Pebble Smartwatch. Smartwatch with a wide range of functions
And now we have one of the brightest products of 2013: the Pebble smartwatch.
The Pebble watch appeared in early 2013 thanks to the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform, becoming, without exaggeration, an iconic product for it. However, sales were so successful and the attention to the new product was so great (including from leading Western journalists) that the second version of the watch was presented not as the fruit of a startup’s activities, but as a serious product - the Pebble Steel premiered at CES 2014. And the product itself began to look more respectable and significant, having received a metal case and a leather strap.
However, its technical characteristics and functionality remained the same, and in addition, the previous model remained on sale, and its price is much more attractive than that of Pebble Steel ($150 versus $249 for Pebble Steel). So for users who want Pebble functionality over style, it still makes sense to go with the first version. And we will tell you about what Pebble watches can do in our material.
Let's take a look at the Pebble's specifications.
- Display e-paper 1.26″, 144×168, 176 ppi
- LED backlight
- Bluetooth 4.0
- ARM Cortex-M3 processor @80 MHz
- Accelerometer
- Light sensor
- Electronic compass (not yet supported in software)
- Operating system Pebble OS
- Compatible with any iOS and Android smartphones
- Case dimensions 52×36×11.5 mm
- Complete strap width 22 mm
- Weight 38 g
In the case of smartwatches, the characteristics can tell us almost no information that would allow us to draw preliminary conclusions about the product (unlike smartphones, where standardization has reached such an extent that one glance at the characteristics is often enough to understand how to compare this product and what to expect from it). However, in this case, you should first of all pay attention to the type of screen: e-paper. There is not enough detailed technical information about this “electronic paper”, but, apparently, it is. Its use allows for longer battery life than other smartwatches we've tested. However, it is not touch-sensitive, unlike the screens of Samsung, Sony and Iconbit watches.
However, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and get acquainted with the product in practice.
Packaging and equipment
The watch comes in a very nice compact box made of thick cardboard.
Inside it is the watch itself on a cardboard holder, a charging cable and two folded leaflets. On one there is a short (very short!) manual that tells you the very basics and directs you to the Pebble website, on the other leaflet there are warranty conditions.
The charging cable deserves special mention. It has a USB connector on one end and a magnetic connector on the other that connects to the watch similar to how the MagSafe charger connects to Apple laptops.
You can charge Pebble either from a computer or from any smartphone charger or MP3 player.
Design
Now let's look at the watch itself. The one we tested was Cherry Red, but it's also available in Orange, Jet Black, Artistic White, and Gray.
The appearance of the watch makes a pleasant impression. Moreover, they look much nicer in real life than in photographs. In principle, despite the plastic case and provocative color (in the case of our specimen), even serious people should not be ashamed to wear such a watch. An additional charm is given to them by a glossy coating (apparently, it is plastic, not glass) that protects the screen. However, it is obvious that the appearance of the watch is designed primarily for women and youth, unlike the Pebble Steel.
The watch comes with a silicone strap. It is black on all models except the white one (it has a white strap, of course). The strap is comfortable, the watch sits very nicely on the hand, suitable for both thin and large hands. In general, compared to the Samsung Galaxy Gear and Iconbit Callisto 100, this is a much more convenient gadget, competing in this parameter only with the Sony SmartWatch 2.
All buttons, as well as the magnetic connector, are located on the right and left sides of the watch case. Accordingly, a magnetic connector and a button fit on the left side Back , and on the right side there are buttons Up , OK And Down . Like the body, the buttons are made of plastic; they are pressed silently, but with noticeable force. Although they protrude from the body, they cannot be pressed accidentally (by clothing or a sudden movement of the hand).
There is no camera, microphone or speakers here. In this regard, Pebble is similar to Sony SmartWatch 2.
To summarize, we note that the design of the watch made a positive impression on us. They are cute, quite durable, fit well on the hand, all the elements are well thought out. It’s even surprising that such a polished product could be made by newcomers who do not have serious engineering and design firms behind them. Well, the only negative is the inability to charge the device except through a proprietary cable. If the cable is lost or damaged, you can throw away the watch (it is unlikely that a spare cable can be found and delivered to Russia for adequate money).
Screen
As already noted, the watch is equipped with a 1.26″ monochrome screen based on electronic paper. Outwardly, it resembles the familiar E Ink screens, but the principle of operation here, although similar, is still slightly different, allowing the use of internal backlighting precisely at those moments when it is needed. LED backlighting is activated when navigating through the menu. Once the user has made a selection, the backlight turns off (and then the image is visible thanks to external lighting, as is the case with E Ink). Backlighting gives a bluish color to a black and white image.
Apparently, this device uses a transreflective monochrome LCD screen with memory manufactured by Sharp. With memory, everything is quite simple - one bit per cell allows you to remember its state, so in the case of a non-changing image, there is no need to control the state of the cells, you just need to supply power, which reduces energy consumption. The principle of image formation in this case is more interesting. By irradiating a mixture of polymer and liquid crystals, a polymer matrix with cavities (drops) in which liquid crystals (LC) remain is obtained. Within droplets, LCs have predominantly one orientation, but among droplets it is chaotic. Due to the fact that the refractive index of LCs depends on the orientation of their molecules, as a result, on average, for light incident perpendicular to a screen with such a structure, the refractive index at the boundaries of the polymer and droplets with LC will differ, which will cause a large scattering of light in all directions , and the screen will appear light (state A in the figure below).
When a voltage of a certain magnitude is applied to the electrodes bounding the LC cell, the LC in all drops included in this cell are oriented along the electric field perpendicular to the screen plane. The polymer and LC are selected in such a way that their refractive indices coincide when the LC is oriented parallel to the incident light. As a result, for a switched-on LCD cell, for light incident perpendicular to the screen, the refractive index at the boundaries of the polymer and droplets with the LCD will coincide, light scattering will be minimal, and it will be reflected from the lower mirror electrode, but, despite such reflection, the cell will look already dark (state IN in the figure above). Why this is so becomes clear if you look at a mirror with a piece of white paper glued to it. Below we present a micrograph of the Pebble screen, which is generally consistent with the stated principle:
Distinct squares are the boundaries of the LC cells, within which chaotically scattered inclusions (droplets) are observed, reflecting (or rather scattering) light in light cells and transmitting light without scattering in dark ones. It is interesting that the visible properties and pattern of droplet arrangement for different cells are basically the same. Apparently, the formation of droplets is somehow controlled. Note that the principle of image formation outlined above does not require the use of polarizers (indeed, when observing with a polarizing filter, no pronounced direction of polarization is detected), as a result, there are fewer losses and the efficiency of the screen increases.
