Pebble > then Apple Watch

[JerTheGeek]

First off, I want to say that this is not a hate post. I am in no way dissing the watch and when the second generation comes out or if the first generation is still out by the end of next year I will probably buy it.

Anyway, I just wanted to highlight some of the pros of the pebble smart watch that make it better for my personal needs right now.
Firstly it has that always on display. I know this isn't a big deal for a lot of people and it wouldn't be that hard to raise my wrist to turn the screen on, but there's just something about the screen being always on that makes it more like a real watch that you can look at any time in any position.
Secondly it is fully waterproof. Again it probably isn't that big of a deal for most people to have to take their watch off in the shower or in the pool or at the beach, but I really like the idea of being able to control my music get notifications and ultimately see the time whenever I am in a wet place. It just makes it more like a watch.
Thirdly the screen is easy to read outside, which I think is an important feature for a smart watch as it is certainly important to be able to read the time and get notifications when you're outside. This is yet another feature that makes it more like a standard watch.
I guess really what I've said here is that I want my smart watch to mainly be a watch, one I can wear and read/use anywhere at anytime. If the next generation of Apple watch is fully waterproof, at least by this I mean able to be used in the shower and the pool and at the beach, then I will definitely be more eager to buy it. Though I'll probably end up getting the watch around the end of next year after I get my iPhone upgraded on contract, just because I am a geek and love new devices, and honestly the watch is still something that is hard to pass up. It definitely is cool, but right now the Pebble seems like a much more functional watch. You can't make phone calls or use Siri on it like the Apple watch, but personally I would rather have a fully waterproof, always on, easy to read in daylight screen, than any of these still cool, but unnecessary features.
Does anyone agree with me?

 

[matrix07]

Most of these pros are just minor.

Firstly it has that always on display. I know this isn't a big deal for a lot of people and it wouldn't be that hard to raise my wrist to turn the screen on, but there's just something about the screen being always on that makes it more like a real watch that you can look at any time in any position.

Yes, the screen of Watch is not always on but it's retina so it will look miles better than Pebble. The touch will also be certainly more responsive as well.

Secondly it is fully waterproof. Again it probably isn't that big of a deal for most people to have to take their watch off in the shower or in the pool or at the beach, but I really like the idea of being able to control my music get notifications and ultimately see the time whenever I am in a wet place. It just makes it more like a watch.

Waterproof is major benefit. Not many smart watch/band released recently are waterproof though, like the new Fitbit or MS Band so it's unlike Watch is the only one in town that can't do that.

Thirdly the screen is easy to read outside, which I think is an important feature for a smart watch as it is certainly important to be able to read the time and get notifications when you're outside. This is yet another feature that makes it more like a standard watch.

You can't say for sure that Watch will be hard to read outdoor. The new iPad Air 2 is coated to hide reflection. Maybe the watch is the same. Remember this was designed to also being used outdoor.

Now if we think about the pros of Watch over the Pebble, which also has many like taptic feedback which is huge, Apple Pay, Flex Touch, quality Apps, Design, Material, on and on I could make a much more longer post but the point is you should try it for real before claiming anything, like it will be hard to read outside for example.

 

[JerTheGeek]

Most of these pros are just minor.



Yes, the screen of Watch is not always on but it's retina so it will look miles better than Pebble. The touch will also be certainly more responsive as well.



Waterproof is major benefit. Not many smart watch/band released recently are waterproof though, like the new Fitbit or MS Band so it's unlike Watch is the only one in town that can't do that.




You can't say for sure that Watch will be hard to read outdoor. The new iPad Air 2 is coated to hide reflection. Maybe the watch is the same. Remember this was designed to also being used outdoor.

Now if we think about the pros of Watch over the Pebble, which also has many like taptic feedback which is huge, Apple Pay, Flex Touch, quality Apps, Design, Material, on and on I could make a much more longer post but the point is you should try it for real before claiming anything, like it will be hard to read outside for example.

