Pebble Smart Watch

One of the technology crazes this holiday season is the smart watch. Usually to be used paired with a smart phone; the smart watch displays notifications such as emails, text messages, etc. One company that is pioneering the smart watch is Pebble. The Pebble Smart Watch includes a 1.26-inch display and can be paired with both iOS and Android smartphones through an app (1). Users simply have to download the Pebble app and turn on their phone’s Bluetooth to connect their smart phone to the Pebble device. The Pebble’s design is simple and understated which one reviewer says gives the watch a “certain elegance” (2). The Pebble watch can be personalized to a user’s taste by swapping the simple band for any standard watchband. Also, users can pick from a selection of five colors and nine designs for the watch face (2).

The battery life of the Pebble is up to a week, thanks to the E-Paper screen (3). Similar to many eBooks, the Pebble does not utilize an LED screen but rather a simple E-Paper screen that uses significantly less battery. Also, E-paper screens can be used outside in the sunlight with little to no glare and the Pebble includes a backlight that is only activated when using the device in the dark (3).  Another feature of the smart watch is its waterproof ability. The Pebble has a waterproof rating of 5 ATM, meaning it can be submerged 165 feet, and has been tested in both fresh and salt water (2). Therefore, users can stay connected through their Pebble smart watch, even when their location is not contusive to their smart phone. The watch is also movement sensitive and shaking or flicking your wrist can activate the watch from sleep or dismiss a notification (2).

But what does a smart watch actually do? As said above, the Pebble displays notifications such as calls, texts, and emails simply through the Pebble smart phone app. The app includes a “Settings” page where users can pick and choose which apps send notifications to the Pebble (3). Another use of the Pebble is to control your phone’s music playback. Users can play/pause and skip tracks right on their smart watch, the only thing users cannot control on the watch is the volume (3). Third parties are already developing apps specifically designed to be used with smart watches and Pebble has expanded the functionality of the watch itself. Now users can use the Pebble device to track their fitness with its built in accelerometer and set alarms that vibrate on your wrist, allowing you not to disturb others (1). While the entire smart watch technology is just beginning, the Pebble smart watch is already a completely functional device.

pebble-watch

Source 1 – https://getpebble.com

Source 2 – http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2415719,00.asp

Source 3 – http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/25/pebble-smartwatch-review/

 

Photo Source – http://b-i.forbesimg.com/patrickmoorhead/files/2013/09/pebble-watch.png

3 thoughts on “Pebble Smart Watch

  1. Jamee Lopiano Post author

    I agree, the concept doesn’t seem overly necessary at first. But the more I read the more I could see the benefit in a smart watch, especially one as veristile as Pebble’s.

  2. eeb5260

    When beginning reading, I was not sure that I believed a “smartwatch” could offer enough possibilities to be worthwhile. But Pebble has proved me wrong, by far surpassing expectations. Its capabilities and durability, such as the waterproof feature, really drew me in.

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