Pebble Steel Review

Introduction

By most metrics Pebble has been a bonafide indie success, the poster child for successful crowdfunding campaigns and the darling of the quickly emerging smartwatch market. Though it has faced competition from giants like Samsung and Sony, as well as many other small companies, it has maintained its position as the industry leader thanks in part to its tempered ambitions. It is a simple device at heart, doing a few things well rather than trying to cram every feature imaginable onto your wrist. While Pebble has been generally well received it is not without criticism, the most often cited being that the dressed-down design. The Pebble team has heard the criticism, announcing the Pebble Steel at CES last month.



While the device is virtually unchanged on the inside, the Steel offers a more modern, mature design with steel housing, a Gorilla Glass face and both steel and leather bands. The Pebble Steel is a handsome device, but is it worth the $250 price tag?

Design

The original Pebble (still available as an entry model) was an understated device in black, but any splash of color made it stand out when you weren’t dressed casually. Even the black version, with its included rubber strap, could be described as sporty at best. The Steel offers a completely new design, and paired with a classic watch face most people wouldn’t know that you’re wearing a smartwatch at all. That said, no one will be confusing it for a Tag either.



The redesign begins with an all steel housing, save for a strip of black plastic that allows the Bluetooth 4.0 signal to escape. The Steel follows the same button layout as the original, but the three buttons on the right are now spaced closer together with the middle one sticking out slightly further for some tactile ... Drop you comments and additions..Below