One week, 15.8 million dollars, and more than 63,000 backers – that is the success of Pebble Time’s fundraising efforts for their newest Kickstarter campaign that is causing internet havoc.
With the new Apple Watch set to launch the week of March 9th everyone’s curious who the top-dog is and where their money should go.
So which one should you choose?
Tech in Motion Orange County members weighed in on the Pebble Time vs. Apple Watch debate and here’s what they have to say:
Albert Qian – History will repeat itself
“Apple knows that it has the device market cornered. After all, competitors shudder in fear upon product announcements, and none was more clear during the holiday season for another competitor, FitBit, upon the announcement of the Apple Watch. While I and manyothers received FitBits for Christmas, I also predicted that this would probably be their last profitable holiday with the wearable from Cupertino waiting from the wings the following Spring.
The choice is pretty clear: Apple Watch. While Pebble presents formidable competition, popularity, and a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign to boot, Apple has proven time and time again that it owns an ecosystem that integrates technology, user experience, and quantified self all in one place. They did it with the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad -- and they'll do it again with Apple Watch simply because they know that people want convenience, no hassle, and they are willing to shell out the extra dollars to do it.”
Chris Walery - Tried and true over new and shiny
"My take on the smart watch is simple, I need something that fulfills its first/main task as priority number one…being a watch. If a smartwatch requires a shake of the wrist to turn on then it’s no use to me as a watch guy. That reason alone gives the Pebble Time my nod, since it’s e-ink it is always on and its battery lasts up to 7 days which is also crucial to me. Tried and true (Pebble) over new and shiny (Apple) will always be my moto."
Michal Duong – Trading the Beast for the Beauty
“I’d like to preface that I currently own one of the original Pebble watches. Although I followed Pebble when it was first starting out on Kickstarter in April of 2012, I was not intrigued enough to buy in at the time. Fast forward to August 2014, I’ve decided to take a plunge and get a smartwatch to help me manage all the notifications from my iPhone allowing me to work productively without distractions. For months, I loved everything about the Pebble I have. Then came the day I set my eyes on the Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch – an elegant, exotic, technologically advanced timepiece. Let’s be honest, even though the Pebble can do a lot of great things, it doesn’t look all that attractive on a wrist. The Apple Watch on the other hand is a beauty and is capable of doing all the things the Pebble is known for as well. Even with the looming release of the Pebble Time, a color version of the one I have, it’s still not enough to sway me from the Apple ecosystem; and I am far from an Apple fan(boy).”
Corey Greth – Ferrari over Prius
“I believe the Pebble Time is being hyped up from an underdog storyline. Yes the Pebble is much cheaper and the battery life is much longer; however, the additional features, higher quality material and exquisite design of the Apple Watch must also be accounted for. It’s like comparing a Prius to a Ferrari and bragging about how great the gas mileage is on the Prius. There are many differentiating factors between the two watches; which make a direct comparison difficult. The classy design, retna display and intuitive features made my decision on purchasing the Apple Watch rather simple!”
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