The first on the smartwatch market, Pebble Watch is still one of the best, even as others are starting to join in on the action.
Pebble Watch started the smartwatch market, and is looking to improve with their second version, Pebble Steel that has upgraded their version overall. When compared to the newest product from Apple, the Apple Watch has a lot to compare to.
Display and Design
Unlike most smartwatches that have come on the market, the Pebble Steel was not designed to look like a typical smartwatch. The smartwatch has a minimalist user interface that makes it simple for users. The newest edition provides more steel with an elegant and classy design to the build. The Pebble Watch comes in two options for color, the black matte and stainless steel. What all comes with the purchase of the Pebble Steel includes a leather or steel wristband. The 1.26 inch screen display is coated with Gorilla Glass 2, and 144×168 resolutions. While slightly smaller than others on the market, the device is more flexible. The Apple Watch has a 1.65 inch display screen with three band options, including Edition, Sport, and the standard Apple Watch. It also comes in several build options such as 18K gold, stainless steel, and alloy aluminum, and offers a rumored 320×400 pixel resolution.
OS and Compatibility
For Pebble Steel, it is a good mixture between the Apple Watch and Android Wear. Pebble Watch is also compatible with both the iOS and Android handsets. On the other hand, Apple Watch can only function with iPhone 5 or higher versions. Initially, the Pebble Steel display shows the time and once hits the button for navigation you can launch the menu, and scroll through the watch faces and applications. Users are only limited to eight apps at this time, but the Apple Watch runs on a special OS designed from Apple. The display can show additional apps that users are able to browse through with the help from their digital crown.
Applications
Where Pebble Steel improves in this version is that it provides over 1000 applications to its App Store. The company is also developing an additional 6000 new applications to add to their App store. They have partnerships with Yelp, ESPN, FourSquare, and several others. On the Apple Watch, you can get apps from the iTunes Store, which you already know offers a plethora of applications.
Battery Life
The Pebble Steel offers the design of a more traditional watch than a smartwatch and has a battery life that can last up to 7 days depending on the face used. When the battery is depleted, you can recharge to full capacity after 2 hours. The Apple Watch battery life is unknown, but it probably won’t compare to Pebble Steel.
Price
At $249, Pebble Steel is one of the most affordable smartwatch on the market. Apple offers their smartwatch at $350, and that is for the standard Apple Watch. You can expect to pay even more for their other versions, and additional customizations that will surely up the price.