Pebble E-Paper Smart Watch & Note 2 [Review]

Would you wear a smart watch?

  • Yes

    Votes: 87 77.7%
  • No

    Votes: 9 8.0%
  • Maybe

    Votes: 16 14.3%

  • Total voters
    112
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Dakota0206

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2011
1,050
770
www.okc-tech.com
PEBBLE SMART WATCH

www.getpebble.com

xl_pebble%20smartwatch.jpg


CUSTOMIZE WITH NOTIFICATIONS

Pebble is the first watch built for the 21st century. It's infinitely customizable, with beautiful downloadable watchfaces and useful internet-connected apps. Pebble connects to iPhone and Android smartphones using Bluetooth, alerting you with a silent vibration to incoming calls, emails and messages. While designing Pebble, we strove to create a minimalist yet fashionable product that seamlessly blends into everyday life.

  • Incoming Caller ID
  • Email (Gmail or any IMAP email account)
  • SMS on both Android and iPhones
  • iMessage (iOS only)
  • Calendar Alerts
  • Facebook Messages
  • Twitter
  • Weather Alerts
  • Silent vibrating alarm and timer

HOW IT WORKS

Pebble connects by Bluetooth to your iPhone or Android device. Setting up Pebble is as easy as downloading the Pebble app onto your phone. All software updates are wirelessly transmitted to your Pebble.


FAQS

Q. How long does the battery last?
A. The rechargeable battery keeps Pebble going for 7+ days.

Q. Does the watch display stay on all the time?
A. Yes. The display shows a watchface at all times.

Q. Does it have a backlight?
A. Yes, Pebble has a backlight to view the display at night.

Q. Is it waterproof?
A. Pebble is rated at 5 ATM, tested for both fresh and saltwater. You can swim with your Pebble and change tracks while in the shower.

Q. Scratchproof?
A. Yes, Pebble has a scratch and shatter resistant lens with an anti-glare optical coating.

Q. Does it use up my phones battery?
A. Pebble is a Bluetooth device, similar to a Bluetooth headset. It does affect the battery life of your phone, usually using up an extra 5-10% per day.

Q. How does it charge?
A. We include a special USB cable. You can charge Pebble using your computer or any wall USB charger.

Q. Can I replace the bands?
A. Yes, Pebble is designed to fit most 22mm watch bands.


KNOWN ISSUES WITH GALAXY NOTE II

TouchWiz Bug
There is a known TouchWiz bug. The text to speech is enabled, and when you open/close folders in the stock launcher, you hear the audible confirmation. It gets annoying after a while.
  • Fix 1: Use a 3rd party launcher like Go Launcher, or Nova Launcher
  • Fix 2: Click Here


REVIEWS


MY OPINIONS
I will update this section periodicity
  • The smart watch with the most bang for the buck
  • I really like that you can change the band. I will be getting a new band soon and will take pictures
  • The music controls at the gym is a BIG plus for me
  • Development is still in the early phases, so the best is yet to come!


 
Last edited:

Dakota0206

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2011
1,050
770
www.okc-tech.com
Has anyone used the watch with a bluetooth headset? more specifically a stereo bluetooth headset?

I was thinking about picking up a bluetooth headset to use at the gym. One thing I love about the pebble watch is being able to control music without pulling the phone out of my pocket all the time. I would be nice just to leave the phone in my bag.

Anyone know a good bluetooth headset that I can listen to music on while working out?
 

Brad.S.

Senior Member
Mar 26, 2012
528
199
Colorado
Has anyone used the watch with a bluetooth headset? more specifically a stereo bluetooth headset?

I was thinking about picking up a bluetooth headset to use at the gym. One thing I love about the pebble watch is being able to control music without pulling the phone out of my pocket all the time. I would be nice just to leave the phone in my bag.

Anyone know a good bluetooth headset that I can listen to music on while working out?

Here is a thread with a lot of different opinions on wireless bluetooth headsets:
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2019428
Hope that helps.

Question for you; can you control the master volume of the device with the watch?
As in, putting the phone into vibrate/silent mode?
 
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h3ck

Senior Member
Oct 7, 2007
471
127
Otizzle

BIG question, can you use the smart watch and a bluetooth headset at the same time? I know some people would think it's redundant since there is 3.5mm for earphones on watch, but if you want to go full bluetooth, listen on earphones and see notifications, control music on watch, can you do that?

---------- Post added at 03:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:37 PM ----------

Desired Smart Watch Features:

Voice Commands
> Ask watch, what's the weather outside (Watch shows weather)
> What time is it in Germany? (Time shows for that region)
> What was my last text from John Smith? (shows last text)
> How is Apple Stock doing right now? (Shows it tanking, jk little jab there)

I think that this would be a good addition to this Pebble watch. Unless I missed it, do we know whether or not this will be possible? Maybe with Google Now integration?
 

