Pebble Time iOS App in Limbo, Pebble Asks Customers for Help

[bawbac]

As an all Apple user, I have to say that while this situation is not going to benefit Pebble, they have far superior product.

This is something that won't go through the throat of any other Apple Watch user, because people have to somehow rationalize their buy.

Pebble has 7 days battery with watchface ALWAYS on. It has almost the same feature list but it also has TONS more watch faces and API for developing more. Something Apple still hasn't released for Apple Watch. Yes, it looks the way it looks but it is aimed at GEEKS while Apple Watch is aimed at Edge Masters and people with ego problems - I'd rather stay with the first group.

And that's from the guy who has most of what Apple released so far. It really served them better when they used to be underdogs.

Having held and used an Apple Watch of a friends this weekend, one huge drawback of the Apple Watch is that you can NOT see anything in broad daylight/sun. The LCD just isn't made for it.
You must cup your hand over the Apple Watch or find a shaded area to see the LCD clearly.
The Pebble Time does NOT have this issue.

 

[goron59]

Seeing as Apple had approved the first app submission already, it seems unlikely that Apple is intentionally trying to screw over Pebble.

They are preventing Pebble from releasing the previous version though.

 

[bawbac]

BUT the pebble cannot reply to messages, hasn't got seamless integration with iOS which is what the apple watch does do, I have both the pebble and the apple watch whilst always on screen and 7 day battery does sound great, the apple watch lift to view works every time for me, why would i need to see the face when the watch is turned away from me anyway? the problem I had with the 7 day battery was laziness, most times when the battery died I wasn't sure where my charging cable was, is it at work, in the car, by my bedside cabinet, I couldn't remember what was the last time I charged the watch and where resulting in on occasions me being unable to charge my watch until a day or two later, the battery on my apple watch has never gone into reserve mode and I have always gone to bed with 40-50% remaining, so my charger is on my bedside cabinet with my other nightly chargers.
My pebble was unreliable with notifications, I don't think I got any email notifications in the several months prior to me swapping for the apple watch, I always get the notifications I want on my apple watch.

I loved the pebble for being what it was, the pebble time is a meh product in my eyes especially with that HUGE bezel, I still agree it has a place and that some people will love the device and maybe at some point there will be major competition from them to push apple on further.

Attacks on apple from pebble seem petty, as previously mentioned Apple approved the time 1.0 app, it was pebble themselves who refused to let it go on the app store at the last minute and try rush a 1.0.1 update through which has made iOS users who have been waiting long enough suffer with a non-functioning device (longer than apple watch customers for their product I might add if you count the end of the kickstarter campaign when monies were taken was at the end of March and some people have only just started receiving them now and general sale won't be until 22 July at least).

I'm not an 'edge master' and i don't have and ego problem not in the slightest, i am the epitome of a geek, but as a geek I can see the beauty behind the apple watch especially that app menu screen. At the moment, yes i would like a few more faces on the apple watch, but one thing that bugged me with the pebble was I kept accidentally rotating through the faces on the device and the standard faces were bad, whilst the apple watch faces are nice and can be tailored pretty well.

Each to their own I guess

I love your excuses of "flaws" with the Pebble. LOL

 

[goron59]

... crying about it when Apple, your competitor, won't expedite your platform on their home court. Good luck, you guys are definitely going to need it. Imagine if your business actually succeeds and takes off more than the AW.

Pebble has been succeeding for a couple of years or more already. Long before Apple or indeed most people were doing this.

 

[Phil A.]

3.
4.
5.

So it's a watch, yes. It can tell you who just texted you and what that email you just got says. Then what? That is barely more than just a watch. Is the week-long battery life really worth it just for the alerts? A regular watch will give you battery life upwards of a year.