Unlike the smartwatches we've previously tested, the Pebble's screen is not touch-sensitive. At first, this is confusing - we are too accustomed to touch screens on mobile devices. However, the menu is so simple that you can do everything using the buttons, and you get used to it quite quickly.
Connecting Pebble to your smartphone
Like the Sony SmartWatch 2, the Pebble is essentially a Bluetooth headset for a smartphone. Therefore, without connecting to a smartphone, the watch can only perform its basic function, that is, displaying the time and date. But what distinguishes Pebble from Sony SmartWatch 2 and, in particular, from Samsung Galaxy Gear is its “omnivorousness”: the watch can be connected not only to any Android smartphone (not only Android 4.x, but even Android 2.x ), but also to the Apple iPhone. The latter made Pebble popular among owners of Apple devices. And we tested Pebble just with the iPhone 5S.
First, you need to download the free Pebble Smartwatch app from the App Store. It is a very simple tool for managing your watch.
There are only three icons in the application. The central one shows whether the watch is connected (if it glows green, it means it is connected, but at first you will see a red button, which means that the watch is not connected). The left button opens instructions to help you customize the display of notifications on Pebble. Finally, the rightmost button opens a menu with a choice of watch interface.
However, the watch interface can be customized using Pebble itself. But first we need to connect the watch and smartphone. To do this, you need to turn on Bluetooth in the iPhone settings and turn it on in the watch (Menu / Settings / Bluetooth). The iPhone should detect Pebble, click on connect, and confirm the pairing on the watch. That's it, now our smartphone and watch are connected. Next, go to the Notification Center on the iPhone (Settings / Notification Center), look for the Pebble application, turn on all notifications. Now the watch will receive all the notifications that are sent to the smartphone.
Pebble functionality
So what can Pebble do? First, of course, show the time. Moreover, as we have already noted, a variety of watch interface designs are available, so as soon as you get tired of the old one, you can change it. Secondly, you can set an alarm on the watch, but there are few alarm settings, and most importantly, due to the lack of a speaker, the watch can only signal by vibration. Therefore, you will either have to go to bed with them or risk not hearing the whirring of the Pebble. However, this function can be useful when you need to be reminded of something during the day: for example, if you have a meeting ahead, you can set an alarm for the time when you need to get ready to leave your home or office.
Thirdly, using the watch you can control music playback on your smartphone. The watch screen displays the artist name, track name and album name. True, you cannot change the volume and rewind the track a little forward - only switch to the next or previous one, as well as pause and resume playback. In addition, playback control is only possible within one album. As soon as the album ends, you need to take out your smartphone and put on a new album. As a plus, we note that the watch works not only with the Music application, but also with other players, for example, with VKontakte audio recordings (and information about them is displayed quite correctly).
Finally, the fourth and most important feature of the watch is related to the display of notifications from a smartphone. This can be calls, SMS, messages on social networks and instant messengers (we checked the work with VKontakte and Viber). If you receive a call, you can click on accept call and start talking on your smartphone. This is convenient when you are walking down the street and listening to music on your iPhone through a headset. Then the watch will allow you not to take your smartphone out of your pocket.
However, Russian-speaking Pebble users will immediately encounter a problem that will call into question the appropriateness of using the watch. The proprietary firmware does not support the Cyrillic alphabet. This means that any message in Russian will look like this on the watch screen.
Fortunately, craftsmen quickly wrote a number of alternative firmware. Among them there are both English-language ones, but with Cyrillic support, and completely Russian-language ones (that is, the interface is also translated). In addition, enthusiasts can try beta versions of the latest firmware, in which developers are trying to add some new features, but this, as they say, is at their own peril and risk. The Pebble forum is devoted to the Russification of watches.
How to install unofficial firmware on Pebble? There are two ways. The first method: connect the watch via Bluetooth to a computer running Windows, download the zip archive with the firmware, unpack it and start execution via the command line (detailed Russian-language instructions can be found). There are several difficulties here. First, you will need a laptop (or tablet running Windows 7/8) with Bluetooth or an external Bluetooth adapter connected via USB. Secondly, you need to find the watch ID (this is a four-digit code). And thirdly, working with the command line is, in principle, not the most common thing for most iPhone owners.
Therefore, it seems to us that another method is much more elegant and simple, which should not cause any difficulties for owners of Apple devices. We install any cloud storage on the iPhone - for example, Dropbox (but Yandex.Disk and similar services are also suitable). Download the firmware file (it has a .pbz extension) to any other device connected to your Dropbox, and upload it to Dropbox. Open this file from Dropbox on iPhone. We see this picture (see screenshot on the left).
You need to click on the lower left button ( Send ), and a list of applications with which you can send the file will appear. But we don’t need to send it, we just need to click on Open in... . And here we will see a button Open in Pebble (see screenshot on the right). After this, the Pebble application will open and we will receive a warning like the following.
Click Continue, and then Update Now, and monitor the process, which takes a couple of minutes. After this, the watch reboots and tells us:
Please note that, as with any flashing, failures are quite possible. Most likely, they will not kill the device, and you can roll back, but there is a high probability that either the firmware will not start, or the update will be successful, but the Cyrillic alphabet will still not be supported. We had such a situation with firmware version 1.12, which retained the English interface, but promised normal display of the Cyrillic alphabet. However, version 1.14.1, completely Russified, installed without any problems. Here are a few screenshots of the watch.
But alas, a small fly in the ointment still remains (at least, this firmware did not solve it, and searches on the Internet showed that the problem still remains relevant). When making calls, the caller's name, written in Cyrillic, is displayed with question marks (??????). This problem only occurs on iPhones and is not observed on Android smartphones.
