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Pebble owners who have experienced the Apple Watch: opinions?

A

Aces2412

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 21, 2012
116
1
Near DC
Fellow Pebble owners tell me what you think of the Apple Watch after having experienced it at the Apple store during your trial.

Is it worth the price jump vs the pebble. We know the pebble GUI interface is like stepping back in time but is the apple watch interface and function the future or just a little better?

thx
 
Apple over Pebble for sheer symbiotics rather than virtual cooperation. Going inside the walled garden for ability to respond to messages, answer calls, interact quickly.
May be the future, or at least a decisive step forward.
 
I suppose it depends on what you value in a smart watch.

Aesthetically, it is beyond superior. There is just no comparison. The Pebble looks like a toy; the Apple Watch is a time piece.

Functionally, you are getting more out of an Apple Watch. You can (easily) do more with the notifications when you get them and they will (presumably) be much more consistent than with the Pebble (my Pebble isn't great about getting me texts when I get them). You also have sensors that will allow you to track certain activity data that the Pebble cannot.

That being said, the Pebble does have a great community behind it. You can very safely swim/shower with it (I've seen someone post as picture wearing one while diving). And the battery life is unbeatable (although, the original Pebble, running MisFit, in my experience, only lasted about 2-3 days on a charge, as opposed to the usual 7). And even the Steel/Time/Time Steel are cheaper than the cheapest Apple Watch.
 
I have the kickstarted edition pebble. I love it but it's just not enough. The new version although looks promising can't compete with the Apple watch so I had to make the jump. I do give pebble props though I just think Apple is doing things pebble just can't.
 
I have an original pebble and at first backed the pebble time steel but when the apple watched was announced I canceled my backing a week later. I love what pebble is doing and if my primary device was an android phone I would have kept my kickstarter backing. The fact of the matter is that no one will ever have the access that the apple watch has and that was the tipping point.
 
CharlieCat666 said:
You can very safely swim/shower with it (I've seen someone post as picture wearing one while diving).
Click to expand...

A little fair warning: Showering with my Pebble killed it. I know it's supposed to be water proof but I pushed a button and suddenly the screen started flipping out. The problem went away but got progressively worse until it was unusable. Several other original Kickstarter backers had the same issue and all suspected showering while pressing the buttons. The waterproof test doesn't test the buttons, just the device itself with all buttons neutral.

The differences between Pebble and Apple Watch are vast. Sure, they both perform some of the same basic functions, but the Apple Watch does much more while the Pebble lasts much longer. It's no contest for me, but if I had an Android phone I'd probably stick with Pebble (since it seemed functionality was limited on iOS).
 
Juansito said:
I have the kickstarted edition pebble. I love it but it's just not enough. The new version although looks promising can't compete with the Apple watch so I had to make the jump. I do give pebble props though I just think Apple is doing things pebble just can't.
Click to expand...

Like you, I also have had a Pebble since Kickstart. I also absolutely love it and don't know how I lived before having a smart watch. Like you, I'm making the jump to the Apple Watch. The Pebble was a great start and does have the better battery life but Apple Watch goes far beyond. While the Pebble Time promises more and adds color, it's not in the same class as the Apple Watch.
 
I have a Kickstarter Pebble, and it was fine for what it did when it came out, but there were a few shortcomings that I feel are limited by the hardware and the lack of close software integration. For example, keeping the phone in my pocket/backpack and remotely invoking Siri - almost like "Eyes Free mode" in CarPlay – and then using a bt or headset mic to talk. Sure there are jailbreak solutions for it, but jbing the phone was not an option for me. Also, the experience of using the Pebble didn't seem to keep up with newer phones (even on android) - the occasional fw update, sure, but experience of using it was always the same.

Coincidentally, my ks Pebble started wigging out on me around the time the Apple Watch was announced. It finally crapped out on me about a couple of weeks ago.

It was time.

The original Pebble (without the prongs that attach to the band) is about the size of a 42mm Apple Watch. I used the Pebble as my daily for a couple of years, so I'm used to having "bulk" on my wrist and was able to wear it without me feeling like it was too big for my wrist. I'm not much for conversation though, and I hated that it often became a conversation starter.

I am by no means a big guy. I would often go around saying "I'm wiry" and my wrists are clearly smaller-than-credit-card width. I tested both the 38 and 42 during my try-on appointment. While I could pull off wearing a 42 without it looking ridiculous, I wanted something more subtle-, natural-, and proportional-looking on my wrist than the Pebble was, and the 38 fit the bill perfectly.
 
I liked my pebble but it just wasn't enough, wasn't pleasing enough on the eye and was always a stopgap until the apple watch.
I also fell into the trap of not wearing it. Haven't a clue where it currently is.
 
I love my Pebble, and I did pre-order an Apple Watch. Honestly, the Pebble is far too limited in its functions for iOS. The Apple Watch feels superior on the wrist, looks much more aesthetically pleasing, and has many more features. Can the Pebble reply to texts? No for iOS, but for Android there is a very limited reply feature. Take calls? No. Use Maps? No. Use digital wallet payment system? No. Link seamlessly with iPhone? No. Does it have a color screen? No. (Minus the Pebble Time). The Apple Watch can do all these things and even more. I am excited to get mine and replace my Pebble. Apple Watch for me :)
 
Sold my Pebble Steel today! Made my iPhone warm when listening to wireless headphones and I want to be able to respond to texts. New Pebble looks way too much like a toy
 
Wore my pebble steel along to the try-on, and the difference is vast.

I took my pebble off, rested it down, and as soon as the specialist placed the stainless steel apple watch on my wrist I instantly felt like I could never wear my pebble again. The sheer build quality and the materials that make up the watch bands are far superior to the pebble. I always thought the leather of the pebble steel's band was very nice, but the classic leather buckle of Apple Watch is unlike any material I've worn before. The tactile feeling of it just blends with the skin so well you don't even know its there.

