Pebble Time Smartwatch - Black

While several companies are trying to create a breakthrough in the smartwatch market, Pebble is keeping things nice and simple for people like me who prefer simplicity over anything else. I say hello to the Pebble Time Smartwatch, a very simple, and probably amongst the cheapest smartwatches in this list.

Opening the box surprised me through and through, the watch was simply put in the box, and looked very minimal. It comes in a rubber band strap, or a steel strap for those who want to have a choice. The watch I have comes with the steel strap, and I must say, it looks premium for the price.

The Pebble Time Smartwatch has an always-on reflective colour display that looks good enough, but is on the dimmer side when you are looking at it under direct sunlight. It also comes with water resistance, allowing you to wear the watch even in the showers or in the rain.

I am pleased to say that the watch also happens to have a pretty decent battery time, it lasted me 4 days. However, I have to point the fact out that the use was not constant since I charged the watch in between the days but never charged it to the full. Still, it goes without saying that the battery timing is good.

The watch also has onboard storage that can hold slew of your favourite apps that are compatible with the watch’s OS. While I do not mind a watch without inbuilt storage, having this feature is a good thing. Obviously, with all the storage, you can store whatever you want on the watch, and load it with apps.

Another interesting thing I like about this watch is the fact that it can support watch faces that are built for both Android and iOS. Meaning that you will never run out of these faces when it comes to customizing your watch the way you prefer. Majority of the supported apps are also free.

There are some things that I do not like about the Pebble Time though; the fitness trackers are there along with all the sensors; the apps they use look very unpolished. The display is also a bit dim in broad day light, and gets hard to read.

Another concern that I have to raise is that despite the fact that there are countless watch faces and apps, the quality is a mix. You can find some really amazing apps and watch faces right next to some really bad ones, and sometimes a lot of bad ones at the same time.

Lastly, my biggest issue with the smartwatch is related to the fact that there is no touchscreen on it. This makes the navigation a bit difficult for me, especially when I just want to get things done.

In conclusion, the Pebble Time smartwatch is a great option for people who are looking for the best smartwatch under $100. It’s inexpensive, looks simple, has a lot of features, and a long battery life. Some minor inconveniences cannot hold a candle against the watch.