Overall, the Pebble's functionality is much more limited than that of any watch we've previously tested. But, we repeat, Pebble works with the iPhone, and besides, the functionality that is available is implemented with the highest quality and convenience. Unless, of course, you count the lack of Cyrillic support in the factory version and the need to tinker with flashing the firmware.
Autonomous operation
Battery life is one of the undoubted advantages of Pebble. With a relatively small body (smaller than other watches we tested), the Pebble can last between 5 and 7 days on a single charge, depending on the number of notifications and how much music control you use.
conclusions
The smartwatch market is only in its early stages, and devices of this class are still aimed primarily at enthusiasts. However, in the US and Europe, Pebble can perhaps be considered the most “popular” version of smartwatches: omnivorous (works with both Android and iPhone), easy to set up and manage, and cheap (Sony SmartWatch 2 is $50 more expensive). And even though the functionality here is much more modest than that of Samsung and Sony watches, and there are almost no hidden features (although who knows what will appear in the new firmware?), for most users this will be quite enough.
But in our country, the use of these watches is complicated by two factors: firstly, they are not represented in official retail stores, and secondly, without support for the Cyrillic alphabet they are practically useless, and to add support for the Cyrillic alphabet, you need to at least rummage through thematic forums ( or read our article :)) and spend time experimenting. And still, some problems will remain (with displaying the caller's name, for example). So for us, this is still a device for geeks. But geeks will be more interested in the Sony SmartWatch 2, and they are easier to purchase (and perhaps even not much more expensive if you add shipping from abroad to the cost of the Pebble). So, on the one hand, we congratulate the Pebble developers on a worthy product, and on the other hand, we look forward to fixing the problems with the Cyrillic alphabet and the official release of the watch on the Russian market. And, of course, we wish you successful development of the project!
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Mention of products 1
Hi all! Recently, the number of reviews of fitness bracelets and smart watches has sharply increased. Actually there is nothing surprising in this. This area is developing quite rapidly and everyone wants to grab their piece of the pie. Such gadgets are now produced by almost all companies that are not even related to smartphones or mobile technology. So the company PEBBLE could not resist and released its own versions of smart watches. Today's review will combine two versions of smartwatches. The first is "Pebble Steel 401" and the second version is "Pebble Smart Watch 301". We can say that functionally these watches do not differ, and there are differences only in appearance. However, in this review we will compare two versions of these watches.
SPECIFICATIONS
Since Pebble Steel 401 and Pebble Smart Watch 301 do not differ in technical terms, the technical specifications are given for both copies.
Basic data
Type - smart watch.
Installation of third-party applications - Yes.
Platform support - Android, iOS.
Mobile device support - iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S, 5; any iPod Touch with iOS version 5 or higher.
Notifications with viewing or reply - SMS, mail, calendar, Facebook, Twitter, weather.
Vibration - Yes.
Design and appearance
Case material - stainless steel.
Body colors: gray, black.
The colors of the bracelet/strap are gray-steel or black, leather-black.
The time display method is digital (electronic).
Glass type: scratch-resistant.
Moisture protection - Yes, WR50 (5 atmospheres).
Replaceable bracelet/strap - Yes.
Dimensions (WxHxD) - 46x34x10.5 mm.
Screen
Presence of a screen - Yes.
Type - monochrome, backlit. E-paper (Memory LCD technology from Sharp).
Diagonal - 1.26" inches.
Resolution - 144x168.
Pixels per inch (PPI) - 182.
Constant screen operation - yes.
Multimedia capabilities
Headphone jack - no.
Speaker - no.
Microphone - no.
Connection
Phone calls - notification of an incoming call.
Mobile Internet - no.
Interfaces - Bluetooth 4.0.
Memory and processor
Processor - ARM Cortex-M3, 80 MHz.
Additional functionality
Sensors - accelerometer, compass.
Timer - Yes.
Nutrition
Battery - Li-Polymer.
Capacity - 130 mAh.
Operating time in active mode - 144 hours.
Charging time - 60 min.
Charging connector type - USB, magnetic insert.
PACKAGING AND EQUIPMENT
Pebble Steel 401 comes in a rectangular box made of thick black cardboard. The cardboard itself is matte, but the image of the clock is already in color and glossy.
The box is very pleasant to the touch and quite high quality, it’s even a shame to throw it away, it will last a long time.
On the front side there is an image of a watch, on the back of the box there is information that the watch can withstand immersion to a depth of 50 meters. There are no technical specifications on the packaging as such, only information that the watch can work with smartphones running Android OS; smartphones running iOS are also supported.
Accordingly, the image of the watch on the packaging is black and silver, depending on the selected item.
The Pebble Steel 401 comes with only a special USB cable with magnetic charging at the end.
There is also a warranty card and a short user manual.
Pebble Smart Watch 301 also comes in a rectangular box made of thick cardboard, only this time the cardboard is white with a matte finish. The packaging of Pebble Smart Watch 301 is approximately half that of Pebble Steel 401.
The box is also very well made. On the front side there is a glossy image of a watch in black or red.
But in this case, you can already read brief technical information on the box. The watch also works with smartphones running Android OS, starting with the ancient 2.3 version. iOS smartphones are supported from version 5.
The actual equipment of the Pebble Smart Watch 301 is no different from that of the Pebble Steel 401. In addition to the watch, in the box you can also find a warranty card, a short user manual and a special USB cable with magnetic charging.
It is worth considering that the chargers for both watches are different in shape and are not backward compatible. It is difficult to say why the manufacturer did not unify the chargers, but the fact remains.
APPEARANCE. CONTROLS
PEBBLE STEEL 401
I’ll start the story about the appearance with the more expensive version of the Pebble Steel 401. This watch, as mentioned above, comes in two colors, black and gray metallic. When I got acquainted with the watch, I didn’t like the gray color of the case the most, but this is purely a matter of taste.
As many have probably already guessed, the watch case is made of steel. The body itself is slightly elongated vertically, and the right and left ends are slightly rounded. The black version has a matte finish. A glossy metal edge runs along the perimeter of the screen. The screen itself is covered with protective Gorilla Glass, but it was not possible to find out which revision it was. There is also a status indicator on the screen that indicates the battery charge level.
