OVERVIEW: Pebble Time - a gadget for those who love all things new and wants to draw attention

In the market of smart watch has three players: Apple Watch, Android Wear and Pebble. Others considered not even worth it - their share catastrophically low. Taking Kickstarter-version of the Pebble Time at the post office, I was full of anticipation. The device recently surveyed the major Western publications, and I was eager to try it out for yourself.

Against the backdrop of classic watches Pebble Time catchy look. And it is strange. I got the red version of the watch with a rubber strap. In the photos it does not look red - the color of life in hours brighter, and after a few days I began to like it. Add to this the fact that on your wrist will pay attention - watch is very eye-catching.

Sport

I decided to just try out the clock in and test the most interesting (to me function) - sports. Picking up the phone and put on the form, I went for a run. Before that I spent ten minutes studying the issue Pebble connection to Runkeeper, until I realized that the only thing to do - to link watch with a Bluetooth smartphone. Then Runkeeper recognizes them automatically.

And so it happened. As soon as I hit "Start" in the app, watch them light up and display information about the workout time, distance and pace. With the help of the buttons (of four) in the right pane, you can put the training is paused, and it's a fantastic location. Before that, I used the widget in iOS notification center and considered the way to good. Alas, it does not stand any competition with the management of a hours.

Hours can be seen well in the sun. It is said that the screen is always active, but when you press a button or a characteristic gesture of his hand, the backlight. So, turn on the backlight when the gesture is not working at all. More precisely, it works, if I shake his hand, as if dancing an African tribal dance. But how to bring the watch to your eyes and see the time, not talking at all. Fortunately, as I said, the screen is nice to be seen and no backlight.

Multimedia and notifications

I am a music lover and I try to explore all of the features associated with the music, in great detail. One of the screens clock allows you to control playback from your smartphone via Bluetooth. The response to the instant action - track switches immediately, and the volume changes. It's comfortable.

But the music - it is only one of the screens. The rest - a calendar, weather, alarm, notification. Their location relative to each other can be changed. It's comfortable. If, for example, an alarm clock you use rarely, and often viewing notification, the latter will be located in front of an alarm clock.

And when the conversation turned on the notifications, it is a weakness devaysa as Pebble Time do not support Cyrillic. Any notice in Russian is displayed in the form of rectangles, and this can not be helped by standard means.

However enthusiastic users developed firmwareWhich supports the Russian language in the notification. You will certainly want to put it, because without the support of Cyrillic clocks lose a large share of its functionality. Although the notice and come quickly (sometimes even faster than on the iPhone), no use of them.

On Android, the situation is better. There you can interact with notifications: email - archiving, and message - answer using Emoji or voice.

For Pebble has two shops: one for applications, one for the dials. Pebble dials in the store a lot, but 90% of them look like frank trash. The shop itself is no better. It's slow, complicated, sometimes too much information, sometimes it does not exist at all.

By setting a few dials and the desired applications, I chose no longer to come into it. Applications for Pebble much, but look for them at this point does not want.

conclusion

Pebble Time outwardly appear ambiguous. On the one hand, they catch the eye, on the other - it is not always good. And throw them in the eye rather because it does not look like a normal watch, that can hardly be called an advantage. The software part, too, leaves much to be desired: the backlight is turned on only occasionally, there is Cyrillic, in the iOS notification can only be viewed.

It is difficult to say better than it did in The Verge:

Pebble Time - it's just improved Pebble.

If you were a fan of the first version, the second will leave a good impression. If you love all things new - the situation is the same. But if you like stable and convenient products, the Pebble Time slowly bring you out of balance and you want to return to their old, useless, but the usual hours.

Pros:

1. Opening hours (seven days).
2. Convenient device for sports.
3. You can switch the music remotely.
4. Notifications come instantly.
5. The screen can be seen even without lighting.
6. Comfortable strap.

Minuses:

1. The standard firmware is not the Cyrillic alphabet.
2. screen backlight is disgusting.
3. 90% of all dials are terrible.
4. On iOS, you can not interact with notifications.
5. Inconvenient app store and dials.
6. Fingerprints from the screen is almost impossible to scrub.

Thank you for the Pebble Time with our friends from the online store iLounge.