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Pebble is in the land grab stage right now. Their primary advantage being that they are the first mover. Their #1 priority is to win the hearts and minds of th

by jtchang 13y ago

Pebble is in the land grab stage right now. Their primary advantage being that they are the first mover. Their #1 priority is to win the hearts and minds of their users. A successful kickstarter campaign is a good start but to create "raving fans" they need to be hyper focused in getting you to love the product. To adore it. Otherwise competition will rip them to shreds. So those of you that have a Pebble? How do you like it? Is it everything you hoped for?

JonLim 13y ago
I was mentioning this in the office and had someone show me their Pebble and tell me that they absolutely loved it, aside from the battery life. It seems convenient and well made, and I'm now considering getting one.
chriswarren 13y ago
I've had mine for a couple of weeks, using it with an iPhone, and so far it's a neat toy that doesn't do very much. I can see text messages, and I can see the phone number of the person calling me (not their name yet, though). I can control the music playing on my phone. That's about it right now. I haven't tried Runkeeper yet. I've heard that Android users can hook in to a lot more. Hopefully iOS opens up more access for other apps to send notifications to it. The feature I probably use the most is the watch itself - I don't have to pull my phone out of my pocket to check the time, and flicking my wrist to activate the backlight works really well.
- Alphasite_ 13y ago
  It looks like there could be a lot of interesting things on the horizon: Watchfaces augmented with data from the internet Remote controls for internet connected devices Multi-player Pebble games 4sq/Facebook/Yelp Check-in Apps Sports/Weather/News/Traffic tickers Emergency beacon activator Deeper sports integration (skiing, hiking, surfing, tennis, soccer score keeping)! Bitcoin price trackers (most important watchapp?)
- antidaily 13y ago
  Exactly what I was about to write. Went back to my Nike Fuel band almost immediately. As a watch, it's just ok. Beyond that, it just isn't that useful. And as phones continue to get thinner and lighter -- I guess I don't see the point.
  - drcongo 13y ago
    The Fuel Band is the worst watch I've ever owned. It drives me mad how many times I have to hit the button, and how long I have to wait, just to find out the time.
    - antidaily 13y ago
      Fair point. In truth, I use my phone as my watch. I pretty much dont switch from Fuel reading on band.
- mindbreaker 13y ago
  I notice that the change between miles and kilometers will not work.
vitno 13y ago
I love my pebble. It is exactly what I wanted from it. Only problem? I need to turn the watch off during exams.
- Alphasite_ 13y ago
  Yeah, exactly the same here, but i managed to dodge that, my red only arrived a couple of days ago and its lovely.
drunken_thor 13y ago
It is fantastic while maintaining a server, I have instant notification of any alerts on my servers no matter if I am on my computer or have my phone on me. Also with the newest additions to the software it is really cool to have for exercising. battery life lasts a week for me and I love that I can change watchfaces when I get bored of one.
mongol 13y ago
I don't have it anymore. I sold it immediately, unopened. I was incredibly disappointed in the poor communication to the backers. I don't want to go into the discussion "backers are not customers", but regardless, the communication was poor and it turned me off from developing for the watch. When the SDK arrived, after very long silence, it seems to have contained what I had hoped for. But for me, it was too late.
- alexshipillo 13y ago
  I have mine and I like it. However, I don't think the communication was poor at all - they have sent out 39 project updates over a year, which is almost one per week. Yes, the production was delayed and it took me 11 months to receive my Pebble after ordering, but that's reasonable considering the fact that I was backing the development of an untested and over-subscribed hardware product.
  - mongol 13y ago
    While production was delayed, software is another thing. I backed it for being able to program for. They never explained why being late in physical production meant they did not have to say anything about the software part.
- marknutter 13y ago
  Perhaps a few more details about what was poor about the communication? As a pebble backer myself, I had no issues with their level of communication.
  - deleted 13y ago
    [deleted]
  - mongol 13y ago
    I don't know what you were expecting. I was expecting information on their promise during the financing period. That included the fact that the SDK should be available to all backers as Pebble shipped. And some communication on its progress I took for granted, being part of the ride and being treated as someone that gets involved early. I expected updates on "with the SDK you will be able to do this and that", "now we have added this API, what do you think", "the SDK will be based on this toolchain and work on these platforms" etc. Nothing of this kind. I spent too much time with waiting for information from Pebble already, I don't think I will bother more.
marknutter 13y ago
I am really enjoying mine. Even if it only ever allowed me to read text messages and see callerID it would be valuable to me. Of course I'm excited about the apps that are yet to be developed. I use Runkeeper now instead of Strava and Nike+ because of its Pebble integration. I'm hoping the Pebble will allow me to avoid having to buy a super expensive Triathlon watch. I really don't have many complaints. The battery life is fine but then again I charge it every night on my nightstand. The construction is great and I especially appreciate the fact that I can swim with it on. I replaced the watch band with one I liked better so I'm glad I was able to do that. I have had the watch become unpaired from my iPhone a couple times which is bad news since I turned off all sounds and vibrations on my phone since receiving my Pebble. But it hasn't happened for a long time now. I'm excited to start developing apps for it, too. The two-way messaging they just added to the SDK is going to open up a world of possibilities. All in all, I'm a very satisfied backer so far.
- mikestew 13y ago
  I'm hoping the Pebble will allow me to avoid having to buy a super expensive Triathlon watch. You can get a Garmin GPS watch for about $100. Less than a Pebble, and you can take it swimming. I wouldn't recommend taking your phone in the pool. :) RunKeeper integration is cool, and handy for those that already use it (or for those that already carry a phone while running, which I don't). But I'm not ditching my Garmin FR610 just yet. As for the unpairing problem, if it happens then I can never trust it. I had that happen a lot with my iPhone, but not with a Nexus running Android. Looks like a bug in iOS, but regardless of fault I can't trust it to keep me from missing phone calls or an email message when using iOS. These things will get worked out eventually, but for now I view as a kind of neat, if not entirely reliable, gadget that happens to tell time. But that's just my use case, YMMV.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
vidarh 13y ago
How are they "first mover"? There's been smart watches around for years. "Smart watch" gives over 1700 results on AliExpress, ranging from a ton of cheap java watches to smartphones in a watch. Don't get me wrong, the Pebble looks great and the execution seems great in ters of creating a brand and a stylish product that makes these vastly more desirable than cheap Chinese java watches, and I'm sure there's a big opportunity there. But they're nowhere near first.
- herval 13y ago
  Technically, a first mover is the first company that occupies a significant niche or segment. The fact that it was not the absolute first to ever release a product doesn't take the first mover position from them (there were tons and tons of niche pens before BIC came along and defined the market, as the first mover, for instance)
ChuckMcM 13y ago
I would love it if they would let me trade back my InPulse watch for a Pebble.
ratzinho87 13y ago
I like my Pebble a lot. A had Sony LiveView before it, and, even though it's not color, it cannot even be compared to it (I haven't seen the Sony SmartWatch though). Other grat things about it: - managed to get 9.5 days out of the battery, having it connected to my phone only during the day - there are some really cool watch faces available already - the hardware packaged within is impressive, even if developers can't access it yet (compass, accelerometer, bluetooth 4.0). I do think they might have trouble with their users hearts. If you read the comments on the Kickstarter campaign, they are filled with dissapointment regarding repeated delays and lack of communication. They haven't done a great job at keeping their backers informed.