HellRa1SeR

Senior Member
Dec 20, 2010
168
18
New Delhi
Even I have ordered the Pebble. (Kickstarter backer). And I am patiently waiting. Once I get mine I will definitely post my views here.

Cheers mate :)
 
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Dakota0206

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2011
1,050
770
www.okc-tech.com
Here is a thread with a lot of different opinions on wireless bluetooth headsets:
http://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2019428
Hope that helps.

Question for you; can you control the master volume of the device with the watch?
As in, putting the phone into vibrate/silent mode?

No, not that I have discovered. But the watch does vibrate. So you can set the phone to silent and the watch will still notify you.

Thank you for the heads up on the bluetooth thread!
 

Dakota0206

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2011
1,050
770
www.okc-tech.com
BIG question, can you use the smart watch and a bluetooth headset at the same time? I know some people would think it's redundant since there is 3.5mm for earphones on watch, but if you want to go full bluetooth, listen on earphones and see notifications, control music on watch, can you do that

Desired Smart Watch Features:

Voice Commands
> Ask watch, what's the weather outside (Watch shows weather)
> What time is it in Germany? (Time shows for that region)
> What was my last text from John Smith? (shows last text)
> How is Apple Stock doing right now? (Shows it tanking, jk little jab there)

I think that this would be a good addition to this Pebble watch. Unless I missed it, do we know whether or not this will be possible? Maybe with Google Now integration?

I am wondering about the bluetooth headset as well. I have not purchased one yet. I was hoping someone had already tried!
Just to clarify, there is NO headphone jack on the watch.

I like the idea of voice commands, but there is no mic on the watch, so this would have to be used with a bluetooth headset.
 

Brad.S.

Senior Member
Mar 26, 2012
528
199
Colorado
I was just reading in the pebble forums (external site) and saw that ios users have voice commands through their bluetooth headset. However, I don't know how that is interfacing with the watch.
In theory, I thought that 4.2 ROMs were supposed to be able to run multiple bluetooth profiles at the same time. I only have one bluetooth device, so I can't test this theory.
In the future, when Google Now gets a bit more mature, it would be awesome to hit the voice command button on the headset and be able to control system properties (ie wifi, sound, etc).
 
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Dakota0206

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2011
1,050
770
www.okc-tech.com
A quick heads up to anyone that was following, or bid on the Pebble I have listed. I woke up this morning to discover eBay had removed the listing, and suspended my account. I was very confused because I only have positive reviews. I called eBay and they said they just needed to verify my account. I am not sure exactly why, but it had to do with this being the first item I have listed for sale. Everything is good now, but I had to create a new listing. My apologies to anyone effected.
 

le0.br4zuc4

Senior Member
Jun 8, 2010
1,723
370
39
Boca Raton, FL
A quick heads up to anyone that was following, or bid on the Pebble I have listed. I woke up this morning to discover eBay had removed the listing, and suspended my account. I was very confused because I only have positive reviews. I called eBay and they said they just needed to verify my account. I am not sure exactly why, but it had to do with this being the first item I have listed for sale. Everything is good now, but I had to create a new listing. My apologies to anyone effected.

Can you post the link?

Sent from my SCH-I605 using xda premium
 
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h3ck

Senior Member
Oct 7, 2007
471
127
Otizzle
Oh wow I thought it had a headphone jack. So that does beg the question, of controlling music. If I have wired headset, I'd have controls. If I have bluetooth headset I'd have controls. Idk if I get it.

Sent from my Note II
 

jlczl

Senior Member
Oct 22, 2005
1,224
343
Yeah. I had a Metawatch and even though I could control the music from my watch it was easier to do it with the controls on my Bluebuds.

Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
 

RambJoe

Senior Member
Jul 29, 2010
370
17
Can it say the next direction on Google Navigation when walking, like what it says in the ongoing notification?

Thanks.
 

Dakota0206

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2011
1,050
770
www.okc-tech.com
Can it say the next direction on Google Navigation when walking, like what it says in the ongoing notification?

Thanks.

I haven't specifically tested this.. But my initial answer is yes. If an app can give a notification, you can get it on the Pebble. There is an Android app in the Play Store called "Pebble Notifier". With that app you can select any app on your phone to send notifications to the Pebble.
 

Dakota0206

Senior Member
Sep 17, 2011
1,050
770
www.okc-tech.com
One of the concerns of a smart watch is how much will your phones battery life suffer due to the bluetooth connection.

After a few days of testing I have seen zero noticable impact on battery life. I dont know if it is because the Note 2 has such a beast of a battery, or if it is because bluetooth 4.0 just barely sips battery, but I am not kidding. I haven't seen any difference in battery life.



Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
 

scote

Senior Member
Mar 30, 2007
412
45
One of the concerns of a smart watch is how much will your phones battery life suffer due to the bluetooth connection.

After a few days of testing I have seen zero noticable impact on battery life. I dont know if it is because the Note 2 has such a beast of a battery, or if it is because bluetooth 4.0 just barely sips battery, but I am not kidding. I haven't seen any difference in battery life.



Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2

most likely bluetooth 4 is very power efficient, pebble supports it and so does the note2
I'll be getting one of these watches, theres going to be all sorts of apps for them, I think they will be huge and therefore attract developers.
 
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  • 3
    PEBBLE SMART WATCH

    www.getpebble.com

    xl_pebble%20smartwatch.jpg


    CUSTOMIZE WITH NOTIFICATIONS

    Pebble is the first watch built for the 21st century. It's infinitely customizable, with beautiful downloadable watchfaces and useful internet-connected apps. Pebble connects to iPhone and Android smartphones using Bluetooth, alerting you with a silent vibration to incoming calls, emails and messages. While designing Pebble, we strove to create a minimalist yet fashionable product that seamlessly blends into everyday life.

    • Incoming Caller ID
    • Email (Gmail or any IMAP email account)
    • SMS on both Android and iPhones
    • iMessage (iOS only)
    • Calendar Alerts
    • Facebook Messages
    • Twitter
    • Weather Alerts
    • Silent vibrating alarm and timer

    HOW IT WORKS

    Pebble connects by Bluetooth to your iPhone or Android device. Setting up Pebble is as easy as downloading the Pebble app onto your phone. All software updates are wirelessly transmitted to your Pebble.


    FAQS

    Q. How long does the battery last?
    A. The rechargeable battery keeps Pebble going for 7+ days.

    Q. Does the watch display stay on all the time?
    A. Yes. The display shows a watchface at all times.

    Q. Does it have a backlight?
    A. Yes, Pebble has a backlight to view the display at night.

    Q. Is it waterproof?
    A. Pebble is rated at 5 ATM, tested for both fresh and saltwater. You can swim with your Pebble and change tracks while in the shower.

    Q. Scratchproof?
    A. Yes, Pebble has a scratch and shatter resistant lens with an anti-glare optical coating.

    Q. Does it use up my phones battery?
    A. Pebble is a Bluetooth device, similar to a Bluetooth headset. It does affect the battery life of your phone, usually using up an extra 5-10% per day.

    Q. How does it charge?
    A. We include a special USB cable. You can charge Pebble using your computer or any wall USB charger.

    Q. Can I replace the bands?
    A. Yes, Pebble is designed to fit most 22mm watch bands.


    KNOWN ISSUES WITH GALAXY NOTE II

    TouchWiz Bug
    There is a known TouchWiz bug. The text to speech is enabled, and when you open/close folders in the stock launcher, you hear the audible confirmation. It gets annoying after a while.
    • Fix 1: Use a 3rd party launcher like Go Launcher, or Nova Launcher
    • Fix 2: Click Here


    REVIEWS


    MY OPINIONS
    I will update this section periodicity
    • The smart watch with the most bang for the buck
    • I really like that you can change the band. I will be getting a new band soon and will take pictures
    • The music controls at the gym is a BIG plus for me
    • Development is still in the early phases, so the best is yet to come!


    3
    Not sure about watxh specifically but I know that I can have my phone paired to my truck for calls and then paired to headset at the same time so multiple bluetooth profiles are a go
    2
    Why need a watch when you can look at your phone? I personally not a watch fan. Never wore it when there was no cell phone.

    No one NEEDS a smart watch, and I wasn't sure how useful I would find it. After a few days, I realize it is much more convenient than I even thought it might be.

    When you are bundled up in winter clothers it is much easier to check the watch than to have to dig out the phone.

    When you are hanging around the house and the phone isnt around you, you dont miss anything important. And just right now my girlfriends phone when off but it was across the room. She was like ughh. I laughed and said, see if you had a watch...

    At work there are multiple situations where it can be poor etiquette to have your phone interrupt. But with the watch vibrate you dont miss anything. And you can excuse yourself if you have to take a call.

    At the gym I dont have to pull the phone out to skip to the next song, or repeat a song I really like.

    For me it is quickly becoming one of those things that I wonder how I lived without. This is also very early in development so the sky is the limit!

    Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
    1
    Another fix to the talkback issue is to disable/uninstall the offending application through the application manager, or freeze with an appropriate app.
    1
    epaper?

    I wish people should stop going on and on about the "e-paper" display.

    it's deceptive marketing.

    Please do not confuse with e-ink display.

    The "e-paper" display is just regular black and white pixel LCD (not different from those already in use in today's digital watches).