Pebble Time review: Kickstarted

Retail package

The Pebble Time comes in a rather understated retail box. Inside it, you will find the smartwatch, a USB charging cable, and a quick start guide.

A look at the retail package

It is important to note that the actual retail box of the non-Kickstarter Pebble Time will look a tad more attractive, though its contents will be the same. The Kickstarter variant is a thin cardboard box for easy international shipping.

Swapping the dull silicone band for something more exciting is easy - there is an overwhelming amount of 22mm options to choose from - from rubber, though fabric, all the way to exotic leather options that cost more than the device itself.

Pebble Time with an aftermarket 22mm band

Pebble has further dedicated $1 million from the Kickstarter funds it gathered to the development of watchbands. Therefore, more choices tailored for the smartwatch are certain to appear in the near future.

Design and build quality

Pebble Time looks "grown up" compared to the original. However, it is still unmistakably a member of the Pebble Family, thanks to the now signature hardware button setup and rectangular body.

Pebble Time in the flesh

With the above in mind, we find the design of the newcomer quirky, decidedly casual, but generally appealing. You will certainly enjoy the styling of the Pebble Time more than you will that of the original, which looked like something that came out from a bag of potato chips.

The Pebble Time is available in three different colors - white, red, and black like the unit we tested. Standard interchangeable bands will allow users to let their imagination run wild regarding possible color combos. We won't be surprised if Pebble releases more color options down the line too - it pulled this trick with the original.

Build quality of the smartwatch is overall solid, but don't expect to be wowed. Pebble Time is a plasticky device and the metal bezel does little to hide this fact - the buttons of the smartwatch are particularly at fault on this instance.

The display of the smartwatch is covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The latter should be sufficient to prevent it from scratching in most scenarios.

A Pebble Time Steel due to arrive next month will certainly appeal to those who are looking for a more premium finish. As its name suggests, It will feature a body made of stainless steel, coupled with a leather or metal band (both will be included in the retail package).

One major trump card that the Pebble Time has over its smartwatch competitors is water resistance. The wearable can be submerged in a water depth of up 30 meters of water. That's a feat that neither Apple Watch, nor any Android Wear device can boast about. We can easily see this one shape up as the preferred smartwatch for swimmers.

With measures of 40.5 x 37.5 x 9.5mm and 42.5 grams of weight, the Pebble Time is a comfortable device to wear on a daily basis. The bundled silicone strap in particular is surprisingly comfy and easy to maintain.

A wrist shot of the Pebble Time

Display

The 64-color LCD e-paper display of the Pebble Time is manufactured by Japan Display Inc and utilizes memory-in-pixel technology. The LED-backlit unit has a resolution of 168 x 144 pixels and pixel density of 182ppi.

The display of the Pebble Time

Sharpness of the screen is below average for a smartwatch today and so is its color reproduction. Sunlight legibility however is impressive thanks to the e-paper nature of the display.

Visibility actually decreases indoors, but that's what the LED backlight is for. It is automatic, though you can also activate it with a shake of your wrist.

Overall, the display of the Time is a typical Pebble affair. It does the job on every occasion with no fuss and focus on energy efficiency.

Battery life

This is an area where the Pebble Time literally wipes the floor with the competition. While Apple Watch and Android Wear users barely make it through a full day of use if at all, the Pebble Time lasts up to a week on a single charge.

We were a tad skeptical about Pebble's claim during the announcement of the device. However, after spending time with the watch, we easily made it though a week without recharging. In our testing, we used the smartwatch daily from 8am to about midnight.