Pebble Drops Prices on Its Watches, Pokes Fun at Jony Ive

[macfacts]

Relax guys, it's just an ad. No need to defend apple or trash talk pebble.

 

[JeffDM]

All valid points - and reading on a Kindle is like 1000x better than reading on a tablet, those who haven't tried it will surely be amazed the first time they see the difference.

There is no denying that a full color screen on a smart watch increases the possibilites a lot though - all depending on what you want it to do of course.

I think a Pebble with an eInk screen would be an interesting differentiation. A monochrome LCD, not so much.

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Yes the Pebble is, I really enjoy mine. It didn't become of the most famous Kickstarter campaign by being crap.

You're saying Pebble's graphic is constructive? Must be by some definition not found in a dictionary. It's not destructive, but it's making a subtle, unflattering message.

I didn't say anything about the product being crap in that post. I do question the smart watch category as a whole though. I haven't seen a convincing killer app yet.

And what ad campaign? As far as I know, it has not been shown outside their website. This relatively cost nothing.

OK. Still, I'd be incredibly surprised if there weren't a several meetings to decide what it should say, how it should look, and how & where to post it. Those meetings cost money too. Web design isn't free anyway, that's not an attitude you want when presenting a valuable business to the public.

 

[Tech198]

lol....I like this one

cute, but good..

and yes... they have Jony's on the petting stool with the 7 day battery life... no smart watch today is even capable off.

but, then the pebble doesn't have all the wacky sensors in either like Apple is planning to implement...

You may as well have a satellite dish on your wrist......

The year 3000 is getting closer and closer...

 

[i.mac]

"Relax, it's just a watch!"

...as they begin their quick fade into obscurity.

I'm getting an apple watch. Never considered a pebble.

Have never owned a watch before. The apple watch integrates my health and provides feedback. That is worth the money for the watch. No contest. Health and convenience wins the day, and apple will lead again yet in another product market.

 

[diipii]

Anyone who pokes fun at Ive can't be all bad.

 

[JeffDM]

I'm getting an apple watch. Never considered a pebble.

Have never owned a watch before. The apple watch integrates my health and provides feedback. That is worth the money for the watch. No contest. Health and convenience wins the day, and apple will lead again yet in another product market.

Does it track any health parameters the Fitbit style products don't?

 

[TTile]

Excuse me, but Nokia is still selling tens of millions of phones per year, and Pebble isn't anywhere near that at all.

I was implying that they would see a steep sales decline after the introduction of the Apple Watch. Of course Nokia and Blackberry are still larger companies.

 

[MrXiro]

I think a Pebble with an eInk screen would be an interesting differentiation. A monochrome LCD, not so much.

You're saying Pebble's graphic is constructive? Must be by some definition not found in a dictionary. It's not destructive, but it's making a subtle, unflattering message.

I didn't say anything about the product being crap in that post. I do question the smart watch category as a whole though. I haven't seen a convincing killer app yet.

OK. Still, I'd be incredibly surprised if there weren't a several meetings to decide what it should say, how it should look, and how & where to post it. Those meetings cost money too. Web design isn't free anyway, that's not an attitude you want when presenting a valuable business to the public.

Pebble's screen IS eInk... I love mine.

 

[APlotdevice]

Relax guys, it's just an ad. No need to defend apple or trash talk pebble.

It's not even an ad. Just a graphic on their website.

 

[318sugarhill]

I'm getting an apple watch. Never considered a pebble.

Have never owned a watch before. The apple watch integrates my health and provides feedback. That is worth the money for the watch. No contest. Health and convenience wins the day, and apple will lead again yet in another product market.

Actually the pebble got an update for fitness tracking. If you've ever seen the jawbone up app (which pebble is not compatible with) I highly doubt that Apple can top that. It tracks everything with a fantastic user interface as well. Fitbit flex cost $99 and now the pebble does the same thing, can show SMS messages and Tell time? I don't think it's irrevelent or will fade away. The price drop makes me want one now. I don't want or need any of the stuff an android or apple watch does. But the pebble keeps it basic. Time, fitness tracking, silent alarm, long battery life and water resistent to 50 m.

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Does it track any health parameters the Fitbit style products don't?

Yes it does after getting an update yesterday. It is compatable with the jawbone UP app, and if you are familiar with fitbit, the jawbone Up app (not the wristband itself) is far better than the fitbit app.

 

[DUCKofD3ATH]

Just like Global Warming, the Pebble watch is no longer happening, baby.

 

[i4m]

Not for anything, but this MacRumors report is the first time I've ever seen or heard about Pebble.

does that mean the company is insignificant? or is it an admission of ignorance? I don't know. I could go either way.

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...
"Pebble is a pebble, Apple is a rock"
...

I corrected this for you:

"Pebble is a pebble, Apple is a fruit"

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So haters exist. I guess it's not just a social media thing.
Stop drinking haterade, Pebble.

Everyone gets to poke fun at each other once in a while: lighten up!

 

[Fishticks]

I am bent to believe people criticizing Pebble for their ad somewhat totally lack any kind of humor.

Chill out, its just an ad.

 

[MacLC]

I really don't think so. The market is tiny right now...the Apple watch just validates the market and expands it.

I have a pebble steel and will probably pick up an Apple Watch Sport just for development purposes at least, but I don't see me getting rid of the pebble. The always on display is the primary draw for me...as it is a watch, so telling time shouldn't be a secondary function. That and the subtle backlighting as well which is enough to see in the dark, yet won't be super annoying to everyone around you when at the movies.

