We've now seen multiple Android Wear smartwatches hit the market, and while they've generally been produced with a lot of care and attention, with the underlying software being the same across the board there's been little variation in functionality. And what's more Android Wear itself hasn't delivered a software experience that's particularly staggering; it does a few things, but nothing exceptional, or particularly useful or needed.
Attention then turned to the promise of the Apple Watch for 2015. Apple's attempt at the wearable market has hit something of a rocky start, however, largely due to issues in meeting production targets and consumer demand. In short, not many people have actually got hold of one yet. Even so, reviews have appeared for Apple's wrist-mounted smart device and although the consensus seems to be that it's been delivered with the firm's usual level of polish, features-wise, it doesn't seem to offer much more over Android Wear.
Which means, essentially, that the humble Pebble, with its simple-yet-useful feature-set still remains one of the best smartwatch offerings on the market. A new Pebble is in the works called Pebble Time, but if you want a premium-grade smartwatch right this minute, the Pebble Steel could well be a good option to go for.
It's essentially the same as the standard Pebble, but comes clad in a stainless steel casing complete with a geniune leather strap. It's basically the upmarket variant of the Pebble, but comes with a higher price tag to match - £179 compared to £99 for the original.
It’s been three years since Pebble took to KickStarter to raise some cash to produce its first smartwatch. Since then a lot has happened. Apple confirmed its Apple Watch. Google launched Android Wear, and pretty much every Android hardware partner worth its salt launched a smartwatch running the new platform. And yet despite all of this plenty of people still swear by Pebble.
Not bad for a three-year-old start-up. But is the newish Pebble Steel worth the additional pennies, or should you stick with the less fancy model? Read on to find out.
Pebble Steel Review: Design & Display
Don't get us wrong, we like the design of the original Pebble. The glossy plastic casing might not scream premium quality, but it's arguably just as attractive as pretty much any other smartwatch on the shelves right now. However, it's only when you see the Pebble Steel in the flesh that you begin to realise that there's a difference between cotton and silk.
The stainless steel casing lacks the rounded design of the plastic Pebble and is arguably better for it; the edges and metal buttons look industrial and striking, and the leather strap is a cut above the rubber one seen on the cheaper version. All in all, the Pebble Steel looks and feels much classier than its sibling, but then at this price you'd expect it to - the standard model is now available for around £99 while the Steel variant is £179.
The display is exactly the same as the one on the original watch - a monochrome LCD with a backlight, which is easy to read in direct sunlight. Because it lacks a colour screen, the Pebble Steel isn't quite as hungry on battery life as its rivals. However, it's worth noting that it lacks a touchscreen. I personally feel this is a positive move, as swiping on a postage-stamp display is hardly what I'd describe as intuitive, but there may be some who are disappointed by the lack of finger action. Navigating the Pebble's menu system is all handled by four buttons - one to wake or sleep the screen, and three others to move up, down, and select options.
Pebble Steel Review: Software & User Experience
The Pebble Steel is able to keep time on its own, but to unlock the vast majority of its functionality you'll need to pair it with your Android or iOS phone and install the Pebble application. On the first connection, the app will check to see what firmware is installed on the watch, and it's very likely that you'll have to wait a short while for the latest software - version 2.7, at the time of writing - to install.
The team behind Pebble has been iterating the firmware since the range launched, and has recently added features such as an activity tracker and quick launch options. The former is quite a dramatic enhancement, as it places the Pebble in direct competition with the hordes of fitness wearables which are flooding onto the market with each passing month.
The Pebble Steel can hold up to eight different applications or watch faces, and these are downloaded through the Pebble app on your phone - you can't install anything from the watch itself. Applications range from toggles which allow you to control elements of your phone's functionality - such as turning off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth - to simplified versions of mainstays like eBay. Notifications are handled natively by the watch itself without any need for additional software; email alerts, text messages and phone calls will all be displayed on the Pebble Steel's screen.
The lack of touchscreen control doesn't impede the Pebble Steel's usability - in fact, it's more intuitive because you're not required to interact with a tiny touchscreen. However, compared to the likes of the Android Wear-powered Moto 360 and LG G-Watch, this is a decidedly less ambitious affair. You can't do any of that fancy voice control stuff on the Pebble Steel, but having used many different smartwatches, I can safely say that such functionality isn't something I found myself using beyond mere entertainment anyway. Pebble keeps things simple, and that is arguably its main strength.
Pebble Steel Review: Battery Life
A watch is usually something which has fairly modest power demands - most digital watches will happily run on the same battery for years. However, one of the key negative traits of smartwatches so far is their ravenous appetite for juice; Android Wear devices usually require topping up once a day, and when your plug sockets are already devoted to charging the likes of your phone, tablet or eReader, it's a bit of a bind having to add yet another piece of tech to that tangle of wires.
This is yet another area where the Pebble Steel differentiates itself from the competition. By not having a colour screen and keeping its functionality modest, the device is capable of enduring around five days of real-world use before it needs charging (the advertised seven days is perhaps a little exaggerated). That's not as impressive as Casio's G-Shock GB-6900B, which lasts for a reported two years before needing its power cell replaced, but it's nevertheless a massive improvement over rival wearables.
Pebble Steel Review: Conclusion
The Pebble Steel may not provide the same degree of functionality as many rival smartwaches but it's still arguably one of the best options out there for anyone interested in wearable tech. By keeping things relatively simple, the device is able to enrich your everyday life without making things too complex. Battery stamina is also impressive when compared to competing watches, and the dedicated app store continues to grow each month. Another massive bonus to consider is that the Pebble Steel is compatible with iOS as well as Android phones, making this a viable alternative if you're sick of waiting for Apple's much-hyped smartwatch to make its appearance on store shelves.
Of course, the real question is: should you buy the Pebble Steel when the original watch does exactly the same thing but for almost half the price? It really depends what you want from the device; the cheaper variant is functional but won't turn heads, while the Steel looks and feels like a premium timepiece - so if you value form as well as function, it's the better buy.
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