Review
Roderick Scott 0

pebble time lead

The original Pebble definitely changed the way consumers view smartwatches and made more of a thing.  So much that it more or less created the blueprint behind a smartwatch for other manufacturers.  That wasn't that long ago as it was only in 2013 when they launched.  

Now in 2015 only a few short years later, a lot has changed.  Android Wear watches are looking better and doing cooler things.  The Apple Watch is already on sale and will be hard to beat in regards to design.  The new layout for smartwatches has changed drastically.  Now that Pebble has a new toy for us all and we wanted to see how does the Pebble Time fit into the marketplace.  We've been testing it out for a few weeks to see where does it fit into the world of Android & Apple wearables.



pebble time

While this is better than previous Pebble devices, I feel we haven't seen the best Pebble can make...yet.

pebble time

pebble time display 2

Design/Display

Let's start things off w/ the design of it.   It is definitely looking a lot better than previous models (both regular & Steel).  The new body has a water-resistant body of up to 30 meters which allows you to wash dishes and shower w/ it on.  It still retains its 4-button layout as the 3 on the right side are now flush together w/ each other.  You now have a mic underneath the buttons on the right for voice actions.  It utilizes quick-release pins for their 22mm rubber straps.  The vibration motoro is solid.  Its strong but not enough make your spill your beverage in a cup.  It feels lightweight and feels great on the wrist.  This is a much better designed Pebble.  

*Note: This will be interesting as their smartstraps is open to developers to add GPS or heart rate functionality to the Time in the near future.*

pebble time
The Time has a 1.25inch curved, color e-ink display w/ LED backlighting.  With the screen being an e-ink one, it definitely can't hold a candle to the likes of Android Wear and the Apple Watch.  Especially for me coming from a Moto 360, the Time always seemed too dim and not bright enough for me.  After a few days I got used to it though.  This does help in battery life and making easily to see out in direct sunlight.  I'm not totally in love w/ it but after I got used to it, it is fine.

Battery Life

Pebble has always been exceptional in handling battery life for their smartwatches.  With the Pebble Time, they quoted to 7 days on a single charge.  I'll tell you right now.  I got about half of that.  I fully charged it by Saturday afternoon and hit me w/ the Low Battery alert by Tuesday morning.  But mind you that I am involved in a lot of Hangout conversations and got a lot of emails during testing as PR companies has been making it rain in our inbox.  This is with all of the notifications on too BTW.  So a color screen still made sure has the best battery on a smartwatch right now. 

pebble time

pebble time

Navigation/Software

Thankfully, Pebble wanted to put some kind of order to their navigation ans give it some actual direction.  Enter the Timeline OS:  allowing you to access your past & present.  The animations are cool w/ looks good as everyone else is using smooth smartphone transitions.  This helps the Pebble stand out among the crowd.  the So how it works is that you have your watchface (which ever one that you choose as you can now hold more than 8 at a time) to start and then you can hit the top right button to see calendar events that have already passed.  You'll probably utilize the bottom right button a lot more as it shows you upcoming weather and calendar appointments.   This feature works on 3rd-party apps as well as the will be included within the info on your timeline.  So think of it more or less as their version of Google Now based on your calendar & apps.  

pebble time software
Now we didn't really get into the other buttons on the Pebble Time, here's what they do.  The middle right button as the acts as the selection button or to access your settings.  The one on the left acts like your Home or standby button.  Pretty much like the Pebbles of previous.  The mic on-board takes on a bit of the navigation duties.  You can use it to reply to messages  but only if you're using Android devices.  Those of you using iPhone will have to wait for that future to arrive later down the line.  While its more of the same navigation, the software gives it a much-needed breathe of fresh air.

pebble time review grade 

The Time is a great upgrade but it may be harder to get people's attention from Android Wear & the Apple Watch.  

TG 2 Cents

Overall, I love what Pebble has done w/ the new Time.  Cool animations, improved navigation,  and a battery life that beats any other smartwatch on the market.  It will be a great upgrade for Pebble fans & loyalists.  At the current time (no pun intended), you can access most of its potential as an Android user over being an iOS user.  For everyone else, it may not be enough to get you to buy one.  Especially in a world where Android Wear is getting better by each device/update and the Apple Watch is prepping for native apps & new watchOS features.  I'm just hoping that next time around Pebble incorporates a touchscreen on their next smartwatch.  

To Buy Or Not To Buy

For $200, it might be hard to justify picking up a Pebble Time when the Moto 360 does a lot more for starting at $150.  More voice actions and more stylish at the cost of a lower battery life.  Since Android Wear hasn't made its way to iOS yet, iPhone users will have no choice but to go w/ an Apple Watch as Pebble Time doesn't have many iOS supported features at the moment. 
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Author: Roderick Scott

Father. Husband. Creative. Mild foodie. Batman in my dreams.