It is awesome to see that decision paid off, and the codebase has long outlived the original company and still giving our original customers (and soon new ones!) value.
In case anyone asks, I would like to state for the record that all the appstore code before Rebble modifications was and has always been AGPL.
Aah, is this how all previous apps were saved and are now available again? That's pretty neat if so!
In fact, because my old one still works for my needs, it's making it difficult for me to invest in a new Pebble, despite wanting to support the project. Part of that is the idea of upgrading for the sake of upgrading directly opposes my ethos of keeping as many electronic devices out of landfills as possible, but part of that is also straight up nostalgia that I get to experience every day when I use what essentially amounted to the perfect watch for me.
The battery is clearly unhealthy, but hanging on. When I charge my old Pebble, after about 15 minutes or so, it claims to be fully charged. It isn't. If I take it off the charge after only 15 minutes, it will show a full charge, but deplete rapidly, usually within about 20 hours. If I leave it on the charge for a few hours, then use it, I get 2 solid days or sometimes a bit more than that.
My OG model is also one of the originals that does _not_ have the fours screws in the back, making it impossible to change the battery should it finally fail. A few years back, I picked up some original Pebbles on eBay for cheapr since the batteries would no longer hold a charge on those, all models that did not have the four screws on the back, just to see if I could find a way to open them clean. Every attempt I made failed, damaging the display and housing.
If you want to try an old Pebble, find one of the ones with the screws on the back panel and you can buy fresh batteries that will fit. Or get an old Pebble Time/Steel model, which are easier to maintain. I see them go on eBay for between $30 - $50 USD and maybe like $10 USD for a new battery. That's nothing for a basics smartwatch with a cool history.
Is that a lie? What about Garmin Watches?
Sure Google/Samsung/Apple Watches are not "Long battery life", because they are not "Always on e-paper screen", but I feel like Garmin Watches are.
Obviously some Garmin Watches are pretty expensive, like Fenix (I have not used it since I switched to Apple Watch), but there are ~200USD watches as well https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/741137/ with 2 weeks battery life, custom apps, screens, and even GPS.
On paper, it should feel like my old Pebble did. In reality it's clumsy and poorly thought-out. I look for ways to use it less, not more. I can't wait to replace it when the Pebble ships.
It's laggy, clumsy, difficult to make apps for, and just not very smart. Especially for someone like me who doesn't even use it for sports.
So I checked out Garmin Instinct Crossover.
It ticks all the boxes and probably has many more great features I'm not even aware of. But honestly, I'm after a watch not a wrist-mounted blunt weapon.
The "epaper" branding is Sharp's idea. And "epaper" has been used for all kinds of things which are not the technology eInk has developed and popularized.
So, Pebble Time's LCD is indeed e-paper, but is not e-ink.
Today e paper is widely understood to mean the display technology which companies like e ink and waveshare use for displays which don’t need power to retain an image.
You’re right that historically it’s been confusing. Historically e ink was the only company making these displays since it was all patented so using their brand name as the technology name worked better back then than it does today.
[1] https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/GUID-7AD1A592-9044-4... [2] https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/camping-and-hiking/gp...
If I am buying a smart/tracking watch today, I want these things from it:
- Great battery life
- HRM (with decent accuracy; doesn't have to pass those "accuracy tests" though)
- GPS (with extremely good accuracy and yes, it has to pass those accuracy tests for GPS. And no, if I turn it ON and use it and the battery dies quickly, I won't hold it against you - that's supposed to happen)
- Do not track me - do not send any data to anywhere unless I specifically want it
- Do not need a phone to be connected to function - let me export data later if I choose to (hell, if this is the only way - I don't mind - BT not being used always isn't so bad - saves a bit of battery; if you need me to do this via a USB type C cable later, I don't mind that either)
That's all!
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If you don't have these features, I don't really mind:
- Show me the incoming call on the screen. - Give me a way to reject or silence it. If I want to answer that call, then I'll reach out to my phone anyway.
- Maybe show the time and day if I tap it or I am fine if it's always shown
- Preferably don't show me notifications from apps in general and if you do - give a very granular way to disable specific apps (this might already be possible)
- Please sell a non-touchscreen option (but I can live with one)
- Do not try to be the smartphone or replicate it somehow and end up becoming a Frankenstein in both size and spirit
- Maybe keep it lightweight?
PS. And, for the love of god, do not ever try to hardcode special chargers/cables like Philips does for their trimmers. Bas----ds sell different cables and different chargers for two trimmer models released in the same year very close to each other and in close price ranges fulfilling similar functions.
I don't really think you're in the target demographic for a pebble at all. It sounds like you want a standalone device that's essentially a smartphone on your wrist. I know you say you don't want it to be a smartphone, but if you want battery-life, a GPS, and phone independence, that's the product you're going to get.
Pebble is (and was) more of a smartphone companion, it has basically no smart functionality on its own.
I have not tried new fenix watches. And I would assume they are the same good as Apple Watches as well. But I do like my Apple Watch Ultra (2 or 3, whatever was released this year)
Actually for many years even to build regular Bluetooth devices that did anything besides audio, you needed to add a special chip (Made for iPhone chip) to your hardware to verify that it was an authorized Apple Accessory. Pebble had one, but any 3rd party apps that wanted to send data to the watch (like Uber app, sports apps, random indie apps) had to get allow listed to communicate with accessory devices like Pebble.
But generally, Garmins don't allow developing and installing 3rd-party apps on their watches
I was able to develop apps for Garmin Fenix 3, which was released in 2015 https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/160512/#specs it already supported building apps for the watch. They also had a funny name for the language they built, something like "Gorilla language" or something similar.
EDIT: found it, they call it Monkey-C https://developer.garmin.com/connect-iq/monkey-c/
I guess their marketing dept hasn't been doing their work so well.
Thanks for sharing this
I'm not sure if the best example, but what I can think of atm — Looking at what Teenage Engineering is doing (copy Dieter Rams), I find their products fun and they feel premium. I think a design refresh for pebble could make a big difference.
Probably hard to think about re-design at this stage, and I do hope it keeps gaining momentum and support to grow.
They did redesign the Pebble Time 2, so that may be more to your liking. Sadly as one who still loves the original design, it lost its appeal to me, but perhaps my loss could be your gain on this one.
Here's the changelog: https://ndocs.repebble.com/changelog