As for the watch itself, it looks and feels so much more premium than the pebble steel, because obviously it is.

What really sold it for me was the taptic feedback. When my pebble goes off, it practically causes an earthquake throughout my whole body. When apple watch went off, it felt like someone was tapping my wrist with exactly enough force to get my attention, but not so much that people on the other side of the room will hear the vibration motor buzzing. Rather than shake the whole watch and my whole wrist like the pebble does, Apple watch feels like a focussed tap on a very specific spot.

I genuinely didn't want to put my pebble back on, but unfortunately, its still gonna be on my wrist for at least another 2 weeks.

Apple watch has so many subtle cues that you need to experience it for yourself to fully appreciate how different it is to the Pebble. Whether its a good or bad difference is up to you, but I came away far more impressed with the "minor" details than I expected.
 
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I had a kickstarter pebble. It was great at the moment. It simply does not compare to the functionality of the Apple watch. I respect pebble, but they can not compete with apple. Good news is the price difference so Pebble will still be very successful.
 
jfreak623 said:
I had a kickstarter pebble. It was great at the moment. It simply does not compare to the functionality of the Apple watch. I respect pebble, but they can not compete with apple. Good news is the price difference so Pebble will still be very successful.
Click to expand...

This is how I feel. The pebble is a very basic smartwatch. The apple watch actually looks great IMO. Not only will it have much more functionality, but it actually looks good.

The pebble has a place in the market, but it does not hold a candle to the apple watch. Even the pebble time will be late to the party. If they could have pushed that out in January or even late 2014 I would have bought one.
 
Thanks

Thanks for the responses. My 1st pebble suffered water damage and it took 1 month to get a replacement. There support or orders would never respond to emails. It was not until I posted on twitter till I got response. Then i had to advise support that I would be posting a review on their forums about my experience and then I got better attention. It still took over a month. It hard to imagine that they do not have a customer service #. Well I got the replacement yesterday and its going on eBay.

The pebble is what got me interested in the :apple:watch and what most of the haters do not realize yet is how convenient it is to receive texts on your wrist without having to pull out your phone.

Now I have to wait till June....
 
I use my pebble with my iPhone 6+ and a Moto 360 with my Nexus. I find myself using my Nexus/moto 360 because I enjoy the color touch screen on the 360. Once my SS, Classic buckle :apple: Watch arrives I have a feeling the Nexus/360 will be collecting dust!
 
Love my Pebble, but an irritation with it is that it loses the BT connection or at least stops getting notifications from time to time. I assume that will not happen with the Apple Watch. Can't wait to see.
 
The19th said:
I have a Kickstarter Pebble, and it was fine for what it did when it came out, but there were a few shortcomings that I feel are limited by the hardware and the lack of close software integration. For example, keeping the phone in my pocket/backpack and remotely invoking Siri - almost like "Eyes Free mode" in CarPlay – and then using a bt or headset mic to talk. Sure there are jailbreak solutions for it, but jbing the phone was not an option for me. Also, the experience of using the Pebble didn't seem to keep up with newer phones (even on android) - the occasional fw update, sure, but experience of using it was always the same.

Coincidentally, my ks Pebble started wigging out on me around the time the Apple Watch was announced. It finally crapped out on me about a couple of weeks ago.

It was time.

The original Pebble (without the prongs that attach to the band) is about the size of a 42mm Apple Watch. I used the Pebble as my daily for a couple of years, so I'm used to having "bulk" on my wrist and was able to wear it without me feeling like it was too big for my wrist. I'm not much for conversation though, and I hated that it often became a conversation starter.

I am by no means a big guy. I would often go around saying "I'm wiry" and my wrists are clearly smaller-than-credit-card width. I tested both the 38 and 42 during my try-on appointment. While I could pull off wearing a 42 without it looking ridiculous, I wanted something more subtle-, natural-, and proportional-looking on my wrist than the Pebble was, and the 38 fit the bill perfectly.
Click to expand...

FYI - My Kickstarted Pebble started giving me problems. I shot a picture of the screwy looking e-ink screen, sent it to Pebble. Without question they replaced the watch. It was past warranty. One thing I give them is their customer service is top notch.
 
I have loved my Pebble watch, but like others have said, it still looks and feels like a toy. The Apple Watch is what I always wanted my Pebble to be. One thing I have noticed though is that anyone that has had a Pebble does not need any convincing of the smartwatch concept, let alone the Apple Watch. Excited for my Milanese Loop SS! Still like the Pebble though, but like I said earlier, the Apple Watch is everything I wished the Pebble was. The Pebble is a good starter smartwatch if you are unsure a smartwatch is for you.
 
I am loaning my Pebble to friends to see if they like getting notifications on their wrist. I'm basically letting my coworkers know it is there for them to take. If they love it and want to continue using it then fine. If they don't then give it back so someone else can try it. I have a few coworkers who would grab it in a second just to sell it. That is not the point. I could do that!
 
abw2002 said:
Love my Pebble, but an irritation with it is that it loses the BT connection or at least stops getting notifications from time to time. I assume that will not happen with the Apple Watch. Can't wait to see.
Click to expand...

That's my big is sue with my Pebble, and what I'm looking most forward to with  Watch.
 
Let's just say my Pebble Steel is going up for sale next week. Goodbye fisher price watch.

BTW, $100 with box and custom steel stand for anyone who wants it.
 
Stopped using my pebble after about 6 months due to constant struggles with connectivity and music controls and everything else at random times. Loved it, and loved the convenience but the problem of connecting with the iPhone and keeping up with iOS updates to run effectively irritated me. Really looking forward to the apple watch.
 
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