Pebble Smart Watch Adds Support for All iOS 7 Notifications, New Developer SDK and APIs

[Time Less]

Not having to reach for the phone every second when I get a text, email or call. I can leave my phone charging across the room and my watch tells me who just texted and if it's worth replying it not (same with calls) I can also use it while running or biking and not have to look at the phone for distance, heart rate and things like that.

this is why i want one. i live in the sf bay area where phone theft is a major problem. i walk and take public transportation a lot so having a watch that i can quickly glance at notifications is a great way to avoid my phone from being stolen. i think i'm gonna buy a used pebble since it's now iOS 7 compatible. can't wait for apple's version.

 

[ocabj]

Last week? Then you still should be able to return it and get a Pebble.

...

In all seriousness, I have *NOT* seen a Pebble or any other smart watch in the wild. Only one of my friends has a Pebble and he's in NorCal (SoCal here). All of the Pebble action I've seen has been on the interwebs.

 

[Earendil]

I don't really understand the concept of an 'iWatch' or similar device. Is it really that bothering to pull your phone out of your pocket? How much extra time will it save? 😕

Not pulling your phone out of your pocket to save time is only one, and I'd say minor, reason to avoid sticking you hand in your pocket. Others might be:

• Phone isn't actually in your pocket. But is someplace near by charging, in a purse, backpack, or bag.
• You don't want to announce to the world that you have an expensive device on you. You have to be a far savvier theif to recognize a pebble than an iPhone 5s.
• You physically can't get it out of your pocket. Hands busy, or waist is smashed.
• It's not safe to take it out due to circumstances. The environment may pose a dirt/water/drop risk factor in your hand that isn't present in your pocket.

For running/jogging, I think the iPhone 5S' M7 co-processor is sufficient enough to handle such things.

I'm not sure how the co-processor helps you view information on your phone while running?

Would be interested to hear what other useful purpose an iWatch would serve.

Before I dive in, I'll note that I haven't bought a Pebble because it's not worth it to me. However, here are areas of my life where I could make use of it.

Biking. I usually bury my phone deep in my backpack for safety, and then go bike for hours on end. Even if I have my phone in my pocket, I tend to stop riding in order to pull my phone out because the risk of dropping it while cruising down a street at 15mph just isn't worth it to me.

Driving. I have bucket seats in my car making the removal of a phone from my pocket a chore. You should see the pelvic dance I do to get my wallet out for a drive-thru. Note that I don't text or call while driving, but being able to easily check whether I should pull over to communicate with someone without contortionist exorcises would be nice.

Dirt/oil is around my hands often enough to consider a problem, and that makes it either a hassle or impractical to remove my phone from my pocket. Sadly, I'm the type of person that if I don't processes a message/call in the first 5 seconds I'm likely to forget for half a day. However, checking my wrist is likely to be quick and right in front of me. This would quickly let me know whether I need to dive for a towel to wipe my hands off or keep on working.

Socially I feel it would be a lot more acceptable to glance at a watch to see the message "I'm on my way" than it is to pull a phone out of your pocket and fiddle with it for a few seconds. Note that circumstances apply, as checking a watch while talking to great aunt Helga may be an even worse insult 🙂

Obviously a few of these could be solved with other means. However those other means are either too inconvenient or require setup that I forget to do. If I had a watch that I wore all the time there would be no additional steps or remembering to do. But again, I don't own one 🙂

 

[jmh600cbr]

I'll clear it up. I own one. Don't bother.

strong words. care to expand?

 

[keatth]

I have a Pebble and i love it and its gonna be even better with every notification coming in. I can't count how many times someone has called while I was taking a shower only to discover 4 missed calls and voicemails over something urgent. Now i can see in the shower who's calling. Also works great at work where taking your phone out is looked down upon. Only thing I don't like is when it dies while I'm out, then its pointless!!

 

[AppleFan360]

I like my Pebble just for the security alone. Being in a crowded place and not having to pull out my phone to read a text is great. There have also been times when I've been on opposites ends of my house and the phone rings. My watch vibrates to let me know that I got a call.

Also, since texting a driving is illegal here, a quick glance at my watch gets around that issue. 🙂

I agree it's not for everyone but there are some advantages that non-owners will never know thus making it easy to poo poo the idea of owning one.

 

[JHankwitz]

Yeah, and from real world photos, it looks too much like a cheap plastic watch, depending on color, a toy, and doesn't look very durable. But I guess I can't blame them, they at least got this far and depending on success, a jumping point to a better version. I'll have to see one in person to be sure.

Good luck on seeing one of these in person. I can't imagine anyone donning something that looks like this, let alone paying real money for it. I'd be embarrassed.

 

[carmenodie]

How long before Pebble goes bankrupt once Apple's iwatch drops next year?

 

[Brian Y]

I have a pebble, which I bought as a stop gap until this eventual iWatch gets here!

Tbh, the pebble doesn't look great - but there are matt skins, etc, which make it look better. I really couldn't live without a smart watch now. It's so nice being able to glance down and see what the message/email is, see the weather forecast and change music (visually) without taking my phone out of my pocket.

It's one of those things that you don't know you need until you have one, and then you cannot live without it. Plus, you'll never get bored of people looking funnily and say "Did you just read something on your watch?!"

 

[Bryanw3535]

I would get a Pebble, but I just got this last week, instead.

In all honesty, though, I do have a Pebble. And this update is just what I've been waiting for to make it even more worthwhile.

 

[mogwat]

Pebble

LOL, pre-ordered one of these back late last year and haven't heard from the idiots since, my account still shows "Order Placed, awaiting pre-order production"...

