Pebble Steel - It's For Real

Way back when I did a bit of a review for the Pebble that I backed on Kickstarter. I've since had to part ways with that Kickstarter Edition version and got the mass-produced original Pebble as a replacement. I've enjoyed my time with it ever since and have loved getting notifications on my wrists. So after almost a year with the original Pebble, there's now a new one in town. The Pebble Steel.

The Steel was announced at CES this year and I immediately ordered a pair, one in Stainless Steel, and one in Matte Black. When I got them, I sent the stainless version to my dad and kept the black for myself. Here are some images and afterwards, my thoughts on the new, premium version of the Pebble.

The new packaging for the Pebble Steel screams premium. It comes in what looks like a jewelry box.

When you open up the box you're greeted with the Pebble and the instruction book on pairing it to your phone.

Opening the box unveils the additional strap, the charger, and the instruction booklet.

There are two bands that come with the Pebble Steel, leather, and steel. Both feel very premium, but are proprietary, so not any strap will work like on the original Pebble.

Old and new Pebbles side-by-side.  The Steel is sleeker, takes up less wrist space, and overall just looks like a much more quality device. I do somewhat miss the rounded edges though.

Fuzzy time on the Pebble Steel.

So there you have it, the new Pebble hotness. As for the new device itself. I am on Android so I do not have version 2.0 of the Pebble App, meaning my Pebble cannot use the tri-colored LED that is on it. That's OK, it's only there to remind me that I have notifications. As far as the notifications go, the new Pebble Steel works a lot like the old one, whenever I get an incoming text, call, or email the back-light turns on and the watch vibrates. One of the things I like about the Steel is that the vibration seems a bit less "harsh" than on the original Pebble. It feels a bit more subtle, and slightly less jarring, which is a welcome change.

Overall it's a great watch and continues in the fashion of the original Pebble. It's great for notifications and as an extension of your phone. A few other companies are working on their own smart-watches, Sony and Samsung have watches that are currently out, and HTC is currently working on their own designs. I've played with the Sony and Samsung watches and while they do work well, they end up doing a bit too much. I love the idea that my Pebble is an extension of my phone, it gives me useful information in real-time. I don't want to be able to make calls, or record video, or do anything else with my watch, that's what the phone is for. I like that Pebble doesn't try to do too much, and because of its reserved build, it allows for 5-7 days of battery life, and still remains open enough for developers to write interesting apps on to it.

In summation: if you're going to be buying a smart-watch, take a look at Pebble, and if you have an extra $100, do yourself a favor and buy the new Pebble Steel.