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It's pretty, but they're continuing to compromise core features (waterproofness, battery) which make Pebbles unique, while their software and abilities and disp

It's pretty, but they're continuing to compromise core features (waterproofness, battery) which make Pebbles unique, while their software and abilities and displays lag far behind the pack (partly due to vendor lock-in). I loved my OG Steel. But they won't compete against the Apple Watches and Moto 360s of the world by mirroring their shortcomings and price while providing none of the deep integration, apps, and features. I think ultimately, the Pebble line will need to become the leader of the "Smart-ish" watches. They'll display notifications, and allow some very limited interactions, but will always be more watch than smart. This will work great for non-geeky people who would love to get notifications quickly and silently, while still retaining the advantages of a more conventional watch (don't worry about charging, water, durability or daylight). Then, the wrist computers (e.g Apple Watch or Android Wear) will exist for somebody who wants the geekier, app-ier experience and will take some compromises for it.

aetherson 11y ago
That all sounds right, except... I don't think that the Apple Watch or at least some Android Wear watches are aimed at a "geeky" audience. And I don't think that anyone has found anything more compelling than "receive notifications" to use Apple or Android watches for.
- hnal943 11y ago
  I use my Samsung gear to take hands free phone calls (in the car or while holding kids), controlling my music while my phone is plugged in in the other room, as a remote for my tv and (rarely) as a way to take group photos with my phone set up across the room. Receiving notifications is obviously the primary use (considering looking up my meetings and using it as a silent alarm to get up in the morning as "notifications"), but I use at least two of these other features every day.
- simcop2387 11y ago
  Can't say I've seen it for Apple or Android watches, but for pebble there's a nice app to let you watch the status of your 3d printer if you use octoprint. It's ended up great as a gauge for how long a print has left, even gives a convenient way to stop a print without killed the power to the printer. Sure I can use a phone for the same thing but when I've got it on my wrist with a single button press? much more convenient.
- TeMPOraL 11y ago
  Indeed. In my personal not so humble opinion, it's Pebble that leads the actually smart watch pack; Apple Watch and Android Wear are shiny toys for non-geeks who like fitness. It saddens me that Pebble seems to turn toward this audience. Not that mind "normal people" having their toys, it's just that Pebble seeed to be the only company that tried to make a tool.
  - jammur 11y ago
    What does Pebble do that Apple Watch or Android Wear doesn't? I know many more "geeks" with Apple Watch or Android Wear than Pebble.
    - djsumdog 11y ago
      It doesn't really do anything the other two don't. The bid difference that I think people are trying to state is that no one really uses any of those other features. Not really. Pebble gives you notifications, time ... new ones give you heart rate monitors (I think?). You don't get those other features no one else cares about, but you do get like five days of battery life. I'm still on my Pebble Steel and I still really like it. I even saw one in a retail store in Ireland today. Was kinda weird.
      - jammur 11y ago
        > The bid difference that I think people are trying to state is that no one really uses any of those other features. Not really. I'm curious which features you are referring to? I have no need for 5 day battery life on my watch. Would it be great? Hell yeah. However, I also have no problem tossing my watch on the charger when I get in bed, just as I do with my phone.
        takeda 11y ago
        Features like: answering phone through the watch, drawing, playing tic tac toe or other games (pebble also has some games, but it is quite silly to play games on watch), sending heart beats to someone else, or emoji. That's I think all Apple Watch offers that pebble doesn't. I did not mention measuring pulse, because it is useful if you use watch for fitness tracking.
- amelius 11y ago
  > And I don't think that anyone has found anything more compelling than "receive notifications" to use Apple or Android watches for. I'd like to use a smartwatch for 2-factor authentication.
  - jzwinck 11y ago
    If that's all you need, an old school RSA token's guts could be put into a regular dumb watch. No need even for extra buttons.
  - zxv 11y ago
    QuickAuth can be used on various Pebble models for 2-factor authentication on google, dropbox, lastpass, and others. http://apps.getpebble.com/en_US/application/53131df8bb31cf87cd00019a http://apps.getpebble.com/en_US/application/53131df8bb31cf87... I feel it's safer than 2-factor using my phone because I might let someone else handle my phone to make a call, etc., but never my watch. Plus, I can invoke it faster than I can on the phone.
andyjsong 11y ago
I like the "Smart-ish" angle. Swatch owns the entry level watch market: Swatch was originally intended to re-capture entry level market share lost by Swiss manufacturers during the quartz crisis and the subsequent growth of Japanese companies such as Seiko and Citizen in the 1960s and 1970s, and to re-popularize analog watches at a time when digital watches had achieved wide popularity. The launch of the Swatch brand in 1983 was marked by bold new styling, design and marketing. [1] Maybe they can be the market leader in the entry level market and not have to compete against the Apples and Motorolas who are all fighting over share in the mid-market smartwatch. Motorola had a 360 version that was value based: http://www.talkandroid.com/264030-motorola-decided-to-scrap-its-plans-to-launch-a-value-priced-version-of-the-moto-360-smartwatch-last-minute/ http://www.talkandroid.com/264030-motorola-decided-to-scrap-..., but my guess on why they scrapped it is due to risk of cannibalization and not enough differentiation of their flagship product. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swatch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swatch P.S. I think they really missed the price point on this, sub $100 with 10 SKUs would've fostered in a new wave of smartwatch owners.
Kiro 11y ago
> continuing to compromise core features What did they compromise on Pebble Time? Battery time was improved.
- fryguy 11y ago
  The pebble time round only has 2 days, and isn't waterproof.
  - Kiro 11y ago
    Yes, but I was asking about Pebble Time because of the wording "continuing".
- wanderfowl 11y ago
  The Time and Time Steel actually have lower waterproof-ness certification than the originals, IIRC. It's not a meaningful drop for everyday use, but they seem to be happy to lose that feature. And the Round is a festival of compromise.