The thickness of the case is 1 cm, which at first may seem like quite a lot, but in practice the thickness seems much less. In general, the watch looks quite stylish and presentable. The watch looks pretty good on both men's and women's hands, but personally I like a larger case and for me this watch seemed a little small.
The back of the watch protrudes slightly above the base due to the built-in battery. The cover is fixed at the corners with four bolts.
The watch is controlled using mechanical buttons.
When you press the button on the right side, you go back one step; a long press brings up the main menu of the watch.
Just below the right button there is a connector for connecting a magnetic charger.
There are already three buttons on the right side. The top and bottom are responsible for navigating the menu up or down. By holding one of the buttons for a long time, you can assign any selected action to them: stopwatch, alarm clock, settings, notification, change watch face, etc.
The central button is a regular “Ok” button; when you press it, you activate the selected item in the settings; no other action can be assigned to the button.
The black and gray versions of the watch use the same genuine leather strap. Many people write that the strap is allegedly not of high quality, but I liked the workmanship, the leather is soft, elastic and pleasant to the touch. When wearing the watch on your hand, the strap does not cause any discomfort and does not rub your hand. The edges of the strap are also well finished. Along the perimeter of the strap itself there is a stitch of black thread, and on the back of the strap there is a stitch of white thread. The width of the strap at the base is 15 mm, so there should be no problems in selecting third-party straps, just keep in mind that there is an additional jumper on the watch case where the strap is attached. Accordingly, the choice of strap should be based on this parameter.
The clasp on the strap has a classic watch shape. The clasp itself is made of steel and was not painted to match the color of the strap and was left light. The edges of the fastener are well processed and rounded.
The gray color of the watch is no different from the black one; all design elements are the same. The only distinctive element is the black edging that runs along the perimeter of the watch case at the top. This approach to design makes the gray watch a little more attractive than the usual black color.
PEBBLE SMART WATCH 301
Now I propose to consider the Pebble Smart Watch 301; their design differs quite significantly from the Pebble Steel 401.
And so the Pebble Smart Watch 301 is available in two colors, black and red, and in this case the case is completely plastic.
The watch case is even more elongated vertically than that of the Pebble Steel 401. The plastic used in the design is glossy, the screen is covered with transparent polycarbonate.
The back of the watch is matte. The black version has bolts on the back at the corners, while the red version has no bolts.
If you look at the watch from the end, you can see that the front part has a rounded shape at the edges; if you look at it from above, this effect is not visually noticeable.
This design approach creates the illusion that the screen in our case is curved, but in practice this is not the case.
The controls and button functionality are the same for both models and I will not dwell on them.
Accordingly, in the plastic version of the watch the strap is completely rubber. The width at the base is 22 mm, you can change straps with the same size, the strap is fixed at two points. The clasp is metallic gray, the same as in the previous model. The Pebble Smart Watch 301 does not have a status indicator.
According to personal feelings, the Pebble Smart Watch 301 is more suitable for the fairer sex; the red version looks especially good on the hand.
But on a man’s hand, the 301 model doesn’t look very good.
During testing, I had absolutely no questions about the build quality. Both watch models have an almost monolithic case. Nothing creaks or presses through. The control buttons do not play. As a result, we can say that we have a reference example of device assembly.
Both models are waterproof. This watch can be immersed in water to a depth of 50 meters. The watch can withstand water pressure of 5 atmospheres, which is quite serious.
The physical screen diagonal of the watches is the same and is 1.26 inches. Screen resolution 144x168 pixels. The number of pixels per inch is 182ppi, individual pixels are of course clearly visible on the screen, but in the context of this screen it is perceived as normal. As many have probably already understood, the screen in this watch is not touch-sensitive; all control is carried out only using mechanical buttons. "e-paper" screen technology. Many people think that these are “eInk” screens, but this is a misconception, and in fact it is Memory LCD technology from Sharp. Information on the screen changes almost instantly, which allows you to use applications with complex animation. The image on the watch is always active and cannot be turned off. There is an LED backlight that can be adjusted.
Many may think that a monochrome image is a thing of the past, but in practice everything is much simpler. This screen has very low energy consumption, which we’ll talk about a little later.
This is what the watch interface looks like:
FUNCTIONALITY AND CONNECTION
The watch uses an ARM Cortex-M3 processor with a clock frequency of 80 MHz, as well as 128 KB of RAM. To store downloaded applications, we are allocated 8 MB of internal memory, another 512 KB of memory are hardwired into the chip and are intended for the system bootloader and storing firmware files. It may seem that 8 MB for applications will not be enough, but this is not so; the applications themselves are very small in size and sometimes do not take up more than ten kilobytes. There is a small limitation in the form of installed applications, the maximum number is only 8 pieces, taking into account the installed dials, and here, as they say, you can’t go wild.
The watch runs on Pebble's own OS. An interesting feature is the ability to write your own dials on the manufacturer’s website and then upload them to your watch. As a result, you become the owner of completely unique dials.
To connect the watch to a smartphone, you need to download the “Pebble” application of the same name from the PlayMarket; owners of Apple products do the same, but only download the application from the App Store.
Don't forget to turn on the BT connection on your smartphone first. Next, run the downloaded program. When installing the program, you need to go through a short registration without confirming your account.
Then we select the language of the program itself and here it is worth considering that the Great and Mighty is not supported in this application, and it is not supported in third-party applications either.
Next, you can choose which notifications will be sent to your watch. Actually, there are not many of them: text, calls, email. In additional settings, you can select other applications that send notifications, but as a rule, this will only be information on the watch screen that you have received a message; to view it you will need to go into your phone. This is the case with WhatsApp, for example.
Actually, the Pebble program will be your main assistant in working with watches.
In it you will download various skins for watches, programs and games.
There are both paid and free applications. Apps in the store are divided into six categories: weather, notifications, health, utilities, remote control, games.
There are a lot of images of different dials and the range is constantly growing. You can choose an image to suit your taste; both static and animated dials are supported. Download the selected application through the appropriate directory. Also, unnecessary applications are removed from the smartphone.
The watch itself has support for the Russian language. For example, when there is an incoming call, the number and name of the subscriber are displayed on the watch, and you can also receive a call from the watch. To display phone book contacts, you need to install an additional application from the store, but this function is supported only by iOS devices. This is not the only limitation; when you select an application, information will be displayed on the screen for which operating system it is intended for. It would be logical to add sorting, but the manufacturer did not do this.