I had an Apple Watch with Classic buckle on order but cancelled it in favour of a pebble steel (not pebble time steel) because for me it suits my needs at this time. I don't have a huge list of requirements from my smartwatch and wanted a watch that did the following:

1) Alerts
2) Fitness Tracking
3) Sleep Tracking
4) Control my music
5) Wake me up
6) Show my current run stats from Runtastic and let me control start / stop / pause when I'm using the app
7) Stopwatch / Timer

The Pebble Steel does all this and has excellent battery life and an always on display as added bonus at less than 1/3 of the money I was going to spend on an Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch is gorgeous but it definitely has the feel of a version 1 about it and I'm going to bide my time and see what V2 brings - for once I'm letting my head rule my heart

 

[576316]

I had an Apple Watch with Classic buckle on order but cancelled it in favour of a pebble steel (not pebble time steel) because for me it suits my needs at this time. I don't have a huge list of requirements from my smartwatch and wanted a watch that did the following:

1) Alerts
2) Fitness Tracking
3) Sleep Tracking
4) Control my music
5) Wake me up
6) Show my current run stats from Runtastic and let me control start / stop / pause when I'm using the app
7) Stopwatch / Timer

The Pebble Steel does all this and has excellent battery life and an always on display as added bonus at less than 1/3 of the money I was going to spend on an Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch is gorgeous but it definitely has the feel of a version 1 about it and I'm going to bide my time and see what V2 brings - for once I'm letting my head rule my heart

Thank you for your carefully considered argument. I respect your opinion and your differing needs.

 

[ChrisCW11]

In the regard, Apple needs to let go of control. Apple has a history of blocking or making it difficult for competitors to utilize their platform, and this comes from an era of insecurity Apple has had historically.

Today, Apple is the #1 tech company and depending who ranks them, the most profitable company in history. Petty behavior like this should be beneath them.

Pebble is clearly not going to "win" the smart watch market just because they can use their watch paired with an iPhone, even if it matches or has a lot of the same features as an Apple Watch. Apple has to realize that Pebble is the "Casio" of smart watches, Apple is trying to be the "Rolex" of smart watches. Apple being insecure because someone wants to flood the market with a cheap discount smart watch is just absolutely petty.

Apple is being an ******* in this, period. So what if Pebble might sell more then Apple watches, in the long run Casio sells more watches then Rolex, but Rolex is not going to come out with a $20 watch to compete with Casio, and as long as Apple has $24k watches, they are not going to sell more of them then a cheap watch from Pebble.

 

[DDustiNN]

I had an Apple Watch with Classic buckle on order but cancelled it in favour of a pebble steel (not pebble time steel) because for me it suits my needs at this time. I don't have a huge list of requirements from my smartwatch and wanted a watch that did the following:

1) Alerts
2) Fitness Tracking
3) Sleep Tracking
4) Control my music
5) Wake me up
6) Show my current run stats from Runtastic and let me control start / stop / pause when I'm using the app
7) Stopwatch / Timer

The Pebble Steel does all this and has excellent battery life and an always on display as added bonus at less than 1/3 of the money I was going to spend on an Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch is gorgeous but it definitely has the feel of a version 1 about it and I'm going to bide my time and see what V2 brings - for once I'm letting my head rule my heart

I've had a Pebble Steel since launch, and have loved it and recommended it. I was skeptical about the Apple Watch due to the battery life and not-always-on screen. But... after looking at the Apple Watch in-store on April 10th, I was immediately sold on switching.

I now have the Apple Watch stainless steel with black classic buckle, and my Pebble Steel (also steel with leather band) feels like an absolute junker in comparison. The difference in looks, feel, quality, and UI... there's just no comparison. Not a chance I'd go back to Pebble. Especially that incredibly ugly Pebble Time. And now after seeing how ridiculous they're acting about the review process (which any app developer knows is normal)... I just do not support Pebble at all anymore.

 

[DDustiNN]

In the regard, Apple needs to let go of control. Apple has a history of blocking or making it difficult for competitors to utilize their platform, and this comes from an era of insecurity Apple has had historically.

Today, Apple is the #1 tech company and depending who ranks them, the most profitable company in history. Petty behavior like this should be beneath them.

Pebble is clearly not going to "win" the smart watch market just because they can use their watch paired with an iPhone, even if it matches or has a lot of the same features as an Apple Watch. Apple has to realize that Pebble is the "Casio" of smart watches, Apple is trying to be the "Rolex" of smart watches. Apple being insecure because someone wants to flood the market with a cheap discount smart watch is just absolutely petty.

Apple is being an ******* in this, period. So what if Pebble might sell more then Apple watches, in the long run Casio sells more watches then Rolex, but Rolex is not going to come out with a $20 watch to compete with Casio, and as long as Apple has $24k watches, they are not going to sell more of them then a cheap watch from Pebble.

