When it comes to getting a smartwatch that is low on price and is easy to read when you are outside then the Pebble Steel may be the right choice. It was first released back in 2015 and offers a good battery life alongside an easy to use control system, making it a choice that you probably will not regret in a hurry. Read on to find out more about the Pebble Steel so that you can decide if it is the one for you.
How Good is the Pebble Steel Design?
When it comes to design, the Pebble Steel looks chic and gives the impression that it is a high-end watch. With a stainless steel, rectangular face and smart leather strap, it would not look out of place coupled with a suit for work. You may notice that it is becoming slightly outdated, but because it is not a large device, it will easily be mistaken for a classic timepiece.
You will find the Pebble Steel very comfortable to have on your wrist, and you won’t need to worry about removing it when you hop in the bath or go for a swim because it is waterproof up to 50m deep. The e-ink screen is easy to read, and even in bright sunlight, you will be able to use it without needing to find a shady spot.
Does the Pebble Steel Come With Many Features?
The Pebble Steel is not able to store more than eight apps on the watch screen at any time, making it a difficult choice when it comes to picking your top picks. However, there is a companion app for your smartphone where you can virtually house further apps and use it to swap the apps you have access to.
The Pebble Steel comes with its own platform and rather than being your typically poor contender against Android, it has a surprising amount of apps for you to choose from. You can personalise the watch face, spend time downloading the apps you want to use on the watch and arrange your virtual app locker with ease.
How Do I Operate the Pebble Steel?
You would be forgiven for trying to tap the screen to use this model, but it is actually powered by using the system of buttons on the sides of the watch. You simply use the buttons to navigate your way through the menu, and surprisingly you will find that you get used to this way of working the watch pretty quickly. There are three buttons on the right side with the middle one being your direct route to the menu and the other two for navigation.
When it comes to charging the device, you simply need to clip the magnetic charging wire to the port that is on the side of the watch and allow it to power back up ready for use; this will take a couple of hours to complete. There is a handy battery gauge that you can access when it is charging, and this will show you when the watch is ready to use again.
Is the Pebble Steel Battery Life Good?
One of the best things about the Pebble Steel is the battery life, with around five days of charge possible before it needs to be powered back up. Most smartwatches don’t have such a long battery life, but the reason that the Pebble Steel does is that it uses an e-paper design and does not have many powerful apps that will be in use during the day.
Because the charging takes a couple of hours to complete, you will need to be organised and consider when you have the time to plug in. However, if you organise it to charge up overnight, then you will not need to worry about how long it takes.
What Are the Pros and Cons of the Pebble Steel?
This smartwatch comes with many pros and cons, so it is vital that you take the time to consider what you are looking to get from owning it. To help you weigh up your options, we have listed the pros and cons of owning a Pebble Steel below.
Pros
- Good, five days worth of battery life even when you use it to access apps throughout the day.
- Clear e-Ink screen that can be read wherever you are.
- Able to upgrade the strap to a steel version.
- Comfy to wear all day long.
- Wide range of apps on the Pebble Platform.
- Notifications delivered directly to the watch.
- You can read your messages on the screen to save taking your phone out as long as you have the messaging app on the watch.
- Customisable watch screens to choose from.
Cons
- Button driven power rather than a touchscreen.
- Expensive for a smartwatch that has been on the market a while.
- Only eight apps on the watch at any one time.
- Chunky casing that looks slightly outdated.
- You have to manually clear notifications from both your phone and watch for them to disappear.
- The tech that drives the watch is no longer new, which means that this watch is more basic than more modern, cheaper watches.
Is the Pebble Steel Good Value for Money?
When you consider what more modern smartwatches offer you would be forgiven for thinking that the Pebble Steel has had its day. However, looking beyond the low number of apps that you can access, this watch still has a lot to offer. It has a crystal clear screen in all weather, offers waterproof protection and has a battery that will last up to five days without charging.
If you want a simple smartwatch that can double for a smart work watch then the Pebble Steel is not a bad choice. However, the cost attached to getting hold of one may put you off. All in all, we liked it but probably would shop around before committing to buy it.
How do you feel about the Pebble Steel, let us know in the comments if you already have one and love it or hate it..
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Last Updated on December 13, 2020
A top of the line copywriter with more than a decade of writing experience with many high-end clients. Lots of experience and interest in writing about technology.
Currently living a rural life in South Yorkshire, and devoted to work.