It is worth noting that the watch does not have a heart rate sensor. Accordingly, fitness functionality will be limited. There is only an accelerometer that can count steps and determine sleep stages, but only by the movement of your hands in your sleep.
The watch has a built-in vibration mode, it is triggered when a new notification arrives. The vibration level itself is quite strong and you definitely won’t miss the message even if you don’t have the watch on your hand.
The watch can control the playback of music tracks on your smartphone, but the options are limited and are limited to rewinding the song or pausing it.
For example, the watch can be used as a baby monitor. We install the appropriate application and the watch acts as a signal alert.
The remaining capabilities of the watch depend solely on the installed application. There are quite a lot of applications themselves and all their functionality would be enough for several full-fledged reviews. So this is a kind of field for extensive experimentation.
AUTONOMOUS OPERATION
The battery capacity in all two models is 130 mAh. For a small watch case this is quite a good indicator. Probably many will think that battery life with such a capacity is small, but this is absolutely not the case.
Essentially, the energy in this watch is spent on: BT connection, vibration and that’s it. The screen itself consumes so little energy that you simply don’t take it into account.
After reading user reviews, many write that on average a full charge lasts for 5 days, but in practice I got completely different results.
And so, I tested the watch in “smart watch” mode with a BT connection, as well as in just watch modes without a BT connection.
In the first case, my battery charge dropped by 10% per day. At the same time, the screen, BT connection and about 30 notifications per day are always on. As you might guess, the watch worked in this mode for exactly 10 days, which is a very good indicator.
In the second mode, my watch worked like a regular electronic watch. The BT connection is disabled and, accordingly, I do not receive any notifications from the smartphone, and vibration does not work. As a result, in 12 days the watch used up 60% of its battery charge. This indicator allows us to say that a full charge will last for an average of 20 days of continuous operation.
In part, Pebble solved the main problem of smartwatches, namely low battery life.
CONCLUSIONS
The watch is just getting ready to appear on our shelves and therefore there is no official retail price yet. If you track the “gray” deliveries of Pebble Steel 401, the price for this gadget is in the range of 15-20 thousand rubles, it all depends on the impudence of a particular seller. Based on the functionality of this watch, we can say that the price of this device is quite high. For this money you can buy a watch from a more famous manufacturer and with more extensive functionality. But at the same time, Pebble Steel 401 is captivating with its appearance and long battery life, and at the moment it is the longest-lasting smartwatch on the market.
The price of the Pebble Smart Watch 301 is not yet known at all, but in any case, this watch should not cost more than 7 thousand rubles. Actually, the Pebble Smart Watch 301 can be recommended as a gift for the fairer sex, and especially in red, the watch looks great on a woman’s hand.
PROS:
1. Metal, leather in Pebble Steel 401 construction.
2. Excellent workmanship.
3. Stylish appearance.
4. Many applications in the company store.
5. Unsurpassed battery life.
6. Easy to set the clock.
7. Dive in a watch to a depth of 50 meters.
8. Support for Android OS from version 2.3.
MINUSES:
1. High price.
2. There is no support for the Russian language in the proprietary application.
3. Only 8 applications can be installed at the same time.
Let me finish this next, but not the last, review of smartwatches. Perhaps this article will help you make the right choice when choosing these gadgets. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this material.
Good luck to everyone and see you again!
The first smart wristwatch in history, the Pulsar Memowatch, appeared back in 1982. For thirty years, this type of electronic device remained highly specialized and, in fact, only this year became fashionable and widespread. In addition to smart watches from world-famous IT brands (Samsung and Sony), more and more solutions are emerging from out-of-the-box startups like Pebble Technology.
Modern “smart” watches can be divided into three categories: full-fledged watch phones with a built-in cellular communication module, models with a color screen that can act as a wireless headset, and, finally, simple and energy-efficient solutions that only display notifications from a smartphone. Pebble falls into the third category.
As soon as Pebble Technology posted a message on the Kickstarter website about raising funds for the production of a “smart” watch with a monochrome energy-efficient screen costing only $150, donations poured in like a river. Instead of the initially required $100 thousand, pre-orders were made in excess of $10 million. Even after a year and a half, no one managed to beat this Kickstarter record.
⇡ Design
The biggest drawback of most modern smartwatches is the design, or rather the almost complete absence of it. The models available on the market today are more reminiscent of children's wristwatches than premium (based on their cost) accessories for adults. Pebble was no exception - even youth and sports watches look more solid against their background. However, after a couple of days you get used to the “toy-like” nature of the Pebble and stop considering it a problem.
It’s good that Pebble, unlike many competitors, turned out to be thin and light, thanks to which they look harmonious even on a sophisticated lady’s hand. The watch case is made of plastic: it is glossy on the front, and matte on the sides and back. As practice has shown, the protective coating of the screen is not so easy to scratch: after a week of use, the watch has not lost any of its “marketable” appearance. There are five body color options available: black, white, grey, red and orange.
The Pebble strap is made of rubber that bends well and hopefully won't wear out too quickly. However, there are no hardware components inside the strap, and it can be easily replaced if desired. But it is strictly not recommended to disassemble the watch itself - it may lose its water resistance. Yes, the watch is resistant not only to raindrops, but also to immersion to a depth of up to fifty meters.
On the right side of the Pebble there are three buttons (scroll up, confirm an action and scroll down), and on the left there is a return button (aka power on) and a magnetic connector for recharging. Only a proprietary USB cable is supplied with the smartwatch. If you lose it, you can buy a new one on eBay.
