Pebble's latest device, the Time Round, is a great smartwatch.
It's the thinnest and lightest smartwatch available, and it's a great alternative choice to Pebble's relatively thick and chunky smartwatches. The company said it built the Time Round because its thinner design and round face will be more likely to appeal to women.
That said, the Time Round isn't just for women. I've been wearing an all-black model that's totally compatible for both genders. (And there are a variety of strap sizes and colors to choose from for more customization.)
But besides the looks, the $250 Time Round functions just like Pebble's other smartwatches, delivering notifications from your iPhone or Android device to your wrist on an "e-paper" display with limited colors (think: Kindle, not iPad). It's not as sharp or vibrant as the Apple Watch, but the tradeoff is a far better battery life and slimmer design.
The Time Round is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
That used to be one of Pebble's key differentiators over the competition, but now that Google's Android Wear smartwatches are compatible with iOS devices, it's pretty much standard with everything but the Apple Watch.
You'll find the usual Pebble features, like Timeline, which shows your upcoming events and certain notifications (like sports scores from the teams you follow). You can also check the weather, control your music, and receive notifications. Pebble just announced a new text messaging feature for iOS devices where you can send short texts through the watch.
There are also a bunch of apps you can use for tracking fitness, getting an Uber, or even controlling your Wi-Fi connected devices at home, like the Nest thermostat. All of those require a connection to your phone, though.
The e-paper screen helps the Time Round with an unbeatable battery life relative to non-Pebble smartwatches. I can get about three days worth of battery until I need to charge it. That's a lot better than the Apple Watch's one-day battery life.
If you're familiar with Pebble's smartwatches, you'll notice that the Time Round's battery life is shorter than previous models, which could work up to seven days on a single charge. The Time Round's battery life is shorter because of its smaller form factor. It's a necessary compromise to get it this thin and light.
Another drawback: Unlike other Pebble watches, the Time Round isn't waterproof. It can handle small splashes from the sink or the rain, but you can't go swimming or bathe with it.
While the e-paper screen has its battery-saving benefits, it isn't pretty compared to other smartwatches with full-color displays. The display is also tiny, which doesn't encourage me to use the Time Round for anything more than checking the time, controlling music, and getting notifications.
All of that would be fine if it wasn't for the Time Round's minimum asking price: $250.
While I actually really like controlling my music and getting my notifications from the Time Round, it's not really a problem worth spending $250 on to solve — even moreso given the small, pixelated screen. And even if I used all the Time Round's features and apps, I'd rather save the money: I can do everything it does on my phone. And that's the Pebble Time's critical flaw.
The Time Round is a great smartwatch, but it's up to you if $250 is worth it. It isn't for me.
