator Eric Migicovsky, revitalizing a Kickstarter-launched brand that had three years of mega popularity before it folded in 2016.
Called the Core 2 Duo and the Core Time 2, the two smartwatches run a PebbleOS, which is based on the source code for the software that ran on the original Pebble smartwatch. After Pebble shut down, assets were acquired by Fitbit, which was then acquired by Google. Google agreed to open source PebbleOS earlier this year, paving the way for the return of Pebble watches.
Like the original Pebble watches, the Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 are platform agnostic and designed to work with iPhone and Android, but Migicovsky is already warning customers that Apple's restrictions are going to prevent the new devices from working like the Apple Watch.
Migicovsky says that it was difficult to design for iPhones when he was working on the original Pebble watch, and in the last eight years, "things have actually gotten worse." He said that his company will "build a good app for iOS," but that it is impossible for a third-party smartwatch to replicate the functions of the Apple Watch. He shared an extensive list of the limitations:
Migicovsky lamented that Pebble is required to go through the App Store, which is a "gigantic pain" because with every update, a "random app reviewer" could "make up some BS excuse" and deny updates. He says that Apple makes it "nearly impossible for 3rd party wearable developers" to create an experience that mirrors the Apple Watch experience.
- There's no option for sending text messages or iMessages.
- There's no option for replying to notifications or taking actions like marking something as done.
- There is little inter-app communication, which makes it difficult for Pebble to work with other iOS apps.
- If the iOS app is closed, the watch can't access the app or the internet.
- The watch cannot detect if you're using your phone, so it will buzz and display a notification regardless.
- There's no easy option to allow developers to create watch faces and apps for Pebble that would be available through the Pebble iOS app.
According to Migicovsky, the new Pebble watches will have less developed functionality on iOS than Android, which "is Apple's fault." He said that he does not want to see complaints about the lack of functionality, so he is sharing the info now so customers can make an informed decision about whether to buy the product. "If you're worried about this," he wrote, "the easiest solution is to buy an Android phone."
Migicovsky calls on "Pebble-curious" iPhone users to complain loudly to Apple or switch to Android, while also asking elected representatives in the U.S. to support legislation that would require Apple to make changes to its rules. In Europe, Migicovsky plans to petition Apple to request interoperability for Apple Watch APIs.
Migicovsky last clashed with Apple over the Beeper Mini app, and he has been outspoken about Apple's App Store rules since then, meeting with the FTC and the U.S. Department of Justice. Beeper Mini reverse engineered iMessage protocols and encryption, using Apple's own iMessage servers to let Android users send "blue bubble" texts to iPhone users without the need for an Apple ID. Apple blocked the functionality, and Beeper was ultimately forced to give up on the idea.
The Core 2 Duo watch is priced starting at $149, and the Core Time 2 is priced starting at $225, with pre-orders available on the Repebble website. Both devices feature an always-on e-
Actually, the EU has already been looking into this and demanded better Third-Party Smartwatch integration with the iPhone from Apple - they have already done an investigation, sent the results to Apple and are now in a consultation period with third party developers. So, there's probably going to be better interoperability, at least in the EU - but as usual, Apple has to be forced.
Fitbit and Garmin watches have reduced functionality on iOS, yes. Even simpler smart devices like Withings watches do.
Yes. Even existing Pebble watches still in use have additional functionality when paired with Android that just isn't possible with iOS.
3rd party manufacturers should have deeper integration options with iOS. Competition only breeds innovation and the watch space (along with phones) has a distinct lack of any.
If watches on iOS were a level playing field Apple would have to fight harder to keep us as customers, compelling new ideas and lower prices.
If watches on iOS were a level playing field Apple would have to fight harder to keep us as customers, compelling new ideas and lower prices.