Which Watch Wins? Apple Watch vs Pebble Time Steel

We’re taking a closer look at two of the main players in the smartwatch game.
Wearable tech is the new frontier and there are some big names vying for our attention, especially in the smartwatch market. Inevitably, some will turn out to be the Betamax of this generation and disappear without a trace, but some will go on to become billion dollar players.
But which is the best?
The debate rages on about the actual point of the Apple Watch and its competitors, but the apps market will catch up to fully exploit this new technology. The wearable tech industry is set to be worth $22.9 billion a year by 2020, according to Analysys Mason, and we’re hedging our bets that smartwatches will be the cornerstone of the market.
Two of the main players right now are the Apple Watch and the Kickstarter-funded Pebble Time. Samsung’s Gear S and Sony’s late entry to the smartwatch market are making their own waves, but the Apple and Pebble are still the big names. So which one is best for you?
Let’s play them off against each other.
Design
There really isn’t much in it design-wise between the Apple Watch and the Pebble Time Steel. The Apple Watch is 1mm thicker and comes in a choice of sizes: 38mm or 42mm, against the one-size-fits-all 40.5mm Pebble. So the main difference then comes down to colours, with a suitable selection of interchangeable straps from Pebble and more than 38 alternatives from Apple. That swings the balance in Apple’s favour.
Of course you can order the seriously expensive gold Apple Watch if you want to make a $17,000 style statement.
Display
The display is the big visible difference between the two. Pebble has stuck with the ePaper display, with added colour for the latest generation. There’s no touchscreen, though: inputs are made with the buttons and that feels antiquated in the modern age.
Apple has provided a full Retina display with 330ppi and coated the whole screen with a sapphire cover. Of course it has a touchscreen and can even differentiate between a tap and a solid press (or Force Touch in Apple language), which will matter more as apps get more advanced. The apps just look better on the Apple Watch too; it’s a much more stylish option when it comes to the actual operating system.
Apple wins this one too.
Flexibility
There’s no getting away from the fact that the Apple Watch locks you into another round of Apple products, and if the iPhone suddenly drops off a cliff compared to the competition, it will be that much more difficult to jump ship to Samsung or the next generation competitor.
The Pebble, meanwhile, works with Apple and Android phones, so it’s far more future proof and will allow you to opt for either operating system without buying another watch. That’s a big plus; we’re with the Pebble on this one.
Battery Life
Unsurprisingly, the Pebble walks this one, with a 10-day battery life, while the Apple Watch claims just 18 hours with mixed use. That’s not even a full day, and for a watch that is a major weakness. You can’t even tell the time on a watch that’s out of juice.
Water resistance
The Pebble is waterproof, the Apple is water-resistant. It might seem like a small difference and the Apple has been tested in the shower, but accidents happen. The world is wet and it would be comforting to know that your expensive watch is designed to withstand a sudden, if temporary, dip.
Apps
Pebble’s big shortcoming is the fact it’s limited to eight apps, meaning you’ll have to cull apps regularly. That said there is a solid selection of apps that will help you get the most from the Pebble, as the first generation apps still function on this latest watch, and there will inevitably be an explosion of software in the years ahead.
Apple will almost certainly guarantee a massive number of apps as many of the iPhone apps will simply be adapted to the smaller device.
Price
The Pebble Time Steel is significantly cheaper, with a retail price of $299, and the cheaper versions cost less than $200. Apple is never the cheapest; the company has mastered the art of commanding premium prices for a premium product and its closest Pebble equivalent on price is the Pebble Time Steel with a stainless steel link bracelet which weighs in at a hefty $949. The Sport model is available from $349, though.
So which watch will reign supreme?
It’s difficult to bet against Apple which has got high-end tech so right for so long; even the price is unlikely to put off die-hard fans. The Apple Watch seems to be more of a gateway to the iPhone, though, while the Pebble focuses more on being a watch with added functionality. So it will come down to software as to which device takes a dominant share of the market and, once again, it’s hard to see Apple losing that one.
It ties you into an iPhone for years to come, but we have to come down in favour of the Apple Watch, although you might need an old-school one for when the battery dies.
Do you own a smartwatch? Think the Pebble Time is a clear winner? Let us know @VPSNET.