⇡ Technical specifications
| Pebble Smartwatch | |
|---|---|
| Screen | 1.26-inch, Memory LCD, 144x168 pixels |
| CPU | ARM Cortex-M3 @ 80 MHz |
| Memory | 128 KB RAM, 32 MB ROM |
| operating system | Pebble OS |
| Wireless connection | Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, electronic compass, light sensor |
| Battery | 130 mAh |
| Waterproof | Pressure up to 5 atmospheres (depth up to 50 m) |
| Dimensions (LxWxD) | 52x36x11.5 mm |
| Weight | 38 g with standard strap |
| Price | $150 in USA (from RUB 7,000 in Russia) |
The Pebble uses a monochrome Memory LCD display made by Sharp. The brighter the lighting around, the clearer the image on the screen is visible. True, in bright sunlight the protective coating of the screen glares. And if there is not enough light, you can turn on the backlight - trust the light sensor, or, to be sure, shake your hand. Unlike E-Ink, Memory LCD technology is not characterized by long delays when redrawing an image.
The Pebble smart watch is powered by the STM32F2 ARM processor from STMicroelectronics. This chip is built on Cortex-M3 architecture and produced using a 90-nm process technology. It accelerates to a peak frequency of 80 MHz only when absolutely necessary, so as not to waste battery power.
⇡ Initial setup
To test the capabilities of the Pebble smartwatch, we used two smartphones: Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 (Android 4.2 operating system) and Apple iPhone 4S (iOS 7).
When you turn it on for the first time, Pebble asks you to install the service application of the same name on your smartphone, which is easy to find on Google Play and the App Store, and launch it. The application requests permission to turn on the smartphone's Bluetooth module, after which it begins searching for devices available for connection. Once connected, it checks for new firmware versions and, if there are none, reports that the smart watch is ready to work.
By the way, on iOS 6 the Pebble service application completely refuses to install. And in the case of the iPhone 4, even with iOS 7, the watch works in a limited mode (it only notifies about calls and SMS). The reason for this is the outdated Bluetooth 2.0 protocol. The recommended version for Pebble is Bluetooth 4.0.
Looking ahead, let's say that at the moment the official Pebble firmware does not support the Cyrillic alphabet and it will not officially appear in the near future. Therefore, in order for Russian-language contact names and message text to be displayed correctly, it is necessary to install modified firmware. Fortunately, this is extremely easy to do: just upload the PBZ firmware file to Dropbox and open it on your smartphone using a cloud storage client. Then the Pebble service application will do everything on its own.
The latest stable firmware version at the time of writing is 1.13, but version 2.0 is already being tested, which allows a significantly larger number of iOS applications to send notifications to the watch. You should first look for the latest versions of modified firmware on the pages of forums.getpebble.com.
⇡ Standard features
According to the developers, Pebble should become a second screen for a smartphone, but nothing more. Therefore, Pebble has neither a camera nor a speaker with a microphone, which are now fashionable to be built into more expensive models of smart watches.
Time and date. By default, Pebble offers a choice of three home screen options (Watchfaces): a text clock in English, an analog clock with a moving second hand, and a digital time and date.
Phone calls. As soon as you call someone on your smartphone, the Pebble begins to vibrate cyclically. The vibration strength is selected at a comfortable level: the signal is clearly perceived by the hand, but does not irritate.
The options for dealing with an incoming call on Android and iOS are different. In the first case, there is only one option - to reject, while in the second - to reject and respond. The watch stops vibrating and returns to the main screen. On an Android smartphone, the melody stops, but the call continues to come. That is, completely dropping the call, thereby making it clear to the caller that there is no time to talk now, will not work.
On the iPhone, the call is dropped, but when there is an incoming call, the watch displays question marks instead of the Cyrillic contact name. So far, even the modified firmware does not help solve the problem.
SMS. After installing modified firmware with Cyrillic support, Pebble allows you not only to quickly find out about the presence of new incoming SMS, but also to read their Russian and, more recently, Ukrainian text. Large messages are divided into several screens, which are scrolled through using side buttons.
Email and calendar. Pebble has a similar situation with emails and calendar reminders. True, you must first allow Pebble to interact with Gmail, Google Calendar and the standard Android email client in the settings of the Pebble service application.
Music player. The function of controlling the audio player on a smartphone is well implemented in Pebble. You can pause playback and switch tracks. True, all this only works within one playlist.
Alarm. The Pebble doesn't have a speaker, so the alarm can only vibrate. The main thing is not to put the watch on something soft before going to bed, otherwise you may not hear the vibration in the morning.
⇡ Third party applications
In the case of an Android smartphone, almost any instant messenger or task manager can send notifications to the Pebble smart watch. To do this you need to install the application from Google Play 
Having programming experience, you can create an application for Pebble yourself. The specialized development environment Pebble SDK will help with this.
⇡ Battery life
On a single battery charge, Pebble smart watches can work for 4 days in round-the-clock synchronization mode with a smartphone and up to 7 days if you turn off Bluetooth at night. A very good result, especially when compared with the autonomy of smart watches with a color screen. Naturally, the battery of the smartphone to which the watch is connected also drains a little faster.
⇡ Conclusions
You can buy a Pebble on the official website for $150, and this also includes the cost of regular delivery to any country in the world. For express delivery (3-5 days) you will have to pay an additional $25. In Russian retail, Pebble is sold at about one and a half to two times more expensive, but the goods will be delivered many times faster. The price, of course, is rather high, but compared to solutions from Samsung and Sony, Pebble looks advantageous. Especially if there is no need for a color screen and voice calls.
Pebble will be useful primarily for those who, due to the specifics of their work, need to quickly respond to incoming calls and messages. In this case, you don’t have to take your smartphone out of your pocket every time—you can simply leave it on the table among stacks of papers. In the crush of the capital's metro, Pebble is an absolutely irreplaceable thing.
The editors would like to thank the CLICK online store for providing the Pebble smart watch for testing.
Pros:
Inexpensive smart watch or fitness tracker.
The battery lasts much longer than almost any other smartwatch on the market.
Minuses:
The heart rate sensor is very sophisticated.
Not much different from the previous version of Pebble Time.
The first samples of Pepple 2, from Pebble's most recent Kickstarter campaign, recently began shipping to backers.
On September 30, after successfully funding their third Kickstarter campaign, smartwatch pioneer Pebble began shipping the first wave of Pebble 2 watches to backers. 
This model includes a completely new watch feature, a heart rate sensor, which the company uses in its devices for the first time, as well as all the features of Pebble OS, which have been significantly improved since the introduction of the Pebble Time line in early 2015. 
Other than the heart rate sensor, the Pebble 2 doesn't add much functionality over previous versions, so I had to find reasons to recommend it myself.
