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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.

by jammur 11y ago

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.
    - jammur 11y ago
      You've mentioned four things that are part of the messaging app, and phone calls. If you aren't aware of the other things Apple Watch does that Pebble doesn't, you should probably do some more research.
      - takeda 11y ago
        I'm listing what my friends were showing that their Apple Watch can and I excluded what Pebble could do as well. Can you list what other things Apple Watch can do?
        jammur 11y ago
        I can, but it would probably be more efficient for you to just go look at the website.
TeMPOraL 11y ago
5-7 day battery life and always-on, e-paper-like color screen. This enables you to use Pebble as an actual watch, or in general as an information radiator - you don't have to interact with it in any way to see the data you need; you just have to look at it. They had these features (sans color) before Apple Watch / Android Wear even existed! What personally made me buy Pebble over Android Wear / Apple Watch was not point-by-point spec comparison though, but the apparent philosophy of the company since day one. They went with practical (always on e-paper screen instead of touch) and hackable (Pebble is programmed in C, no stacks of Java bloat, no licenses to buy). From the beginning, they were giving off the utilitarian vibe, as opposed to the later Apple's strategy of building an expensive toy. It's a difference of mindsets. Or at least it was, given that Pebble seems slowly going towards the mainstream.
- jammur 11y ago
  > 5-7 day battery life and always-on, e-paper-like color screen. This enables you to use Pebble as an actual watch I'm not sure why the "always-on" aspect is an advantage. The Apple Watch display turns on when I raise my wrist to look at it. Always-on seems more like a vanity feature than actually useful. If you aren't looking at it, it serves no purpose to be on. The battery life has never been a problem for me. I put the watch on it's charger when I get in bed, and take it off when I wake up. I don't think I've ever hit < 40% battery at the end of the day. > Apple's strategy of building an expensive toy. I don't believe that is the intention at all. I think Apple is trying to create a truly useful device, with a much broader scope than Pebble. Personally, the Apple Watch has been very useful for me. I would be very unhappy if I had to give it up. My Apple Watch watch feels significantly more utilitarian than my phone. I also think you're underselling the fitness aspect. I've been much more active since I got my Apple Watch. The importance of physical activity is hard to understate. Also, I visited my doctor recently and she was a bit worried that my pulse was high. I showed her the graph of my pulse over the last week, and she was no longer worried. In the future, when we can measure thinks like blood pressure and blood glucose, it will significantly improve people's health. That's clearly where Apple is headed. I love Pebble as a company and I think they make a really great product. However, it's wrong to say the Apple Watch is nothing more than a toy. It's already had a decent impact on my life, and I think that impact will be exponentially larger in a few short years.
Steltek 11y ago
Less is more: the Pebble doesn't surpass all the functionality in the Apple Watch or Android Wear devices, it pulls back and focuses on being a great watch, a great tool. It's not a small phone stuck on your wrist. The long battery life with an always on, sunlight-proof display is what really makes a Pebble a Pebble. 2 days of battery life is going to rub some people the wrong way but I think for what they were going for here, it was a good compromise. This continues their core excellence of making a great watch that includes smart, connected features. I am waiting for my Pebble Time Steel to be delivered. I'm not disappointed at all with this announcement and I'm proud to see Pebble expanding into new markets.

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.

by 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.
  - jammur 11y ago
    You've mentioned four things that are part of the messaging app, and phone calls. If you aren't aware of the other things Apple Watch does that Pebble doesn't, you should probably do some more research.
    - takeda 11y ago
      I'm listing what my friends were showing that their Apple Watch can and I excluded what Pebble could do as well. Can you list what other things Apple Watch can do?
      - jammur 11y ago
        I can, but it would probably be more efficient for you to just go look at the website.

TeMPOraL 11y ago

5-7 day battery life and always-on, e-paper-like color screen. This enables you to use Pebble as an actual watch, or in general as an information radiator - you don't have to interact with it in any way to see the data you need; you just have to look at it. They had these features (sans color) before Apple Watch / Android Wear even existed! What personally made me buy Pebble over Android Wear / Apple Watch was not point-by-point spec comparison though, but the apparent philosophy of the company since day one. They went with practical (always on e-paper screen instead of touch) and hackable (Pebble is programmed in C, no stacks of Java bloat, no licenses to buy). From the beginning, they were giving off the utilitarian vibe, as opposed to the later Apple's strategy of building an expensive toy. It's a difference of mindsets. Or at least it was, given that Pebble seems slowly going towards the mainstream.

jammur 11y ago
> 5-7 day battery life and always-on, e-paper-like color screen. This enables you to use Pebble as an actual watch I'm not sure why the "always-on" aspect is an advantage. The Apple Watch display turns on when I raise my wrist to look at it. Always-on seems more like a vanity feature than actually useful. If you aren't looking at it, it serves no purpose to be on. The battery life has never been a problem for me. I put the watch on it's charger when I get in bed, and take it off when I wake up. I don't think I've ever hit < 40% battery at the end of the day. > Apple's strategy of building an expensive toy. I don't believe that is the intention at all. I think Apple is trying to create a truly useful device, with a much broader scope than Pebble. Personally, the Apple Watch has been very useful for me. I would be very unhappy if I had to give it up. My Apple Watch watch feels significantly more utilitarian than my phone. I also think you're underselling the fitness aspect. I've been much more active since I got my Apple Watch. The importance of physical activity is hard to understate. Also, I visited my doctor recently and she was a bit worried that my pulse was high. I showed her the graph of my pulse over the last week, and she was no longer worried. In the future, when we can measure thinks like blood pressure and blood glucose, it will significantly improve people's health. That's clearly where Apple is headed. I love Pebble as a company and I think they make a really great product. However, it's wrong to say the Apple Watch is nothing more than a toy. It's already had a decent impact on my life, and I think that impact will be exponentially larger in a few short years.

Steltek 11y ago

Less is more: the Pebble doesn't surpass all the functionality in the Apple Watch or Android Wear devices, it pulls back and focuses on being a great watch, a great tool. It's not a small phone stuck on your wrist. The long battery life with an always on, sunlight-proof display is what really makes a Pebble a Pebble. 2 days of battery life is going to rub some people the wrong way but I think for what they were going for here, it was a good compromise. This continues their core excellence of making a great watch that includes smart, connected features. I am waiting for my Pebble Time Steel to be delivered. I'm not disappointed at all with this announcement and I'm proud to see Pebble expanding into new markets.