Pebble watch for iOS

By max22
in iPhone - iOS/tvOS/watchOS

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Grand Master

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I think 7 days is actually very good...look at the kindle...1 month battery say the specs, but it doesn't have always on features like bluetooth and only updates when you turn a page (maybe 100-150 a day for an intense book reader)...the pebble update every single min thats 1440 a day...arround 10x as intense usage + bluetooth...I'm surprised it even lasts 7 days when the battery and everything else fits on your wrist!

I don't disagree at a technical level.

But it's being sold as a watch. For decaded we have been able to put a watch on without charging it. The expectation of a "watch" has been set.

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philcruicks

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I don't disagree at a technical level.

But it's being sold as a watch. For decaded we have been able to put a watch on without charging it. The expectation of a "watch" has been set.

Fair enough, and I suppose I get what you mean...

I suppose the way to think of it is that phones used to last for weeks at a time...with the invention of smartphones battery life has been reduced to 2days at tops...but people accecpt this because of the extra features a smartphone has over a phone...the pebble is a smartwatch...so on that basis people will expect shorter battery life...and most probably accept it.

Though I do agree BT 4.0 would be sensible...they might even consider it now that have this much funding, they have said they're looking to add features, already have with waterproofing it that was at the $1mil mark so maybe 3.5 or 4 will bring 4.0.

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Manish

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So, BT4 has significantly lower power requirements?

Bluetooth version 4.0 supports a new Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. Only devices connecting via the BLE protocol will have a lower power consumption, allowing them to operate off coin/button cells. While BLE is only good for transferring small data chunks, the classical/standard Bluetooth protocol is still there in Bluetooth 4.0 for the "heavy duty" data streaming.

BLE can reduce max. current needed by 0.5 when compared to classical Bluetooth (from ~30mA to ~15mA). Furthermore, according to Wikipedia, average power consumption of a BLE device can be as little as a hundredth of a standard Bluetooth device.

(Comparison table: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth_low_energy#Technical_details)

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Manish

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And so would be suitable for a watch-sized device?

Yep. BLE was actually made with smart watches in mind.

I'm not particularly sure why the Pebble team didn't already start off using Bluetooth 4.0. Perhaps it's due to the limited number of BLE-compatible devices. I know the iPhone 4S supports it, do any Android devices?

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philcruicks

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Yep. BLE was actually made with smart watches in mind.

I'm not particularly sure why the Pebble team didn't already start off using Bluetooth 4.0. Perhaps it's due to the limited number of BLE-compatible devices. I know the iPhone 4S supports it, do any Android devices?

Yeah a few including the new HTC One series

http://reviews.cnet....01637_21718227_

They've reached $4mil now...so hopefully we'll find out if they're gonna put BT4.0 in soon.

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Manish

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Yeah a few including the new HTC One series

http://reviews.cnet....01637_21718227_

That list features only ~5 smartphones. It's no surprise then why they didn't bother releasing a watch based on BLE/Bluetooth Smart connectivity. I suppose that they could add dual-mode Bluetooth 4.0 chipsets, which can support both standard and low energy Bluetooth, now that they have a lot more money.

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philcruicks

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That list features only ~5 smartphones. It's no surprise then why they didn't bother releasing a watch based on BLE/Bluetooth Smart connectivity. I suppose that they could add dual-mode Bluetooth 4.0 chipsets, which can support both standard and low energy Bluetooth, now that they have a lot more money.

Bluetooth is backwards compatible, always has been...4.0 will work with any older version, just if you connect it to a 3.0 or lower phone you won't get the power saving.
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Manish

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Bluetooth is backwards compatible, always has been...4.0 will work with any older version, just if you connect it to a 3.0 or lower phone you won't get the power saving.

Single-mode Bluetooth Smart devices are not backwards compatible. Dual-mode chipsets are (which is what I said).

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philcruicks

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Single-mode Bluetooth Smart devices are not backwards compatible. Dual-mode chipsets are (which is what I said).

Ah fair enough...tho why on earth would they ever consider putting single mode in it...they'd obviously go for dual mode if they did.
Grand Master

Brandon H Supervisor

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Though I do agree BT 4.0 would be sensible...they might even consider it now that have this much funding, they have said they're looking to add features, already have with waterproofing it that was at the $1mil mark so maybe 3.5 or 4 will bring 4.0.

I think somewhere in the comments section I remember reading they had a few reasons why they didn't want to use BT 4.0 quite yet
Grand Master

TEX4S

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I didnt realize there were so many other golfers in neowin.

Anyone ever play @ Pebble ?

I used to be an Assistant Pro @ my parent's country club so we would do trade outs with all of the other golf courses around here - I have played Colonial, TPC Byron Nelson, Dallas National, Vacqero to name a few local courses - but Pebble Beach was one of those courses where the PGA rate was exactly the same as what everyone else paid : ALOT.

Dallas Nat'l & Vacquero are amazing FYI

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philcruicks

Posted
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I didnt realize there were so many other golfers in neowin.

Who else has mentioned golf?...

I think somewhere in the comments section I remember reading they had a few reasons why they didn't want to use BT 4.0 quite yet

My only guess would be data rates...BLE has a lower data rate ~200 kbit/s compared with 2.1's 1-3 Mbit/s..and unless your gonna use the BLE part of 4.0 there isn't a point in putting 4.0 in there.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia....ooth_low_energy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth#Bluetooth_v4.0

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philcruicks

Posted
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nvm I wasnt paying attention :facepalm: :blush:

The watch can be used as a gold range finder though...I figured that's what you were on about...just no1 else had mentioned it.
We're working with Freecaddie to create a great golf rangefinder app for Pebble that works on over 25,000 courses world-wide. Instead of using your phone, view your current distance to the green right on your wrist.

source: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android

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