The Pebble

kwa1430

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Jul 18, 2005
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Very interested in the new Pebble watch. Pretty cool concept and love the simplicity of the device. You can get quick updates on messages and emails on your watch as well as control your music. One of the cooler things to come out of CES this year. I think wear electronics are going to be a big mover in the future.

Anyone have one pre-ordered?
 

Yaz4Ever

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The pebble is definitely cool and there are already those trying to compete with it, but I haven't pre-ordered one as I'm convinced my older eyes (started wearing reading glasses last year) would make it less effective for someone like me. I want to see one in person first. Definitely like the concept, though. I think it will be a big success.
 

ragnarok725

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Nov 28, 2003
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I got in on the Kickstarter (backer 1,000 something or so) and it feels like I've waited an eternity.

Yaz for what it's worth at their CES presentation they mentioned there will be multiple font size modes, so you can boost text size across apps easily, and there will be a bunch of different watch faces available (some of which will be easier on the eyes than others I'm sure).

The one thing i've wondered is how it works when it goes out of range of my phone and/or my phone dies. Obviously a lot of functionality would be curtailed at that point. So I guess that means I need to keep my phone with me around the house, which I'm not in love with.

The killer app I'm hoping for with it is to turn it into a Fitbit-like pedometer and sleep tracker. Apparently it has the sensitivity in the accelometer to pull it off. A lot of potential there.
 

derekson

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Jun 26, 2010
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These things seem cool but I don't think they'll catch on until they have color LCD displays rather than the current monochrome ones the smart watches have had so far.
 

weeba

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Jul 16, 2005
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I remember the kickstarter and being upset that I didn't get in on that. When are they planning on releasing them for retail?
 

B H Kim

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These things seem cool but I don't think they'll catch on until they have color LCD displays rather than the current monochrome ones the smart watches have had so far.
The prior generation iPod nanos were halfway there. That's why I think the decision by Apple to redesign the nano was in part a precursor to bringing back some version of the prior design as a watch-type device. I backed the Pebble on kickstarter, so I'll be getting one soon. I'm not sure how much I'll actually use it (I haven't worn a watch in a few years), but I'm intrigued by the concept.
 

ragnarok725

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These things seem cool but I don't think they'll catch on until they have color LCD displays rather than the current monochrome ones the smart watches have had so far.
The big bottleneck there, like with much of the rest of the tech industry, is with battery life. The pebble lasts for 7 days with the high-resolution e-paper. It would list maybe 7 hours with a color display. Either that or it would weigh a ton and be a lot bulkier.
 

kwa1430

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Jul 18, 2005
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The big bottleneck there, like with much of the rest of the tech industry, is with battery life. The pebble lasts for 7 days with the high-resolution e-paper. It would list maybe 7 hours with a color display. Either that or it would weigh a ton and be a lot bulkier.
I think this is the major hurdle for color display. To be honest, the monchrome display works fine for a watch since it is an accessory for your full color display phone. Please provide us a review with you get your pebble. I believe they will be shipping in a few weeks.
 

B H Kim

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I've had mine for a couple of weeks and it's clearly still a work in progress.  The email and message notification feature is great when it works, but it only seems to work about 30-40% of the time.  And, while it's not as big as I feared, it's just thick enough to be cumbersome to look at it when I'm wearing a long-sleeve shirt.  It's a great idea, but I doubt I'll keep wearing it for much longer.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

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Mar 24, 2008
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I just got one of these for Christmas. It's hard for me to compare it with some of these early reviews as there has been an update or two, and I believe there's a big 2.0 update that's expected in the new year with a better SDK for app developers.
 
I've currently got it paired with my Android phone and right now have notifications for Texts, gmail messages and facebook. Using one of the stock watch faces and haven't downloaded any other apps. Anybody have apps or watch faces that they really like? Other hints, tips or tricks?
 

PaulinMyrBch

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My son got the original last summer and loves it.  He's got his eyes on the new one, which means I'll inherit the old one.
 

czar

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Also got one just before XMas. It's a fun toy, although I got it for $85 instead of $150, so it can be more of a novelty for me.
 
Hopefully the 2.0/SDK means a more integrated product. It's nice to get texts and calls and directions on your watch but it's not otherworldly. The inherent issue with constantly pushing B/T is it will probably hurt battery life, though.