by jtchang 13y ago

JonLim 13y ago

I was mentioning this in the office and had someone show me their Pebble and tell me that they absolutely loved it, aside from the battery life. It seems convenient and well made, and I'm now considering getting one.

chriswarren 13y ago

I've had mine for a couple of weeks, using it with an iPhone, and so far it's a neat toy that doesn't do very much. I can see text messages, and I can see the phone number of the person calling me (not their name yet, though). I can control the music playing on my phone. That's about it right now. I haven't tried Runkeeper yet. I've heard that Android users can hook in to a lot more. Hopefully iOS opens up more access for other apps to send notifications to it. The feature I probably use the most is the watch itself - I don't have to pull my phone out of my pocket to check the time, and flicking my wrist to activate the backlight works really well.

Alphasite_ 13y ago
It looks like there could be a lot of interesting things on the horizon: Watchfaces augmented with data from the internet Remote controls for internet connected devices Multi-player Pebble games 4sq/Facebook/Yelp Check-in Apps Sports/Weather/News/Traffic tickers Emergency beacon activator Deeper sports integration (skiing, hiking, surfing, tennis, soccer score keeping)! Bitcoin price trackers (most important watchapp?)
antidaily 13y ago
Exactly what I was about to write. Went back to my Nike Fuel band almost immediately. As a watch, it's just ok. Beyond that, it just isn't that useful. And as phones continue to get thinner and lighter -- I guess I don't see the point.
- drcongo 13y ago
  The Fuel Band is the worst watch I've ever owned. It drives me mad how many times I have to hit the button, and how long I have to wait, just to find out the time.
  - antidaily 13y ago
    Fair point. In truth, I use my phone as my watch. I pretty much dont switch from Fuel reading on band.
mindbreaker 13y ago
I notice that the change between miles and kilometers will not work.

vitno 13y ago

I love my pebble. It is exactly what I wanted from it. Only problem? I need to turn the watch off during exams.

