431–440 of 758 posts
Tangential: I haven't used a smartwatch ever. Do they have any utility in the gym? I would like to not carry around my phone in there.
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Garmin is the perfect solution if you want a smart watch with a gps that takes 5mins to possibly sync 50% of the time and a touchscreen-only interface that doesn’t work if it gets wet or say sweaty. Ie during most of the activities it’s supposedly designed for. When I got a garmin smartwatch I was astounded by how poor the basic ux is in almost every single way. If I’m swimming, how do I stop my work out? The touchsc…
I've received a basic Garmin watch for my 5 years anniversary with the company I work for and I don't use as: -The app has dark patterns like: you need to put a weight and height before you proceed with the setup, even though you can remove those later. -Step counter quite simply doesn't work, as it grossly overestimates the count. -5 day battery life. Not terrible, but also not practical. -Notifications. All. The. T…
The only notifications I get are when an activity gets synced, and I did not set up anything particular, it's all default in that regard.
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All this plus not being able to see any data while offline. Super useful when you're 13,000 feet up on a mountain somewhere.
Its worth clarifying you are talking about the data on the phone app, which does require connectivity as nothing is stored on the phone app, its all on Garmin's servers. However, most if not all of the data (recorded activities or health data) can be viewed directly on your watch, without any connectivity.
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Gotta be honest I feel like Garmin is the perfect balance of pebble vs apple watch
Garmin is the perfect solution if you want a smart watch with a gps that takes 5mins to possibly sync 50% of the time and a touchscreen-only interface that doesn’t work if it gets wet or say sweaty. Ie during most of the activities it’s supposedly designed for. When I got a garmin smartwatch I was astounded by how poor the basic ux is in almost every single way. If I’m swimming, how do I stop my work out? The touchsc…
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I'm 100% with you! No VCs this time...no mandatory cloud subscription. But I'm not really sure that this fear is grounded - before we sold to Fitbit we 'unlocked' the Pebble mobile app so you could use it with any cloud you wanted, including self hosted. So...it already meets your definition
This is really good news! Wishlist for the next device: More sensors: heart rate, spo2 and ecg...
Maybe a HW interface to attach other sensor modules could be an option, but could also easily become a distraction and pull down the overall experience.
[Edit] A wireless i/f (bluetooth, LP RF) is of course better to use as interface to any peripheral sensor modules.
Even as it stands today, all the old Pebbles can still be used and are still great. On Android, it's easy using the Gadgetbridge app or even the original Pebble app. On iOS, you currently have to install the ipa-File yourself - meaning you have to have the iOS device in developer mode and re-sign the App regularly. Pebble apps can easily be installed via rebble.io. There is even still some developer activity - for example, there is a relatively recent Home Assistant app - so you can totally control your 2025 smart home with your 12 year old smart watch (even by voice).
I got my Time Steel used something like 5 years ago for around 35€ and use it most days. In a previous job, I could use different Apple and Android smartwatches as much as I wanted but I always kept the Pebble as my main and personal device.
I haven't used a Pebble, but I wanted to mention something I have seen praised a lot on HN and elsewhere. Apparently, the Bluetooth stack on a Pebble is absolutely legendary: reliable, dependable, robust, you name it. It still works reliably today seemingly thanks to their very diligent software design. I hope that element of it will continue to exist as-is on these new ones? I mention this because Bluetooth is still…
I am convinced that there must be Pebble fans on the Android team that keep a Pebble in CI and ensure it keeps working with each new release. Otherwise its continued extended working lifespan is inexplicable given the amount of churn in Android in general and the Bluetooth stack in particular.