Our Pebble Steel unboxing ceremony has been completed and here are the pics to show you what is included. The simple and elegant packaging is adequate, yet not quite remarkable. The Pebble Steel Smartwatch itself is, likewise, not great but not bad … definitely an upgrade over the original Pebble Watch, but not really a leap forward. Still, as the market stands today, the Pebble Steel is the best smartwatch for your money.
The Pebble Steel box is durable and has a sophisticated look, worthy of a more substantial and expensive time piece. We wouldn’t change a thing about the box, although the plastic shrink wrapping somewhat cheapens the experience.
Included with the Pebble Steel kit are two watch bands, a data/power cable, a Quick Start Guide, a Warranty, and Instructions on how to change the watch band. The Quick Start Guide and the Warranty we received are leftovers from the original Pebble watch and have not yet been updated to reflect the Steel. However, as the setup and controls are still the same, this oversight is inconsequential.
The Pebble Steel comes with two watch bands, genuine leather and a steel link bracelet available in black matte or brushed stainless. We opted for the black matte. While the matte finish is nice and feels durable, it will be interesting to see if it scratches easily or maintains its current super-clean appearance over time.
The Pebble Steel arrives with the leather band installed. From Pebble’s promotional materials, we found ourselves less than impressed with look of the metal bracelet and were happy that a leather alternative was going to be included. However, upon arrival, it was readily apparent that the watch looks MUCH better framed by the black matte bracelet.
It does a lot of things adequately and is gaining new features and capabilities every day. Yet nothing about this watch “WOWs” us.
It is an easy task to swap the Pebble watch bands IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TOOL. Fortunately, we have several watch repair tool kits in the office. However, we strongly urge you to not proceed if you do not have the right tool. Do not try to use the end of a knife to loosen the watch band retaining screws for the soft metal is easy to strip. If you strip those screw heads, you are stuck with the leather bands in perpetuity.
The Pebble Steel smartwatch is a conundrum for us here at Smart Watch News. It is by far the most popular smartwatch presently available, and this is the watch we recommend for most people based upon individual needs and desires. However, it is not the smartwatch that we wear on a daily basis. It does a lot of things adequately and is gaining new features and capabilities every day. Yet nothing about this watch “WOWs” us. Our Google Glass is similarly the market leader in an emerging product category, has significantly fewer apps, yet “WOWs” us every time we don the specs. Our Oculus Rift kit also has little developed software, yet absolutely amazes us every time we gear up for a session. With a piece of wearable technology as intimate as a smartwatch, we want to be dazzled … or at least excited to put it on before we go out to play. The Pebble Steel still fails on that front. Nonetheless, for many, it is simply the best smartwatch currently available … which in an emerging market, can be enough.
Source
Pebble Watch: [Company Website]
Jon is the Editor-In-Chief at Wear Guide and writes about wearable technology On Your Arm. Jon has a M.S. in Computer Science, won several intercollegiate events as a member of the UCLA Cycling Team, and is currently active on the USA Triathlon circuit which provides him the opportunity to field-test wearables under grueling conditions. Jon also writes for our sister publication Electric.guide.
Send tips and story ideas to Jon at: jon@wear.guide
