Our Verdict
Come back when both sentinel have been release for a full verdict .
Even though the smartwatch game start middling easy , as time goes by it seems like every man and his crony are get out smartwatches for both Android and iOS . Pebble , who successfully funded their original smartwatch onKickstarterback in May 2012 hasheaded backto the platform to get financial backing for the next generation Pebble metre ( and Pebble Time Steel ) .
Apple has also throw its hat into the smartwatch ring , announce the Apple Watch at its iPhone 6 event back in September 2014 . In the months that followed , there was much conjecture about the specific of the Apple Watch and what it could do . Apple put the give-and-take to bed when it announced the Apple Watch launch date and specs at the “ Spring Forward ” promulgation in March 2015 .
In this video the Macworld squad discuss the Apple Watch launch event :
Read also : Apple Watch review : spectacles , features , design , priceandComplete Guide to the Apple Watch
The Apple Watch and Pebble Time are very similar in their offering . But just how similar are they ? Well …
Pebble Time vs Apple Watch comparison: Design
purpose wise , the Pebble Time has gone on a diet as its 20 percentage thinner than its predecessor , measuring in at only 9.5 millimetre wooden-headed . It can be worn on both your left and correct wrists , which is handy because not everyone tire out a sentinel on the same wrist . There is only one size of Pebble Time available – it is 40.5 mm marvelous .
When the Apple Watch was first unveiled , there was concern that it was mightily handed only , but the watch face rotates , so it can also be don on both hands . The Apple Watch is 10.5 millimeter thick , so slightly chunckier than the Pebble .
There are multiple versions available of both watches . The Pebble Time derive in three color ; black , clean and red and the Pebble Time Steel comes in unsullied brand silver , gunmetal black and atomic number 79 . They bear interchangeable watchstraps so that you may personalize your watch for different occasion .
There are more variations of the Apple Watch than Pebble Time . There ’s the received Apple Watch that will be available with untarnished steel or space grey steel type , as well as the Watch Sport with anodized aluminium in silver or space grey . Apple ’s also create the Watch Edition for those of us with money to burn ( prices start at £ 8,000 ) , which come in an 18 carat atomic number 79 dead body in either lily-livered or uprise gold . As well as the unlike variations of the watch , each one also comes with two screen sizes as Apple battle the way out of many smartwatches being too large for slender wrists .
As well as colour options for each Apple Watch , they also offer a change of interchangeable strap customised for each type . The Watch Sport , for example , come with more colourful and indestructible straps than the Watch or Watch Edition for obvious reasons . There are a amount of 38 available combinations of watch face and strap available .
The Pebble TIme will declare oneself a issue of strap of its own and third parties will also be capable to sell strap too .
When you liken the photos of the Apple Watch Edition and the Gold Pebble Time Steel , there ’s an preternatural similarity between the two . Is Pebble actively going after possible Watch Edition client and offering them a cheaper alternative ?
Pebble Time vs Apple Watch comparison: Display
The exhibit is really where the remainder between the Apple Watch and Pebble Time is noticeable . Pebble has decided that like the first generation smartwatch , the Pebble Time will have an ePaper display . The only conflict is that this time its inject a rise of coloration into the screen . The exhibit is n’t touchscreen though – the stimulation is solely from the buttons on the side of the watch .
If Pebble want to use a colour screenland , why not utilise LCD / OLED screens like to other smartwatches ? Simply put , the eColour filmdom consumes far less stamp battery magnate than a standard smartwatch cover and in doing so , allows the Pebble Time screen to stay put on incessantly and last up to seven days on a unmarried electric charge .
Apple , on the other mitt , has drop dead all out on the Apple Watch showing . Boasting an unbelievable pixel density around 330ppi , the Watch and Watch Edition have a sky-blue show . Sapphire is one of the hard transparent material in the world – second only to diamond . The Watch Sport however come with lighter , tone up Ion - X glass .
It also has touching projection screen input signal engineering that can sense force and say the difference between a tap and a knockout insistence – technology that will be vital to using the Apple Watch .
With all this technology and limited battery power , the Apple Watch wo n’t have an always - on blind like the Pebble Time ; instead the screen will turn on whenever you raise your wrist to use it .
learn : Apple Watch versus Apple Watch Sport
Pebble Time vs Apple Watch comparison: Battery life
Even though they may look very like , the Pebble Time and Apple Watch have a range of unique feature of speech . The Pebble Time ’s barrage fire life is definitely one of its most attractive feature article as the Pebble Time can last up to seven days on a single charge . While seven days is smashing , the Pebble Time Steel swash a battery life that ’ll last up totendays .
Apple ca n’t compete with these kinds of electric battery life stats , with Tim Cook reassure us that the Apple Watch should last up to 18 hours with regular usance . Apple defines regular utilization as “ 90 time checks , 90 notifications , 45 minutes of app economic consumption , and a 30 - second workout with music playback from Apple Watch via Bluetooth , over the course of 18 hr . ” Apple also offers an inducive charger ( or “ wireless courser ” as citizenry are calling it ) with MagSafe engineering that ’ll snap into spot with ease . This is idealistic for charging your watch in a dark room before you go to sleep and neutralise the need for visible charge ports .
Pebble Time vs Apple Watch comparison: Water resistance
The Pebble Time does offer water resistivity and can be used in the shower . The Apple Watch is pee resistant but not waterproof . Appel monish that “ submerging the Apple Watch is not recommended ” . Apple CEO Tim Cook has revealed that he wears his Apple Watch in the exhibitioner , though .
Pebble Time vs Apple Watch comparison: Companion device
One feature that the Pebble Time has is that , unlike the Apple Watch that requires the user to have an iPhone for the setup and most features , it has the power to work out with both Android and iOS . That ’s not to say that it performs equally on both platforms , though .
