When companies release follow-ups to their existing devices, they usually bring some upgrades to the table. Bigger screen here, faster processor there and maybe some fun new features. Pebble's latest watch, though, is all new on the outside, but exactly the same on the inside. Join Gizmag, as we review Pebble Steel, a familiar idea that's wrapped in a stylish new package.
Want the short version of our Pebble Steel review? Okay then: hit up our review of the original (plastic) Pebble smartwatch from 2013, and then imagine that watch with the snazzy stainless steel frame that you see above. The end.
Okay, so maybe that isn't the whole story, but it is the gist of it. That's because Pebble Steel has the same screen, software and guts as the original Pebble. Features? Yep, they're all the same too. You're getting the same watch, only with a stylish makeover.
If this were, say, a smartphone or laptop, then that wouldn't be a huge deal. Though looks are important in most tech products, function is still the star of the show. But since Pebble is a wearable device, and wearable devices double as fashion accessories, Pebble Steel makes for a pretty significant upgrade over the standard Pebble.
I was impressed with Pebble Steel's look when I first handled it at CES, and it looks just as sharp today. In a world of bulky and geeky-looking wearable computers, Pebble hit the style nail right on the head. This is one slick-looking watch.
Pebble Steel's makeover is a huge step forward. Though it has the same layout as the original Pebble, with three buttons on the right (up, down and select) and one on the left (back), the stylish design – a stainless steel chassis framing a Gorilla Glass screen – adds a premium allure that wasn't there before. In fact, if you use a Pebble Steel watch face that has an analog clock on it (like below), some people could, at a glance, think you're wearing a designer watch picked up from your local jewelry store.
For this review, we handled the Brushed Stainless Steel (silver-colored) Pebble Steel – with both black leather band and dark steel band. I find the leather band to be sharp-looking and comfortable for both casual and formal use. It creates an especially nice contrast with this silver-colored body. The steel band, though, is where Pebble Steel's looks really take center stage.
After spending countless hours with beaucoup wearables that try to do it all – from Google Glass to Samsung's Gear watches – it's still hard to beat Pebble's simplicity. Instead of trying to replace your smartphone, it focuses on a much narrower set of goals – but the key is, it hits those marks pretty darn well. It takes the info from your phone that you're most likely to need in a pinch (whether that's notifications, driving directions or weather), and puts it on an always-on black & white display that lives on your wrist.
At heart, Pebble is a notification terminal for your wrist. Your smartphone is the mothership, if you will, and your watch is the sentry ship. You can't create or compose much of anything on it, as it has no easy way of entering text. But what the Pebble does excel at is receiving quick, glanceable alerts. Lift your wrist, read the info and decide whether it's worth whipping out your phone or saving it for later.
On the inside, there actually has been one big change since we reviewed the original Pebble. The company released a big firmware update earlier this year that speeds things up, stores your notifications in one easy-to-reach hub and, most importantly, adds an app store. The Pebble 2.0 software is now standard on both the OG Pebble and Pebble Steel, and its biggest accomplishment is that it makes it much easier to find apps for your watch.
Lots of those apps are watch faces that do little more than give you something different to look at when you glance at your wrist. Others add new functionality to the watch, like finding a nearby place to eat with the Yelp app, browsing notes in your Evernote account or even getting Google Maps turn-by-turn alerts on your wrist (see below). Pebble lets you control your music, tweak your Philips Hue lights or Nest thermostat and share your location with a friend. And, like any self-respecting app store, there are even a few fart apps.
Taken as a whole, there still isn't that much functionality here. There's only so much that a watch without a touchscreen, microphone, camera or speaker can do. But I think Pebble is a great example of constraints encouraging creativity. Browse the Pebble Store, and you might be surprised at the clever ideas that developers have come up with. The store bears the fruits of active and enthusiastic developers who seem to genuinely love the product and platform. As a user, that can make for some fun discoveries.
Any talk of the Pebble's bustling app community, though, needs a big honkin' asterisk next to it. My biggest beef is that Pebble and Pebble Steel only let you install a maximum of eight combined third-party apps and watch faces at a time. So you can browse those apps and clocks to your heart's content, but you'll never be able to use more than eight of them at once. It's a bummer for sure, and it's disappointing that Pebble didn't raise this limit for the newer and more expensive Steel.
When Pebble Steel launched, it didn't support background fitness tracking (it would track your steps, but you needed to leave the tracker's watch face running in the foreground). But since we originally published this review (we updated it for the holidays), Pebble can now track your steps in the background. You can even sync with Misift's or Jawbone's platforms (including Jawbone's excellent Idle Alert, which reminds you to get up and move if you've been sitting too long).
So, like many smartwatches, Pebble can now replace a dedicated fitness tracker. I think the company was about a year late in supporting this, but the platform does finally feel more complete.
Is Pebble Steel worth its $200 to $220 asking price? Well, it's going to depend on what you want out of a smartwatch. If you're looking for as much smartphone-like functionality as possible, then I'd say you're better off jumping on Android Wear watches like the Moto 360 or LG G Watch R or Samsung's standalone Gear S. The Watch is also looming on the horizon. These devices all allow for more sending of information, rather than just receiving.
But if all you're looking for is a glanceable second smartphone screen on your wrist, and you want to look like one sexy mamma jamma while wearing it, then Pebble Steel could be well worth the investment.
Pebble Steel makes it easier to live with the limits of the Pebble platform. If I'm wearing something that looks like a tech gadget that just so happens to be wearable, then its bar is raised higher. By wearing it I'm already compromising something on a style level, so that puts a lot of pressure on its tech features. They need to be absolutely amazing, or it's not worth it. But Pebble Steel, which could look right at home sitting next to a Movado or Tissot designer watch, puts less pressure on the tech side of things. As the most fashionable wearable computer around, all it needs to do is a few things very well. That's exactly what Pebble Steel does.
Gizmag highly recommends Pebble Steel to anyone looking for a fashionable smartwatch that keeps you on top of your most important smartphone alerts. The eight-apps-at-a-time limit is a little baffling, but, taken as a whole, I'd say the total package is still one of the best wearables you can buy today.
Pebble Steel is compatible with both iPhones and Android phones (sorry, Windows Phone owners). It's available now from Best Buy ($200, with a leather band only ... steel band is sold separately) and the product page below ($220, including both leather and steel bands).
Product page: Pebble