Yeah I imagine that the screen might not be a big deal to read outdoors, but still the fully waterproof and always on screen are big benefits of the pebble for me. Like i said, ill probably end up getting the Watch, just probably next year cause my current iPhone 4S doesnt support it. I just have to wait till the end of next year for my contract to be up, then I'll get iPhone 6S and be able to get the Watch. For the next year the Pebble will be a good watch for me, though.

 

[mtmac]

Apple heavily boasted about easily being able to read it in direct sunlight. I think it will likely be better than the Pebble in this category. The always on feature benefits other people rather than you. While other people can always see what time it is on your Pebble, on the Apple watch you control the battery life and can easily turn it on with the flick of the wrist.

The end of next year the first gen will likely be only mid-product cycle. If you plan on buying it next year anyway, why not benefit from having it from day 1?

If you're buying an upper end model, buying it bit later might see larger discounts as they likely will be sold in jewelry and department stores where after the initial surge, they may be discounted more than other Apple products. Once the design you want is easy to get, it likely will be discounted as much as you'll see it until the next generation is announced. With most Apple products, they offer the best value early in the product cycle.

 

[JerTheGeek]

Apple heavily boasted about easily being able to read it in direct sunlight. I think it will likely be better than the Pebble in this category. The always on feature benefits other people rather than you. While other people can always see what time it is on your Pebble, on the Apple watch you control the battery life and can easily turn it on with the flick of the wrist.

The end of next year the first gen will likely be only mid-product cycle. If you plan on buying it next year anyway, why not benefit from having it from day 1?

If you're buying an upper end model, buying it bit later might see larger discounts as they likely will be sold in jewelry and department stores where after the initial surge, they may be discounted more than other Apple products. Once the design you want is easy to get, it likely will be discounted as much as you'll see it until the next generation is announced. With most Apple products, they offer the best value early in the product cycle.

Like I said, I can't buy it on day 1 cause I still have an iPhone 4S and have to wait until my contract expires

 

[r8ders2k]

Pebble

The biggest issue is the battery...

Pebble - almost 7 days

Watch - 1 day

 

[pdaholic]

I've got a friend at work with the Pebble watch. She really likes it. Said it really only lasts 3-4 days though.

I'll probably get the Apple Watch.

 

[Julien]

Like I said, I can't buy it on day 1 cause I still have an iPhone 4S and have to wait until my contract expires

Looks like this is the actual reason and the water/screen reasons are more to help 'ease' the inevitable that you MUST wait on gen 2.

 

[JerTheGeek]

Looks like this is the actual reason and the water/screen reasons are more to help 'ease' the inevitable that you MUST wait on gen 2.

yep probably lol.
but the waterproof is actually a big deal for me. I want to be able to wear it in the shower, pool, and at the beach. So that is almost a deal breaker for me. We'll see how I feel about it by next year after I get my iPhone 6S....

 

[Julien]

yep probably lol.
but the waterproof is actually a big deal for me. I want to be able to wear it in the shower, pool, and at the beach. So that is almost a deal breaker for me. We'll see how I feel about it by next year after I get my iPhone 6S....

Out of curiosity why did you buy an iPhone 4S (last year???)?

I think/hope it will be IPx6 and OK for the shower (just not recommended). Also poolside/beachside with some 'dips' in would probably be OK. Just no long term (like >30 minutes) or deep (over a meter) immersion should be fine.

 

[matrix07]

Yeah I imagine that the screen might not be a big deal to read outdoors, but still the fully waterproof and always on screen are big benefits of the pebble for me. Like i said, ill probably end up getting the Watch, just probably next year cause my current iPhone 4S doesnt support it. I just have to wait till the end of next year for my contract to be up, then I'll get iPhone 6S and be able to get the Watch. For the next year the Pebble will be a good watch for me, though.

That's a good planning. Well, let me be a guinea pig for you for a year. I'll tell you how hard it is to read in sunlight.

 

[JerTheGeek]

Out of curiosity why did you buy an iPhone 4S (last year???)?