This has nothing to do with controlling the market. The app review queue is just backed up right now, period. That's all there is to it.

My most recent app update was just approved a few days ago (after waiting 13 days for the review process). And it's just an insignificant little Mortal Kombat X guide.

Pebble doesn't get special treatment just because they're Pebble. Their app has to wait for the review team, just like everyone else. They had an app approved, but chose to pull it and resubmit an update before release (which, as all App Store developers know, causes you to be placed at the end of the line and completely restart the review process). I've done this exact same thing before, and with the same result - I went back to the end of the line just because I wanted to fix a bug before release.

If anything, Pebble are the ones acting like whiny, entitled, little snots. This does not make them look good.

 

[Phil A.]

I've had a Pebble Steel since launch, and have loved it and recommended it. I was skeptical about the Apple Watch due to the battery life and not-always-on screen. But... after looking at the Apple Watch in-store on April 10th, I was immediately sold on switching.

I now have the Apple Watch stainless steel with black classic buckle, and my Pebble Steel (also steel with leather band) feels like an absolute junker in comparison. The difference in looks, feel, quality, and UI... there's just no comparison. Not a chance I'd go back to Pebble. Especially that incredibly ugly Pebble Time. And now after seeing how ridiculous they're acting about the review process (which any app developer knows is normal)... I just do not support Pebble at all anymore.

I'm one of the few people who bought an original Samsung Gear (I had a samsung phone at the time) so looks aren't exactly high on my list of requirements

Personally, I couldn't care less about spats between companies (they're all as bad as each other IMO) and as I said, I do think the Apple Watch is gorgeous and I will more than likely buy one in the future.

However, this time I had a sudden rush of reason and realised the cost didn't justify the benefits for me at this time (particularly as I know the minute I get one, my wife and daughter will also want one so that triples the cost )

 

[Pug72]

Received my Pebble Time Champion edition today.
Selling it without opening, just as well I don't want to use it, lol.

 

[goron59]

Received my Pebble Time Champion edition today.
Selling it without opening, just as well I don't want to use it, lol.

I'll probably do the same when my champion edition arrives. I sold my last replacement Pebble unopened.

However, Apple Watch is so far away from being value for money right now, I'll probably just struggle along with my old broken Pebble for a while longer.

 

[DDustiNN]

I'm one of the few people who bought an original Samsung Gear (I had a samsung phone at the time) so looks aren't exactly high on my list of requirements

Personally, I couldn't care less about spats between companies (they're all as bad as each other IMO) and as I said, I do think the Apple Watch is gorgeous and I will more than likely buy one in the future.

However, this time I had a sudden rush of reason and realised the cost didn't justify the benefits for me at this time (particularly as I know the minute I get one, my wife and daughter will also want one so that triples the cost )

You will enjoy it! Like I said, I loved my Pebble Steel that I've had since release. My only recommendation is to not go look at the Apple Watch for quite a while, haha

 

[almirramic]

Just stating the obvious: When as a company you ask customers for help, you know you've ran out of steam.

 

[cmChimera]

They are preventing Pebble from releasing the previous version though.

You mean the one that Pebble pulled for bug fixes? Apple, quite understandably, doesn't allow developers to pull a version for bugs and then just re-submit that version.

 

[goron59]

You mean the one that Pebble pulled for bug fixes? Apple, quite understandably, doesn't allow developers to pull a version for bugs and then just re-submit that version.

Well it's a version that already had Apple approval so why not? Apple generally do not support installing anything other than the latest version supported on a given OS/hardware combination, so maybe that's it.

I find it hard to believe that Apple enforce, or even care about a developer's opinion of the bugginess/worthiness of an app, so long as it meets Apple's guidelines (and in this case it did).

But having read the missive from Pebble, they say they don't want that version released. They want the new one. They asked for expedited approval, and cited an example from their other app where Apple pushed it through in 24 hours.

Personally I don't think Apple are being vindictive and I do think Pebble are trolling. Successfully, it seems.

 

[lowendlinux]

I think to understand the situation we’d have to know why Pebble rejected what Apple sent back. If Pebble rejected because they wanted to add their bug fix tough luck, if they rejected because Apple said they have to remove something it’s on Apple.