That plus the multiple day battery life and actual water proofing differentiate the pebble enough to keep it in its own category. And don't forget having the option to switch phone platforms - something Android Wear and the Apple Watch are incapable of doing.

So to recap the pebble does the main things I want from a smart watch:

- Tells the time...all the time
- Visible in sunlight
- Water proof
- Simple notifications
- Simple alarms
- Step counting
- Not having to worry about the battery making it through the day

The main thing missing that I would want from the Apple watch is a microphone with the ability to control Siri. The other stuff the Apple Watch does is cool, but I don't see why I would check something on my 1.5" screen when I have a much more capable device at arms length.

Hear hear!

Also the battery life does not last. "1 day charge" means that after a year and a half your Watch charge will last 2/3 a day or half a day while your Pebble will keep ticking a couple of days a charge.

A cell phone or laptop with 8 hour standby life is fine because by definition, they are not wrapped around your wrist. You can comfortably remove them from your body and charge them. The thought of an electronic device plugged into a wall and then wrapped around my wrist is almost as uncomfortable as the thought of a watch that can't make it to Happy Hour. Cheers!

 

[smcarter]

Apple Watch is Not Submersible

The Apple Watch is superior to the Pebble in almost every way except in battery life, (which I could live with), price (which I could tolerate) and most of all, it is NOT submersible in water, which the Pebble is. For swimmers, surfers and those who workout in water, this is critical.

 

[MacLC]

I am bent to believe people criticizing Pebble for their ad somewhat totally lack any kind of humor.

Chill out, its just an ad.

Agreed. It is also hilarious how so many Apple fans who were also Blackberry/RIM fans suddenly turned against Blackberry when Apple announced the iPhone.

When Samsung came out with cellphones suddenly Apple fans began hating on all things Samsung.

When Apple switched to Intel, suddenly IBM's "superior" chips became "inferior" and Intel went from being "trash" to "awesome".

When Apple ditched FireWire, USB suddenly became "more than fast enough".

In 2012 a 5" phone was "too big". In 2014, a 5" phone is "just right".

Apple's "I'm a Mac" ads were hilarious. Microsoft, Samsung, and Pebble ads are distasteful.

Cheerleaders are tolerable when they are cute, but nobody expects them to be objective. Something tells me that a lot of the anti-Pebble comments on this thread are just done by less-than-cute cheerleaders who think they're being objective.

 

[JeffDM]

Yes it does after getting an update yesterday. It is compatable with the jawbone UP app, and if you are familiar with fitbit, the jawbone Up app (not the wristband itself) is far better than the fitbit app.

I was talking about the Apple watch the other person was talking about getting. It didn't seem to make sense to get that just for the health monitoring functions.

I think the Fitbit, Jawbones, etc. look better than Pebble though, but I'm also not impressed yet with any of the other smart watch options yet either.

 

[MacLC]

The Apple Watch is superior to the Pebble in almost every way except in battery life, (which I could live with), price (which I could tolerate) and most of all, it is NOT submersible in water, which the Pebble is. For swimmers, surfers and those who workout in water, this is critical.

You make a good case for both to be relevant products that appeal to different markets. Too bad that most people here are too stuck up to pay attention.

 

[richdruitt]

It's probably not all that much of a watch either. For it to be remotely useful, it's got to have more than 24 hours battery life.
For example, it takes 24 hours to fly (minimum) from Sydney to London. Not all airlines have in seat power in economy and finding power outlets at airports is near on impossible. How are you supposed to charge this thing so that not only is it useful on the plane, but it's useful on the ground when you get off the plane and for at least 3-4 hours afterwards for the eventual crawl through immigration and to wherever your staying?

Frankly, it's also just a little bit fugly. I'll stick with real watches, that real adults wear, rather than expensive baubles that are only useful on a childs wrist.

 

[0098386]

It has some nice functions but it is as ugly as hell, even the redesigned version.

Redesigned version is worth, IMO. I like the look of the original model (at least the red one). Buttons aren't so good though, wish it had a touchscreen instead.

 

[MrXiro]

I hope they release a follow up as I do find the design of the be Pebble a little ugly. I do like the steel though... maybe a "Steel" design in a plastic body? I'd certainly dig that...

 

[Skoal]

Weird PR move. "None of these products, including ours, is that cool. Nobody get excited about anything, including our product! Seriously, these products -- including our product -- are not that great."

First thing I thought of as well. Odd way to attack a problem if you ask me.

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I looked at a pebble when I bought my 5s at the ATT store last year. I thought it was neat but not neat enough to trade my SUUNTO core for it. If I delve in to the smart watch world it's gonna have to be more than what the Pebble offers.

 

[Nickerbocker]

Comes across as desperate.

 

[TonyC28]

You wanna know why Apple's will be better both commercially and based on user feedback? Because to Apple, it's not "just a watch." Apple doesn't make just a ______.

 

[MH01]

So we have threads of posts with people really unsure about the apple watch, frankly it's lukewarm reception compared to other new products that apple has released.

And a company creates a cheeky ad, and everyone Unites, loves the apple watch and slams them.

Apple has a religious , cult following.... No way!!!!!

Personally I like the ad, If some of the people on here actually saw the video of Jony after the keynote talking about the watch, you would understand the reference pebble making. Sorry but he was a little out there....