aetherson 11y ago

That all sounds right, except... I don't think that the Apple Watch or at least some Android Wear watches are aimed at a "geeky" audience. And I don't think that anyone has found anything more compelling than "receive notifications" to use Apple or Android watches for.

hnal943 11y ago
I use my Samsung gear to take hands free phone calls (in the car or while holding kids), controlling my music while my phone is plugged in in the other room, as a remote for my tv and (rarely) as a way to take group photos with my phone set up across the room. Receiving notifications is obviously the primary use (considering looking up my meetings and using it as a silent alarm to get up in the morning as "notifications"), but I use at least two of these other features every day.
simcop2387 11y ago
Can't say I've seen it for Apple or Android watches, but for pebble there's a nice app to let you watch the status of your 3d printer if you use octoprint. It's ended up great as a gauge for how long a print has left, even gives a convenient way to stop a print without killed the power to the printer. Sure I can use a phone for the same thing but when I've got it on my wrist with a single button press? much more convenient.
TeMPOraL 11y ago
Indeed. In my personal not so humble opinion, it's Pebble that leads the actually smart watch pack; Apple Watch and Android Wear are shiny toys for non-geeks who like fitness. It saddens me that Pebble seems to turn toward this audience. Not that mind "normal people" having their toys, it's just that Pebble seeed to be the only company that tried to make a tool.
- jammur 11y ago
  What does Pebble do that Apple Watch or Android Wear doesn't? I know many more "geeks" with Apple Watch or Android Wear than Pebble.
  - djsumdog 11y ago
    It doesn't really do anything the other two don't. The bid difference that I think people are trying to state is that no one really uses any of those other features. Not really. Pebble gives you notifications, time ... new ones give you heart rate monitors (I think?). You don't get those other features no one else cares about, but you do get like five days of battery life. I'm still on my Pebble Steel and I still really like it. I even saw one in a retail store in Ireland today. Was kinda weird.
    - jammur 11y ago
      > The bid difference that I think people are trying to state is that no one really uses any of those other features. Not really. I'm curious which features you are referring to? I have no need for 5 day battery life on my watch. Would it be great? Hell yeah. However, I also have no problem tossing my watch on the charger when I get in bed, just as I do with my phone.
      - takeda 11y ago
        Features like: answering phone through the watch, drawing, playing tic tac toe or other games (pebble also has some games, but it is quite silly to play games on watch), sending heart beats to someone else, or emoji. That's I think all Apple Watch offers that pebble doesn't. I did not mention measuring pulse, because it is useful if you use watch for fitness tracking.
amelius 11y ago
> And I don't think that anyone has found anything more compelling than "receive notifications" to use Apple or Android watches for. I'd like to use a smartwatch for 2-factor authentication.
- jzwinck 11y ago
  If that's all you need, an old school RSA token's guts could be put into a regular dumb watch. No need even for extra buttons.
- zxv 11y ago
  QuickAuth can be used on various Pebble models for 2-factor authentication on google, dropbox, lastpass, and others. http://apps.getpebble.com/en_US/application/53131df8bb31cf87cd00019a http://apps.getpebble.com/en_US/application/53131df8bb31cf87... I feel it's safer than 2-factor using my phone because I might let someone else handle my phone to make a call, etc., but never my watch. Plus, I can invoke it faster than I can on the phone.

andyjsong 11y ago

I like the "Smart-ish" angle. Swatch owns the entry level watch market: Swatch was originally intended to re-capture entry level market share lost by Swiss manufacturers during the quartz crisis and the subsequent growth of Japanese companies such as Seiko and Citizen in the 1960s and 1970s, and to re-popularize analog watches at a time when digital watches had achieved wide popularity. The launch of the Swatch brand in 1983 was marked by bold new styling, design and marketing. [1] Maybe they can be the market leader in the entry level market and not have to compete against the Apples and Motorolas who are all fighting over share in the mid-market smartwatch. Motorola had a 360 version that was value based: http://www.talkandroid.com/264030-motorola-decided-to-scrap-its-plans-to-launch-a-value-priced-version-of-the-moto-360-smartwatch-last-minute/ http://www.talkandroid.com/264030-motorola-decided-to-scrap-..., but my guess on why they scrapped it is due to risk of cannibalization and not enough differentiation of their flagship product. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swatch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swatch P.S. I think they really missed the price point on this, sub $100 with 10 SKUs would've fostered in a new wave of smartwatch owners.

Kiro 11y ago

> continuing to compromise core features What did they compromise on Pebble Time? Battery time was improved.

fryguy 11y ago
The pebble time round only has 2 days, and isn't waterproof.
- Kiro 11y ago
  Yes, but I was asking about Pebble Time because of the wording "continuing".
wanderfowl 11y ago
The Time and Time Steel actually have lower waterproof-ness certification than the originals, IIRC. It's not a meaningful drop for everyday use, but they seem to be happy to lose that feature. And the Round is a festival of compromise.