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Introducing Pebble Time

kickstarter.com

21–30 of 403 posts

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#21
post #7

Aaand they're already funded ($775k out of $500k at this moment). That was quick. Edit: To clarify, it was already at $775k at 16:27 CET.

Was it $775k when you wrote that comment 7 minutes ago? It's past $1M right now (10:35 EST). Wow.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#22

The main value prop over the Apple Watch and current Android wear appears to be the battery life. They're advertising over 7 days on a charge, which is certainly better than whatever the Apple Watch will be in terms of battery life. I just worry about the market for apps after the introduction of apple's watch around the same time.

The Pebble Timeline interface UX might also be better than the Apple Watch app model or the Android Wear card model.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#23
post #13
post #6

It's a bland gadget. I'm really not sure about that approach. It's so cheap and uninspired. Whatever you think about the overall shape of the Apple Watch, at least it's not a bland gadget. It seems to pay meticulous attention to all the micro details that make jewelry jewlery and not a bland tech toy. (Seems to because obviously no one has looked at it in detail. But first indications are good.) This one does not. I'…

Yeah, contrary to their "No Compromises" promise, this does seem significantly inferior to the Apple Watch (resolution doesn't look nearly as good, no touch screen, polish and finish, etc). With the price at nearly half ($199) of what the low-end of the Apple Watch price range is expected to be ($349), however, this does open the smart watch option up to more people that don't have that sort of cash to spend on weara…

Apple is targeting "a full day of use", while Pebble is targeting 7 days of battery life. Not having to charge my watch daily sounds much nicer to me.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#24
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think any smart watch == jewellery argument works, because jewellery doesn't require software updates. There is nothing timeless about modern electronics that need battery replacements.

I think that for any mass-market adoption (arguably not what the Pebble Time is aimed at), any smart watch will have to bridge that divide. Most people buy a watch as a fashion piece, not as a practical tool.

Maybe watches can be practical tools again, and not just a status symbol hanging off your arm.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#25
post #6

It's a bland gadget. I'm really not sure about that approach. It's so cheap and uninspired. Whatever you think about the overall shape of the Apple Watch, at least it's not a bland gadget. It seems to pay meticulous attention to all the micro details that make jewelry jewlery and not a bland tech toy. (Seems to because obviously no one has looked at it in detail. But first indications are good.) This one does not. I'…

It depends what "smart" actually means. Something like the Withings Activité [1] can afford to be a well-designed piece of jewellery because there is no expectation (or possibility) of software updates. This isn't true of Android Wear or the Apple Watch; models sold this year will become obsolete within a timeframe that is much shorter than one would want for high-end jewellery.

[1] http://www.withings.com/us/withings-activite.html

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#26
Innovation! A watch that tells time!

I sure hope the previous model told time as well ... but they seem to really be pushing the angle this time 'round. What with literally calling it Time.

The future is now.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#27
post #10
post #4

It's interesting that they've chosen to launch the product on Kickstarter. They don't appear to need the funding structure; they're simply using it as a shop.

Marketing. This will generate a lot more publicity.

Right. As a Marketing guy myself (6 years in Procter & Gamble), I'm always baffled when people in HN don't get obvious marketing moves, but in the other hand, I'm always learning so much about tech stuff that my colleagues would never get in a decade. This community is awesome.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#28
post #14

The refresh rate on the e-paper is impressive. I remember some first-generation ereaders that required a whole second to refresh a page.

Pebble has never used E-ink, despite all the confusion in the media (not that Pebble was in a hurry to rectify it, since it played to its advantage). The color one doesn't look like E-ink now either. They used some transflective PixelQi-like displays in the past, but not sure if they're using an upgraded version of that now (with color!) or something like Mirasol, and they are just naming it the same.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#29
post #21
post #7

Aaand they're already funded ($775k out of $500k at this moment). That was quick. Edit: To clarify, it was already at $775k at 16:27 CET.

Was it $775k when you wrote that comment 7 minutes ago? It's past $1M right now (10:35 EST). Wow.

Yep, it's going to the moon. Already $1.25M.

Re: Introducing Pebble Time

#30

The main value prop over the Apple Watch and current Android wear appears to be the battery life. They're advertising over 7 days on a charge, which is certainly better than whatever the Apple Watch will be in terms of battery life. I just worry about the market for apps after the introduction of apple's watch around the same time.

Actually, they're saying "up to" 7 days which is obnoxious because that could mean anything.
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