Alphasite_ 13y ago
Yeah, exactly the same here, but i managed to dodge that, my red only arrived a couple of days ago and its lovely.

drunken_thor 13y ago

It is fantastic while maintaining a server, I have instant notification of any alerts on my servers no matter if I am on my computer or have my phone on me. Also with the newest additions to the software it is really cool to have for exercising. battery life lasts a week for me and I love that I can change watchfaces when I get bored of one.

mongol 13y ago

I don't have it anymore. I sold it immediately, unopened. I was incredibly disappointed in the poor communication to the backers. I don't want to go into the discussion "backers are not customers", but regardless, the communication was poor and it turned me off from developing for the watch. When the SDK arrived, after very long silence, it seems to have contained what I had hoped for. But for me, it was too late.

alexshipillo 13y ago
I have mine and I like it. However, I don't think the communication was poor at all - they have sent out 39 project updates over a year, which is almost one per week. Yes, the production was delayed and it took me 11 months to receive my Pebble after ordering, but that's reasonable considering the fact that I was backing the development of an untested and over-subscribed hardware product.
- mongol 13y ago
  While production was delayed, software is another thing. I backed it for being able to program for. They never explained why being late in physical production meant they did not have to say anything about the software part.
marknutter 13y ago
Perhaps a few more details about what was poor about the communication? As a pebble backer myself, I had no issues with their level of communication.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- mongol 13y ago
  I don't know what you were expecting. I was expecting information on their promise during the financing period. That included the fact that the SDK should be available to all backers as Pebble shipped. And some communication on its progress I took for granted, being part of the ride and being treated as someone that gets involved early. I expected updates on "with the SDK you will be able to do this and that", "now we have added this API, what do you think", "the SDK will be based on this toolchain and work on these platforms" etc. Nothing of this kind. I spent too much time with waiting for information from Pebble already, I don't think I will bother more.

marknutter 13y ago

I am really enjoying mine. Even if it only ever allowed me to read text messages and see callerID it would be valuable to me. Of course I'm excited about the apps that are yet to be developed. I use Runkeeper now instead of Strava and Nike+ because of its Pebble integration. I'm hoping the Pebble will allow me to avoid having to buy a super expensive Triathlon watch. I really don't have many complaints. The battery life is fine but then again I charge it every night on my nightstand. The construction is great and I especially appreciate the fact that I can swim with it on. I replaced the watch band with one I liked better so I'm glad I was able to do that. I have had the watch become unpaired from my iPhone a couple times which is bad news since I turned off all sounds and vibrations on my phone since receiving my Pebble. But it hasn't happened for a long time now. I'm excited to start developing apps for it, too. The two-way messaging they just added to the SDK is going to open up a world of possibilities. All in all, I'm a very satisfied backer so far.

mikestew 13y ago
I'm hoping the Pebble will allow me to avoid having to buy a super expensive Triathlon watch. You can get a Garmin GPS watch for about $100. Less than a Pebble, and you can take it swimming. I wouldn't recommend taking your phone in the pool. :) RunKeeper integration is cool, and handy for those that already use it (or for those that already carry a phone while running, which I don't). But I'm not ditching my Garmin FR610 just yet. As for the unpairing problem, if it happens then I can never trust it. I had that happen a lot with my iPhone, but not with a Nexus running Android. Looks like a bug in iOS, but regardless of fault I can't trust it to keep me from missing phone calls or an email message when using iOS. These things will get worked out eventually, but for now I view as a kind of neat, if not entirely reliable, gadget that happens to tell time. But that's just my use case, YMMV.

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

vidarh 13y ago

How are they "first mover"? There's been smart watches around for years. "Smart watch" gives over 1700 results on AliExpress, ranging from a ton of cheap java watches to smartphones in a watch. Don't get me wrong, the Pebble looks great and the execution seems great in ters of creating a brand and a stylish product that makes these vastly more desirable than cheap Chinese java watches, and I'm sure there's a big opportunity there. But they're nowhere near first.

herval 13y ago
Technically, a first mover is the first company that occupies a significant niche or segment. The fact that it was not the absolute first to ever release a product doesn't take the first mover position from them (there were tons and tons of niche pens before BIC came along and defined the market, as the first mover, for instance)

ChuckMcM 13y ago

I would love it if they would let me trade back my InPulse watch for a Pebble.

ratzinho87 13y ago

I like my Pebble a lot. A had Sony LiveView before it, and, even though it's not color, it cannot even be compared to it (I haven't seen the Sony SmartWatch though). Other grat things about it: - managed to get 9.5 days out of the battery, having it connected to my phone only during the day - there are some really cool watch faces available already - the hardware packaged within is impressive, even if developers can't access it yet (compass, accelerometer, bluetooth 4.0). I do think they might have trouble with their users hearts. If you read the comments on the Kickstarter campaign, they are filled with dissapointment regarding repeated delays and lack of communication. They haven't done a great job at keeping their backers informed.