I think/hope it will be IPx6 and OK for the shower (just not recommended). Also poolside/beachside with some 'dips' in would probably be OK. Just no long term (like >30 minutes) or deep (over a meter) immersion should be fine.

I actually bought an iPhone 4 last year and received my mom's old 4S a few months ago. It is stil a great phone. Honestly when I bought last year I just wanted an iPhone; I did even know I was going to get one, it was kinda unexpected, so I j went with the free 4.

 

[bwfilms]

First off, I want to say that this is not a hate post. I am in no way dissing the watch and when the second generation comes out or if the first generation is still out by the end of next year I will probably buy it.

Anyway, I just wanted to highlight some of the pros of the pebble smart watch that make it better for my personal needs right now.
Firstly it has that always on display. I know this isn't a big deal for a lot of people and it wouldn't be that hard to raise my wrist to turn the screen on, but there's just something about the screen being always on that makes it more like a real watch that you can look at any time in any position.
Secondly it is fully waterproof. Again it probably isn't that big of a deal for most people to have to take their watch off in the shower or in the pool or at the beach, but I really like the idea of being able to control my music get notifications and ultimately see the time whenever I am in a wet place. It just makes it more like a watch.
Thirdly the screen is easy to read outside, which I think is an important feature for a smart watch as it is certainly important to be able to read the time and get notifications when you're outside. This is yet another feature that makes it more like a standard watch.
I guess really what I've said here is that I want my smart watch to mainly be a watch, one I can wear and read/use anywhere at anytime. If the next generation of Apple watch is fully waterproof, at least by this I mean able to be used in the shower and the pool and at the beach, then I will definitely be more eager to buy it. Though I'll probably end up getting the watch around the end of next year after I get my iPhone upgraded on contract, just because I am a geek and love new devices, and honestly the watch is still something that is hard to pass up. It definitely is cool, but right now the Pebble seems like a much more functional watch. You can't make phone calls or use Siri on it like the Apple watch, but personally I would rather have a fully waterproof, always on, easy to read in daylight screen, than any of these still cool, but unnecessary features.
Does anyone agree with me?

I think the Apple watch is a great device even in its first-version incarnation. I think your points are valid, but they aren't enough to prevent it from being a great watch.

I'd hope that, even in the first-version, the always-on feature will be there. The watch looks much more classy when it's on. Being waterproof is also important for me as I'd rather not have to worry when washing hands, etc. It will also be cool when on vacations that I don't have to take it off when I'm on the beach or in the ocean. Brightness/readability is a necessity as the watch, probably more than any other computer forms (phones, tablets, etc.), will be used while outdoor. I'd think Apple had this covered right out of the gate.

 

[JerTheGeek]

I think the Apple watch is a great device even in its first-version incarnation. I think your points are valid, but they aren't enough to prevent it from being a great watch.

I'd hope that, even in the first-version, the always-on feature will be there. The watch looks much more classy when it's on. Being waterproof is also important for me as I'd rather not have to worry when washing hands, etc. It will also be cool when on vacations that I don't have to take it off when I'm on the beach or in the ocean. Brightness/readability is a necessity as the watch, probably more than any other computer forms (phones, tablets, etc.), will be used while outdoor. I'd think Apple had this covered right out of the gate.

I definitely agree; these are just my personal reasons why I like the pebble and am going to be getting one; the Watch is still great and I'm sure it will sell well.

I also feel the same way about the screen being on; I hope they have this option. It will look so cool with the screen on; having a blank screen on my wrist just doesn't really seem that cool to me. And the beach thing is one of the things I was thinking of too: I am in Florida so I'm definitely at the beach quite a bit; and the ability to see time while in the water really appeals to me.

 

[Piggie]

Perhaps we can look at this 1st model in the same way as when the very 1st LED Digital watches came onto the market.

Like this one:
https://36.media.tumblr.com/ae1f046edabf5a25b287cbb6625ab052/tumblr_mx4uajcrA61rpgpe2o1_500.jpg

Due to poor battery life, these also were made to only turn on their screen when you wanted to see the time.