 

[Bryanw3535]

LOL, pre-ordered one of these back late last year and haven't heard from the idiots since, my account still shows "Order Placed, awaiting pre-order production"...

Might be worth calling... I ordered mine on a Friday last month and got it on the following Tuesday.

 

[amirite]

What do they mean? Every notification? What API are they using??

Anyone? How do they access iOS notifications?

 

[kycophpd]

Good luck on seeing one of these in person. I can't imagine anyone donning something that looks like this, let alone paying real money for it. I'd be embarrassed.

I love mine and I am not embarassed about it at all. In my office, I am constantly on the move doing something. The bluetooth reach on this is amazing. It allows me to leave my phone in my personal office while moving around the other areas to meet with other people. Also, when people are meeting with me over issues, it appears less rude to look at my watch briefly to see who is calling than to pull out my phone. As a Sheriff Lieutenant, I need to keep my phone close in case one of my guys or girls needs something immediately.

Also, I ride a Harley. I see plenty putting their phone on handlebars or trying to look at it while driving with one hand. Very dangerous. I can glance at my wrist and see if it something I need to stop for.

I work off-duty work at the local UPS hub handling high value packages. Part of that requires conversations with shipping personnel and other guards by phone, text and email. When standing in 15 degree weather covered in heavy clothes and gloves, its much nicer to look down at a watch and see its just another tech email or junk mail and not pull out my hands to get cold to make sure its not work related.

I can go on and on. Just because it is not fashionable to some does not mean its not completely justified and beautiful to someone else.

 

[Tech198]

i need a magnifying glass to see twitter.

Pebble may as well get support for iOS7, because Apple messing around...

At least something that already exists can take advantage for those that are interested in wearable computing anyway.

I bet Apple's cheesed of someone else has got this to work with iOS, before the company that makes it's own OS. Delay ... and someone else will do it first anyway....

We can't wait forever Apple.

 

[captain kaos]

I'm assuming this is ios 7 only. That kinda sucks. I like ios 6 so much better than ios 7.

I really can't understands people are still liking iOS6 over 7! 7 is so much better looking, and has more useful functions.

 

[mogwat]

Might be worth calling... I ordered mine on a Friday last month and got it on the following Tuesday.

I think they can keep it now. I'll wait for a version that comes with Apple's customer service.

 

[captain kaos]

I got my kickstarter version and tried it out. I sold it a week later. I found it was a bit hit and miss with notifications, you'd set it up and it would work, then it would stop. That was on a 5 with ios6, perhaps 7 is better. It felt lighter, so if you have a heavy watch it will feel a bit weird, and id say it needs to feel a bit more robust, less plastic. Overall im going to wait to see what apple brings out.

 

[Treq]

I really can't understands people are still liking iOS6 over 7! 7 is so much better looking, and has more useful functions.

I will concede that it does have many useful functions, but the look is just bad on so many levels. No drop shadows to help separate the foreground from the background, simple design elements like vertical lines in the calendar, and borders to define buttons from just text. Also, wtf is up with white backgrounds behind photos? Not the best way to view photos. The os is "getting in the way" way too often.

 

[0098386]

I deal with twitter way more than text messages, iMessages and the like so this is great news for me.

 

[Vulkan]

I would get a Pebble, but I just got this last week, instead.

Sure you did, and to make yourself feel even bigger you brag about it on a tech site... Pfft.

 

[cgc]

When you're skiing? It'll be awesome on the slopes when I can glance at my watch for text messages my friends send from the lodge to meet up.

There are many situations (skiing, jogging, hiking, rowing a boat, in a noisy concert) where your phone is in your pocket and you can't get to it easily (or hear the vibrations) and seeing notifications on your wrist is so much easier.

I think we can survive without texting/tweeting/facebooking/emailing/etc when skiing/jogging/etc. Live your life and stop being a slave to your electronics.

 

[jbadham]

Outdoor Sports and Smartwatch technology

I don't really understand the concept of an 'iWatch' or similar device. Is it really that bothering to pull your phone out of your pocket? How much extra time will it save? 😕

For those who say that it'll come in handy for skiing, jogging, hiking, rowing a boat etc, I don't think the majority of iOS users participate in such activities frequently enough to warrant buying an iWatch-type device. Seriously, how many times have you been skiing this year, or even your lifetime? For running/jogging, I think the iPhone 5S' M7 co-processor is sufficient enough to handle such things. Would be interested to hear what other useful purpose an iWatch would serve.

Actually outdoor enthusiasts are real proponents and advocates for the usage of smart watch technology and there are plenty that are iOS/Android users/owners. The smart watch idea fulfills the need for a quick reference of information while in the middle of an activity.

For example:

Notifications for a jogger about meeting certain goals within the context of their current location and route they are running without slowing the pace to pull a phone out to see said notifications. Cyclists would use the same feature.

Since the notifications are App Driven the types of notifications are only limited by what the app is going to output to your notification center. Very useful feature for the outdoor sports enthusiast.

 

[hsotnicam8002]

Pebble Smart Watch Adds Support for All iOS 7 Notifications 😀

Not yet it doesn't. 😡 Then again, today's youtube stream didn't start when they said it would, the Pebbles largely didn't arrive when they said they would. and when they arrived they didn't have the functionality they said they would. 🙁

Thank goodness for the SmartWatch(+) app.🙂

 

[rdlink]

strong words. care to expand?

Aside from the fact that is was so late in shipping...

Buggy from the start. Battery life didn't ever live up to claims. SDK came out way too late, so almost a year after I was supposed to have it I still can't use it for Map My Ride, which is why I got it in the first place.

The promise was that it was going to have this great SDK, and developers were going to be able to build all this cool functionality. Blah, blah. It's a $115 sports watch that has to be charged twice a week.