Specifications:
Battery: up to 7 days;
Sensors: heart rate sensor, three-component accelerometer, photodetector;
Screen: 1.26 inches, liquid crystal, electronic paper, LED backlight;
Compatibility: 4.3 and higher; iOS 8 and above;
Dimensions: 39.5mm x 30.2mm x 9.8mm, plus a 1.4mm protrusion on the back that houses the heart rate sensor.
In May 2016, I met with Pebble CEO Eric Migicovski at his company's Redwood City, California office. We were sitting across from each other in the conference room when Eric pulled one device out of a black Pelican container and handed it to me. 
I remember he told me something like “This is Pebble 2,” but I didn’t immediately accept his words. Despite this statement, I initially thought that I was holding in my hands the first smart watch from Pebble. It was only a few seconds later that I began to notice slight differences.
The side buttons on the Pebble 2 didn't stick out as much and were closer together. This watch was also thinner than the previous ones. It was impossible not to notice the heartbeat sensor located on the reverse side. It emitted intense green light and searched for a pulse. 
I wore them for the next week and the nostalgia never left me. It's a very comfortable watch, quite lightweight, so much so that I sometimes forgot it was on my wrist until it was time for the next alert and a slight buzzing sound reminded me that it was still there. You also still have the option to replace the standard Pebble 2 straps with your own 22mm straps.
The direct disadvantage of the fact that the creators improved the old design instead of completely redesigning it was the 1.25-inch Pebble display
2. Before that, I wore a 42mm Apple Watch with a 1.65-inch screen for several weeks, and after that the screen on the Pebble 2 looks very small. 
It's all about the heart
The more intense competition between smartwatch manufacturers became, the more often Pebble was criticized for not rushing to expand the functionality of its products. Together with the Pebble Time line, the company launched Pebble Health, designed to count steps and track sleep quality. But these devices still did not have a heartbeat monitoring function. 
The situation changed with the release of Pebble 2. In the development of this watch, the company used an optical sensor similar to that used in Fitbit and even in .
The user can select an option directly on the watch display that displays a regular reading of the number of heartbeats, or view a graph of readings through the Pebble application, available for devices running on iOS. 
I tried comparing the Pebble 2 heart rate sensor to the Samsung Gear IconX earbuds and the Apple Watch Series 2, and all three devices performed nearly identically in controlled tests. The gist of the test: I sat still with Workout mode activated on all three devices to ensure continuous heart rate recordings. 
In addition to these few tests, I found a couple of anecdotal reports that while I was wearing the Pebble 2, my heart rate increased to 150 beats per minute and then dropped back down to my normal 70-80 beats. And one report showed that my heart rate once increased to 197 beats per minute in the middle of the night while I was sleeping. I believe I would have woken up if my heart had actually been beating that fast in the middle of the night. 
Looking through previous heart rate recordings on the Apple Watch and an older device, I never found a record of such high results, especially during sleep. 
Here's another case. I took off my Pebble 2 watch in the middle of the day and left it on the table. Later, after lunch, I put them on again and noticed that they had recorded the period that they had been on the table like a dream. Except I didn't sleep. I didn't even wear a watch.
When I raised this issue with Pebble, a representative informed me that the watch cannot automatically detect whether a person is wearing it or not. And to prevent erroneous sleep data from being recorded, the watch should be charged when you take it off.
It's the ultimate Pebble, but is it good enough?
Pebble Timeline, quick access to your favorite apps, and instant launch are all preset features of Pebble 2.
According to Pebble, the battery lasts seven days. My experience has shown that it lasts for five days.
The screen is easy to read in sunlight, as expected from e-paper. The buttons are elastic, and at the same time, they are not difficult to press. Voice commands work reliably.
Thus, on all points related to performance, the Pebble 2 can be given high scores, but, on the other hand, the same can be said about the Pebble Time watch. Same notifications, apps, display quality (plus color!), battery life, voice control and overall experience. Well, except that there is no heart rate sensor.
Buy right now or wait?
The longer I used the Pebble 2, the more I doubted what to ultimately recommend. At $129, the Pebble 2 is a bargain whether you're considering it as a fitness tracker or a smartwatch.
This is the conclusion I came to: Pebble 2 is suitable for those who are not yet sure whether they need a smart watch or a fitness tracker. It has all the basic features and won't break your budget.
At the same time, in November, Pebble is going to start shipping Pebble Time 2, with a set of functions almost identical to Pebble 2. But Pebble Time 2 will have a color display 53 percent larger than the current version of Pebble Time (which means that it will be as big as the Pebble 2 display). 
So for all those who want a bigger battery and an improved display, you should wait for the Time 2, as this will be the Pebble smartwatch you've been looking for.
Thanks for liking the site! Be a happy, sporty and active person always! Write what you think about this, what gadgets do you use and why?
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The current situation in the smartwatch market is in many ways reminiscent of the years and months before the start of sales of the very first iPhone. To date, not a single manufacturer has managed to release a truly breakthrough device that can instantly reshape consumer expectations. , and others have so far gotten away with niche models, and are now feeding consumers with prototypes and demonstrations - but not finished products. There are compromises to be made.
If you were looking for a smart bracelet, the choice among the best options would be limited to only two models - and. But if you just want a smartwatch that makes it easier to use your smartphone and have a constant stream of incoming messages and alerts, you only have one option. It hasn't had a single competitor for two years, and there doesn't seem to be any time before the release of the iWatch.
This Pebble.
Many gadgets seem interesting on paper and in pictures, but in real use they turn out to be inconvenient, ill-conceived, and too narrowly focused. "Smart watch" Pebble– an example of a rare, strictly opposite situation. This is a thing that is ideal for everyone who has so far looked askance at the entire market of wearable devices. For example, I didn’t see any benefit in using them. Or was upset by typical shortcomings and limitations.
No. 1. Huge selection of software and watch faces
With its tiny size and light weight, Pebble has own App Store. In the official application for iOS and Android, owners of the above-mentioned smartwatches can download and install any of tens of thousands of watch faces. Today, no other similar device has such a choice: from countless stylizations of analog watches down to the second hands to the most informative digital watches displaying the current weather, wind force and lunar cycle.