Pebble Time vs Apple Watch comparison: Voice recognition
Using the Pebble Time ’s build in mic with the Android OS enables you to institutionalize voice replies to incoming apprisal ( SMS , WhatsApp , Facebook Messenger , etc ) , whereas on iOS , it ’s limited to vocalisation respond to Gmail presentment .
likewise you could utilize Siri on the Apple Watch to send voice substance and dictate reply .
Pebble Time vs Apple Watch comparison: Unique features
The Apple Watch introduce technology not used in any Apple product before : the Taptic Engine . fit in to Apple ’s website , its “ a analogue actuator inside the Apple Watch that produces tactual feedback ” .
translate into simple term , you ’ll experience a water faucet on the wrist joint when you have a presentment – not like the over the top quiver that other smartwatches have that seem to advise everyone else in the elbow room as well as yourself . It ’ll give you a recognisably unlike star for different kinds of fundamental interaction and it even allows you to send your heartbeat to someone , for them to feel it on their wrist . It ’s almost sickeningly romantic , but still a fairly coolheaded feature of speech to have .
Pebble Time vs Apple Watch comparison: Apps
contentedness plays a huge part in the winner of any smartwatch . No one would be interested in a smartwatch that has a deficiency of good content ( apps , entropy ) no matter how good the sentry may look . The Pebble Time has the added bonus of being compatible with the 6,500 apps & watchfaces that were available for the first coevals Pebble . Apps include a range of fitness and sleep trackers .
However the Apple Watch has no previous multiplication and therefore no existing textile to port over . That does n’t worry Apple though – the company release the Apple Watch API to developers months ago in the hope that there will be content available from day one . These wo n’t be aboriginal apps , as you ’d expect , but rather extensions from the parent iOS app – for example , if you have Clear installed on your iPhone , you ’ll be able to check off pointedness from your lists from your Apple Watch .
Best Apple Watch apps|Best Apple Watch game
Pebble Time vs Apple Watch comparison: Health & Fitness
You ’ll also get a consecrated health and fitness system with the Apple Watch that ’ll roll up data point via sensors on the watch and sync with your Health app , uncommitted in iOS 8 . It ’ll serve up daily goal , as well as a customised hebdomadary reputation with new targets for you to trounce .
While there is no direct support for a health and fitness organization on the Pebble Time , it does have an API that develops can ( and do ) use to turn the lookout into a fitness tracker , feeding information to your phone about workouts , whole step , sleep , etc . The Pebble Time is compatible with RunKeeper , Misfit and Jawbone just to name a few .
Pebble Time vs Apple Watch comparison: Notifications
Pebble clip nock the passing of an update Pebble UI telephone “ Timeline ” . Instead of all your notifications being enshroud inside their own apps , like they are now , they ’ll now be laid out chronologically . With a individual dog you ’ll be able-bodied to see what you ’ve got make out up – the watch connects to calendar , alert and apps , organising all the most relevant information for you . likewise , you ’ll be capable to do the same for the past and scroll back to that drop notification or recall how many steps you took yesterday .
The Apple Watch offer notice that you ’ll be alert by , by a tap on your carpus . You ’ll then be presented with actions that you could select directly from the Watch , such as favouriting a tweet that you ’ve just been refer in , standardised to how notifications work on iOS 8 .
Pebble Time vs Apple Watch comparison: Interface
The Apple Watch substance abuser interface utilises the digital peak , a second push below the crown and the touch screen . The vigil expression is speck raw and reacts to tap and swipes as well as the level of pressure you are using , distinguishing between a regular rap and a severe mechanical press , which will access different menus .
The crown , typically used to conform the time on a watch has been reimagined for use with the Apple Watch . It ’s now the primary control to pilot around the Apple Watch interface ( apart from the touchscreen but we ’ll occur to that ) .
There are three buttons on the side of the Pebble Time that are your key to piloting . These buttons allow you to browse through the smartwatch , generally using the top and bottom buttons to scroll through various menus with the middle push button reserved for selecting . There ’s also a individual button on the other side , which presumably has the same role as it did on the late generation – to go back a step and therefore completely negate the penury for a touch screen .
Pebble Time vs Apple Watch comparison: Pricing and release date
The Pebble TimeKickstarter campaignreached its $ 500,000 target in just 17 minutes and is at over $ 16 million at the time of writing with 22 solar day to go . Pebble say the Pebble Time will be released in May with a retail price of $ 199 but if you make up one’s mind to back them now , you may get it for $ 169 ( £ 115 ) . The Pebble Watch Steel has a slightly longer hold off , slat for a July release with a $ 299 retail Leontyne Price and a angel ’s price of $ 250 ( £ 161 ) .
Due to the reply that Pebble has had in regards to the Pebble time ( over 64,000 backers ) , it ’s entirely possible that the release date will slip – especially for those that waited to back the labor as it ’s unionize on a first ejaculate , first served basis .
Read also : Apple Watch release particular date
The Apple Watch will be uncommitted to preorder on the Apple Store web site on 10 April before its general press release on the 24April . It ’s not a worldwide launching though , as the Apple will only be available in Australia , Canada , China , France , Germany , Hong Kong , Japan , the UK and the US .
It ’s considerably more expensive than the Pebble Time & Time Steel , with the cheapest Apple Watch amount in at £ 299 . The Watch Sport costs between £ 299 and £ 339 , the Apple Watch cost between £ 479 and £ 949 and the Watch Edition costs between an eye watering £ 8,000 and £ 13,500 .
If you ’re timid of whether you like the Apple Watch , you’re able to go to any Apple Store from 10 April and go hands on with the various Apple Watches . As well as Apple Stores , you may also go to Galeries Lafayette in Paris , Isetan in Tokyo and Selfridges in London .