 

[MacBH928]

Why would Apple allow their competitors on their platform, I never understood this business model?

 

[zoomcrypt]

Having held and used an Apple Watch of a friends this weekend, one huge drawback of the Apple Watch is that you can NOT see anything in broad daylight/sun. The LCD just isn't made for it.
You must cup your hand over the Apple Watch or find a shaded area to see the LCD clearly.
The Pebble Time does NOT have this issue.

i have no idea what yo are talking about. i have no problem viewing my apple watch during the brightest of day did you friend have the bright ness turned to the lowest? I have it set to the medium settings.

 

[gotluck]

Just stating the obvious: When as a company you ask customers for help, you know you've ran out of steam.

or that they are completely powerless, like everyone that hopes for apple's blessing for entrance into the app store. especially now that apple themselves offer a competing product

 

[darngooddesign]

So Pebble,
...copy their style and color pairing(red gold I'm looking at you)....

The pebble time does not copy the aWatch's style, but you are correct that no one has ever released a red with gold watch before Apple and Pebble. /s

 

[kdarling]

So Pebble,
Let me get this straight. You guys openly mock Apple and the watch through several ads, copy their style and color pairing(red gold I'm looking at you),

Using such logic, Apple should not be showing black, white or colored sport bands, because previous smartwatches already did that in their ads.

They should also not be allowed to show a stainless steel case with either leather or steel bands, or even have a model done in a precious metal, since that's also been done in other smartwatch ads.

Why would Apple allow their competitors on their platform, I never understood this business model?

Apple welcomes apps and accessories which keep people buying Apple devices, right up until Apple sells something similar. Then it's the boot for those who helped Apple out.

It's likely that there are a lot of people who stuck with iPhones because Pebble provided an interim smartwatch solution. That should count for something.

 

[mindsaspire]

I think to understand the situation we’d have to know why Pebble rejected what Apple sent back. If Pebble rejected because they wanted to add their bug fix tough luck, if they rejected because Apple said they have to remove something it’s on Apple.

It's the former. Pebble rejected their own update after Apple already approved it. In the status history image on the article, that's what the row for May 22 with status "Developer Rejected" means (and I know this because I've done this with my own apps, even my own latest update). The row preceding it on May 18 with status "Pending Developer Release" means Apple approved the update. However, the developer (Pebble) set their update to not go out automatically after it was approved and instead marked that the update should only be released when they themselves want to release it, likely to coincide with their product launch. Pebble could have had their update out on May 18 if they wanted. I'd assume that the bug that Pebble discovered that caused them to reject their own update was an absolutely critical problem; otherwise, it probably would have been smarter to go ahead and release the approved version 3.0 update and immediately submit another 3.0.1 update with the bug fix.

 

[bawbac]

The difference in looks, feel, quality, and UI... there's just no comparison.

When I checked out the Apple Watch this weekend, I was surprised how light it was and it felt cheap, perhaps due to the lightness or the feel of the casing.
I felt if I dropped it from waist high that it would sustain serious damage.
It felt and looked like a toy. Nothing like the close up high resolution pictures I've seen.

I was also surprise how small the 42mm was. When my friend handed me his Apple Watch, I though it was the 38mm.

The lack of viewing anything on the Apple Watch LCD in sunlight was quite bad.
You had to cup your hand over the watch or get to a shaded area.

 

[lowendlinux]

It's the former. Pebble rejected their own update after Apple already approved it. In the status history image on the article, that's what the row for May 22 with status "Developer Rejected" means (and I know this because I've done this with my own apps, even my own latest update). The row preceding it on May 18 with status "Pending Developer Release" means Apple approved the update. However, the developer (Pebble) set their update to not go out automatically after it was approved and instead marked that the update should only be released when they themselves want to release it, likely to coincide with their product launch. Pebble could have had their update out on May 18 if they wanted. I'd assume that the bug that Pebble discovered that caused them to reject their own update was an absolutely critical problem; otherwise, it probably would have been smarter to go ahead and release the approved version 3.0 update and immediately submit another 3.0.1 update with the bug fix.

I looked at the screen shot.

I want to know if it was a go with a caveat or a go as it stood. If it was a go as it stood then pebble is at fault if not then I want to know what the caveat is/was.