Pebble supports up to eight simultaneously installed watch faces (or programs). Switching between them is instantaneous, just press one of the side buttons in standby mode. The remaining “clocks” are added to your personal storage - in the memory of the Pebble iOS application. This system allows you to select a couple of dozen dials to your liking and change them at your discretion at any time.
Want something modern to go with your sportswear? Or maybe in the style of a famous artist or video game? How about something tailored to a real watch manufacturer? All this and much more is available in the Pebble store. I almost forgot: everything in this store is free.
No. 2. Down with useless notifications from iPhone
Push notifications on iOS are sometimes as annoying as email spam. Alerts about incoming SMS, messages from social networks and installed applications today pour almost non-stop into the ears of smartphone owners. And every time they have to take the device out of their pocket - and put it back in disappointment. The ratio of information noise that distracts from business becomes alarmingly high.
Pebble owners make it simple. They just look at watch and move on.
Game notifications appear on the watch screen
All notifications(SMS, WhatsApp, games, reminders, etc.) received on the iPhone are instantly displayed on the Pebble screen, accompanied by a vibration signal. One glance is enough to understand who or what bothered you. It seems like such a small thing, but the convenience is simply incredible. After all, now you don’t need to check your smartphone at all. Everything important that happens in your social networks and instant messengers will always be in sight - without unnecessary movements. Why do you need Google Glass when you can see everything on your own watch?
To display Cyrillic on the Pebble screen, spend 5 minutes updating the clock.
No. 3. Music playback control
I don’t know about you, but I use headphones without a control unit. Until now, many models of vacuum plugs, interesting from an audiophile point of view, are not equipped with such a simple thing - or cost twice as much just because of the presence of a remote control on the cable. It would seem, what does Pebble have to do with it?
In standby mode, the Pebble user can control music playback at a distance of one click. The screen displays the artist, album and title of each track. Using the side buttons you can instantly scroll through songs, and using a simple combination you can adjust the playback volume. Nothing else is needed for complete happiness of a music lover.
Controlling music playback on your iDevice via Pebble can be convenient in other scenarios. For example, when connecting an iPhone to home speakers: you can change tracks on the go, without going near the speaker or smartphone. Smart watches act as a mobile control panel and do their job flawlessly.
No. 4. A week of real battery life
Very often, future iWatch owners complain: they say that the battery life of the new Apple gadget is unlikely to be long. The idea is logical: fitting a capacious battery inside a portable watch is not an easy task. The creators of Pebble solved it very simply, eliminating not the consequence of the problem, but its very cause.
Pebble has a small black and white screen. This fact scares off a good half of potential buyers. And in vain. Specially designed display from Sharp solves a lot of important problems that owners of future smart watches will definitely face. For example, the visibility of information in direct sunlight. Everything Pebble shows you is perfectly visible in almost any situation. And in the dark you can activate the screen backlight.
So, thanks to the energy-efficient display, Pebble can work for a week. With active use of this watch, including a constant connection via Bluetooth, auto-backlight turned on, and regular installation and removal of new programs, the Pebble will work longer three days. There is nothing else like it on the market. And it is unlikely to happen in the near future.
No. 5. Silent vibration alarm clock
Bachelors and single people don't need to worry about others. In particular, you can set screaming alarm clocks on your phone at least for four o’clock in the morning. If other people sleep lightly next to you and don’t need to wake up at the same time as you, you desperately need a Pebble.
The clock memory stores up to 4 alarms at any time. Since the watch has no speakers at all, the signal is transmitted exclusively through vibration. I've never slept while relying on Pebble. They are a great awakening - but only for the one who is wearing them. Everyone else continues to sleep as if nothing had happened.
No. 6. Water protection
Partial protection from water will not interfere with any gadget. Especially the iPhone. The creators of Pebble thought in advance about those who would not want to take off their favorite watch in bad weather. The official water protection level is 5 atmospheres. Basically, this means that you can shower in the Pebble without much fanaticism or getting caught in the rain.
However, numerous examples from the lives of Pebble owners prove: you can easily swim in them both in the pool and in the sea - with the watch completely submerged. This summer I sank the first generation Pebble in the Black Sea for a whole week, and nothing bad happened to them. Even the company's official social media accounts confirm the safety of swimming in their smartwatches. You can dive into them to a depth of 40 meters. In general, there is no need to remove them at all :)
Pebble Classic or Pebble Steel?
Thanks to luck and good management, a successful Kickstarter project turned into a thriving business capable of generating new products on its own. Therefore, at the beginning of 2014, a new version of Pebble entered the market. However, it doesn't have to be better. Rather, it is an alternative. Pebble Steel– these are the same watches, but in high-quality packaging. Including in the literal sense.
If you've avoided Pebble simply because of their sporty, somewhat youthful design, you'll instantly like the Steel. These watches were originally made for those who wear long-sleeved shirts, jackets and generally follow their dress code. A more traditional, rectangular shape, real glass instead of clear plastic, high-quality metal buttons and body.
Clickable
The Pebble Steel comes with two different straps - black leather and steel, as well as a tool for replacing them. Then it depends on the preferences of the individual. Personally, I think leather looks better. Perhaps because the excess of metal along with the digital display evokes parallels with a cheap calculator watch :) I’m sure many Steel owners will disagree with me, and that’s absolutely normal. That is why we are given choice.
In technical terms, regular Pebble and Steel are almost no different from each other. If you're being picky, the display contrast in metal models is still higher than in the classic series. In other words, the white color is a little whiter there, and the black color - well, you get the idea. Plus, the manufacturer has solved the problem with “gasoline” stains on the displays of regular Pebble. At least there was nothing like that on our Steel. Due to flat glass rather than convex plastic, the watch looks twice as good in the light and does not give wavy, distorted reflections.
The advantages of Pebble Steel over the regular model are obvious. One of the disadvantages is that the first ones do not come with a rubber bracelet. This means that playing sports in Steel will be inconvenient. Also, you should not get carried away with swimming with a leather strap, as well as running. In general, the model is not at all sporty and not for everyday use - more for work and meetings. The vibration motor in Steel is slightly weaker than in the first version, and at the same time louder. That's basically it.