Far from running scared, Pebble is ready to take on the Apple Watch, telling TrustedReviews that it believes both Apple and Samsung are overthinking the smartwatch space.
Suggesting the market is becoming clogged with overly complicated techy timepieces, Pebble has told us its competitors are trying too hard to replicate smartphone functionality on the wrist, not pursuing their own paths.
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She added: “We don’t lose sight that it’s a watch. I think a lot of people lose the fact that it’s a watch. It’s not a phone. It’s not a gadget. It’s a watch and time is what matters to people.”
Further laying the boot into the iPhone maker’s Apple Watch, Isla stated: “The first time I saw the Apple Watch video and it showed the watch face with all those bubbles of apps I was like, what is that?
“If you think about it, you still have a phone. A lot of things you are still going to do on your phone.
“Who would look at a map on your wrist? It’s just not going to happen. It’s not going to be relevant to you. We didn’t go down that path.”
With the new Pebble Time having recently hit Kickstarter funding targets in record time, Isla believes the start-up hit is better placed for wearable success.
“We know what we do well and we want to do it in a simple, easy-to-use format that matters to the individual,” she said.
“People are going to want a $5000 watch. That’s not us. We are not trying to do fashion or be an accessory, we want to be relevant.”
Related: Pebble Time vs Apple Watch
Despite criticising Apple’s approach to the smartwatch space, Pebble has suggested the Cupertino-based company’s efforts will ultimately have a positive effect on the market.
According to Isla, the Apple Watch will “bring a huge amount of awareness about why you need a smartwatch.”
The Apple Watch release date has been confirmed as April 24. While the Pebble Time will set wannabe owners back $199 (£131), the entry-level Apple Watch price is a wallet-hurting £299. These prices quickly rise to a staggering £13,500 for the top-of-the-line Apple Watch Edition.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
