Pebble is quite possibly the most well known smartwatch out there, but unfortunately it doesn’t quite hold up to the hype for most people. Luckily, they are still updating it, meaning that new features, new compatibility, and new functions are still being added in. So, if you happened to spend $150 on your Pebble, or are looking forward to it in the future, then you’re in luck. The Pebble is the smart watch that will keep on giving, because it’s now getting a couple of very cool new features.
Pebble Appstore
probably the most exciting update for Pebble watch owners is that the smartwach is getting its very own app store. While there has been an unofficial one for some time (allpebble.com), the new app store is official and expected to hit the internet in early 2014. The apps, which will all (obviously) work on Pebble, will be available via the official Pebble app on your iOS or Android smartphone. The new app store will be divided into six categories with ‘Daily’, ‘Remotes’, ‘Sports & Fitness’, ‘Notifications’, ‘Utilities’, and ‘Games’ on the list. An app store, especially with Pebble’s open SDK, is one of the most exciting things they could have done, because it allows Pebble owners to add a lot more features and functions to their smartwatch. While we don’t yet know what will be in the store, we will let you know when it launches.
Do Not Disturb
Another new function on Pebble is a ‘do not disturb’ function. This literally allows you to turn off updates for a period of time so that you can go through a meeting or dinner undisturbed. This is definitely a great function, especially for something that you wear on your wrist.
New Firmware
Pebble released a new firmware update on December 12th to include a number of updated features and functions. While nothing is really new, the whole update is designed to increase performance and make the smartwatch run more smoothly. Among the changes are improved performance with iOS, such as immediate searching for an iOS device after exiting airplane mode, faster notifications, and smoother performance. Notification control has also been updated, with changes to include specific notifications such as ‘phone calls only’ or ‘all notifications’. Caller ID now displays after a missed call, snooze is now a feature for alarm users, and you can now create multiple alarms at once. In addition, there were more than a few bug fixes, so the new firmware should be better than ever.
While most of the updates to the Pebble are not major, they definitely make a splash when it comes to using the device. Best of all, the new updates are completely free, and easy to use, to the more than 100,000 people who have already purchased their Pebble can get the updates. While the Pebble isn’t the best smart watch on the planet, it is pretty decent for the price, especially since you can buy it now. Plus, the new appstore will make it more fun than ever, so you can get more for your money.