Like the Apple watch, they were early models, and it was the best they could manage with the tech they had to use at the time they made these devices.

We've come a long way since then as we all know.

I'm sure, in years to come and things improve, we won't have to be twisting our wrists or tapping screens to be able to see anything on these new Smart Watch screens.

It's a shame we can't jump perhaps 10 years and enjoy how much advanced these devices will be by then

 

[jason.siegel]

I think Pebble and Apple Watch will both do very well into the future. They're going after very different markets. Think Kindle v. iPad. Some people want to read; others want to surf the web or play games. And a third group of people wants to do both, and buys both.

I imagine that some people are going to want the Pebble feature set, and others will want the Apple Watch. They'll both survive.

 

[matrix07]

I think Pebble and Apple Watch will both do very well into the future. They're going after very different markets. Think Kindle v. iPad. Some people want to read; others want to surf the web or play games. And a third group of people wants to do both, and buys both.

I imagine that some people are going to want the Pebble feature set, and others will want the Apple Watch. They'll both survive.

Fitbit is likely, but I'm not sure about Pebble. In the future I can see only two type of devices on the wrist. The watch type like Watch and the band type like NIKE or MS. Fitbit will do well in the latter category but the former will be dominated by Watch. Since Pebble compete directly with Apple in this category I don't think it has much chance at all. When Watch is improved upon and the previous models will be cheaper year after year, Pebble won't be able to catch up IMO.

 

[jason.siegel]

Fitbit is likely, but I'm not sure about Pebble. In the future I can see only two type of devices on the wrist. The watch type like Watch and the band type like NIKE or MS. Fitbit will do well in the latter category but the former will be dominated by Watch. Since Pebble compete directly with Apple in this category I don't think it has much chance at all. When Watch is improved upon and the previous models will be cheaper year after year, Pebble won't be able to catch up IMO.

Pebble sales have actually gone up since the Apple Watch was announced.

 

[APlotdevice]

You can't say for sure that Watch will be hard to read outdoor. The new iPad Air 2 is coated to hide reflection. Maybe the watch is the same. Remember this was designed to also being used outdoor.

Even when an anti-reflective coating is applied, transmissive/emissive displays are still no match for reflective/transflective ones outdoors. You have to crank the brightness all the way up to see anything, and even then the contrast is relatively poor.

 

[gregvet]

Pebble sales have actually gone up since the Apple Watch was announced.

I hadn't worn a watch for years, but the apple watch keynote got my interest up. I now have a pebble steel and have no intention of 'upgrading' to the apple watch, unless they can get three days minimum battery life out of it. No matter how pretty the screen on the apple, the pebbles always on watch face and 5 days battery life is pretty killer IMO.

 

[leenak]

To me, the pebble is uglier than the apple watch. The fitbit surge looks probably nicer than most fitness watches. I've ordered the basis peak because well it is available soon and it definitely looks less clunky than the pebble.

 

[firewood]

Pebble sales have actually gone up since the Apple Watch was announced.

Apple II+ sales went up when the IBM PC was first announced. We know how that one eventually went.

 

[matrix07]

Pebble sales have actually gone up since the Apple Watch was announced.

For now.

----------

Even when an anti-reflective coating is applied, transmissive/emissive displays are still no match for reflective/transflective ones outdoors. You have to crank the brightness all the way up to see anything, and even then the contrast is relatively poor.

The watch is on the wrist. You can tilt it easily. Not a big problem.

 

[irnchriz]

Buy a Pebble now, might be worth something to collectors in a few years after they go out of business in about a year or 2 from now.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

To me, the pebble is uglier than the apple watch. The fitbit surge looks probably nicer than most fitness watches. I've ordered the basis peak because well it is available soon and it definitely looks less clunky than the pebble.

But the Basis Peak is also from 'An Intel Company'. I don't think their track record is that good at staying in a market for the long haul. It sounds like an interesting device, and I hope it works, but I wonder how long it will be sold/supported/updated. But then I still wear a Fuel Band in hopes that Nike will continue to support it. *shrug*