If you are using an iPhone and the Apple watch just doesn’t do it for you there may be an alternative worth checking out. Pebble smartwatches are compatible and have all the features you are looking for. Not only is the Apple watch incredibly overpriced but its not all its cracked up to be according to those that have had the chance to review it. See some of the things that have been said about it:
“The Apple Watch … is kind of slow.”, “Sometimes apps take forever to load, and sometimes third-party apps never really load at all. Sometimes it’s just unresponsive for a few seconds while it thinks and then it comes back.”, “It’s also surprisingly heavy.”, “[The] side button is extraordinarily confusing.”, “In the first of many moments where the Watch felt underpowered, I found that the screen lit up a couple of ticks too slowly: I’d raise my wrist, wait a beat, and then the screen would turn on.”, “Having a screen that constantly flips on and off is definitely behind the curve.”, “There’s no particularly great digital face, and there’s no ability to load up your own watch faces or buy new ones from the store.”, “There’s no master switch to turn all notifications on and off, which is a huge pain.”, “By the end of each day, I was hyper-aware of how low the Apple Watch battery had gotten.”, “You only get a charging cable, which is lame. For $700, you should a nice charging stand, like you get with the $249 Moto 360.”, “There’s virtually nothing I can’t do faster or better with access to a laptop or a phone except perhaps check the time.”
With all this said the Apple watch is doing surprisingly well with more in sales than Android all of last year in its first day. We know that popularity does not necessarily mean better or even more functional. Apple is very good at making you think you need something they have to offer without actually having to produce what you want. If your looking for a status symbol then the Apple watch is for you otherwise check out the best alternative we found in Pebble.
I am Android bias so just to make it clear I don’t think that Android Wear devices are the way to go or even comparable to the Apple Watch because there is still a long way to go before it is up to expectations as well. This said Pebble has its own OS that is fast and compatible with just about everything.
There are many reasons that Pebble is a viable alternative to the Apple watch including the 7 days between charges, clear crisp display that can be seen in any light conditions, water proof instead of resistant, and the ability to customize and flash to your hearts content. They are simple smartwatches although when it comes to functionality nothing to date beats them. You get notifications immediately and they don’t stay on your screen forever allowing you to go back and look through notifications at any time without having to go through them right away to get back to your watch face.
Lets step back and look at price for a minute, the Pebble starts at $89 with the ability to upgrade to the Pebble Steel if your looking for a bit more style. With the second gen Pebble Time coming out there is still a price point of $199 that is still much more affordable than the Apple Watch. Keep in mind that is still half the price of the base model Apple Watch with a much easier user interface.
When it comes down to it grab the Apple watch if you want the status or style that it brings although if looking for features and function that is much faster and cleaner take a look at pebble as an great alternative. Ultimately it comes down to personal style and choice.