Our Gadgets
In her fir st month wi th this stylish smartwatch, Claire Davie s hope s she won’t have to go round in circ les to navigate it
SPECIFICATIONS
PRICE €299.99 (£236) url pebble.com face dimensions (W x l x d) 38.5 x 38.5 x 7.5mm Band wi dth 14mm or 20mm Wei ght 28g or 32g Batter y life Two days Water-resistance rating IPX7 Compatibility Android 4.3+, iOS 8+
I’ve been offered a few smartwatches on long-term test, but some have felt huge on my wrist, while others have had a masculine design that’s looked out of place on me. I’m not saying I want diamonds or gender-stereo-typing pink accents, but something smaller and lightweight would be welcome.
Step forward, the Time Round, the latest addition to Pebble’s range of smartwatches, shipping to UK customers late last year. When we first covered this wearable in T3, we made a big deal about how it was the lightest, thinnest smartwatch in the world at that time (it may still be). Well, I can confirm that it is, indeed, lightweight – I have bracelets that are heavier than this thing!
It comes in two strap widths – 14mm or 20mm – and a range of colour combinations, depending on which strap size you opt for. However, you can personalise your watch, and therefore expand the style options of both sizes, by buying an extra strap (think steel, leather or metal, with prices starting from ¤34.95/£27.55).
For this test, I have the rose gold with white leather model. The strap is comfortable and adjustable, with a polished stainless-steel buckle; although, as with most leather watch straps, it creases easily. The marine-grade steel chassis and bezel are stunning, too.
The watch arrived in a small box that included a USB
“I can confirm that the Time Round is lightweight – I have bracelets that are heavier”
charging cable and instructions. With Bluetooth activated on my phone, I downloaded the Pebble Time app (iOS for me), switched on the watch and held it next to my phone. The watch synced quickly, and I left it to charge for several hours until a message appeared on the display telling me that it was fully juiced. Soon I was into the app, choosing my watchface (I chose PrismClock) and looking at the available apps (more on that next month).
The watch has a pleasingly simple, four-button design. There are three buttons on the right-hand side, and pressing the middle button directed me into the main menu. In Settings, I was able to adjust the intensity of the display’s backlight, the length of timeout (before the backlight dims) and the screen alignment to suit my personal tastes.
In terms of set-up, that was pretty much it, so I strapped on the watch and went about my day, leaving the Time Round to ping me smart notifications and track my activity.