There was a time when I dismissed the Pebble Steel as an original Pebble with a suit and tie. However, all it took was an enticing offer on eBay and a few days of daily driving it to realize that there's much more than to the Steel than its looks. In fact, it might just be an amazing deal for those looking for a basic but very attractive smartwatch on a budget! That is, as long as you are not particularly concerned about fitness tracking. So, is the Pebble Steel for you? Let's find out!
Design
Before we begin, I feel that it is important to clarify that this is technically more or less an original Pebble in a sleeker case. The only truly new feature besides the updated exterior is an RGB notification LED that seems to only be used as a charging status light.
As for the hardware redesign, it truly is very impressive. Gone are the rounded corners, replaced with sharper edges. This gives the watch a boxier look, and one we Pebble Pariahs quite like! The same goes for the buttons, which are fairly satisfying and easy to press. The frame of the watch itself is noticeably smaller than that of its predecessor, and it replaces the plastic used on that watch with metal and glass. This lends to the Steel's premium and classy aesthetic, as it makes it feel less like a nerdy toy and more like an expensive timepiece. Finally, the proprietary magnetic charging connector on the side of the watch has been updated, so it's not backward compatible with the original Pebble's charger. I found it to be a bit finicky, but it's still an improvement over the last one.
Overall, at least to us, the Steel's elegant and more compact design still looks and feels and feels great today. It's not too heavy or light, and the genuine leather band that came with mine is very comfortable.
If we do have one complaint regarding the Steel's design, it is that the three lugs on the top and bottom of the watch prevent you from using standard 22-millimeter bands like you could on the original Pebble. This is especially disappointing because this greatly reduces the bands you can choose from, and finding proprietary bands for the Steel will only get harder and harder over time. To conclude, we really wish that Pebble hadn't have done this, as it makes replacing the aging Pebble bands somewhat difficult.
Band disappointments aside, we still feel that the Steel's design is a major win. While looks may be subjective, we think most people will be happy with the Pebble Steel from a design standpoint.
Other Hardware
So far, we've only really covered the exterior of this watch. However, there's still the rest of the watch's hardware to cover. As I mentioned before, the internals are almost identical to the original Pebble. You still have the same low-resolution monochrome e-paper display, (though this doesn't detract from the user experience too much) ARM Cortex-M3 processor, waterproofing up to 5 ATM, and 150 mAh battery that still keeps my Pebble alive for days on a charge. Unfortunately, this does mean that the Steel can also suffer from the screen tearing issue that still plagues its forerunner, but at least it is fixable. In short, as far as specifications go, this is not at all a noticeable upgrade. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this also applies to the software.
Software
Both the original Pebble and Pebble Steel run the latest version of Pebble OS 3. To be clear, this is not the latest version of Pebble's operating system, but rather the latest version that these watches support. Therefore, assuming they are up to date, both the Steel and original Pebble should have identical software experiences.
Even if it may not be the latest and greatest software that Pebble has (or had) to offer, OS 3 is fairly snappy and intuitive nonetheless. With Rebble services, you can still easily find plenty of apps and watchfaces. Navigating through the software isn't too difficult, and while it certainly is pretty basic by today's standards, we tend to believe that this works in Pebble's favor. It's clear that Pebble was not intending to make a device that replaced your phone, but instead one that augmented it. Even now, we feel that this makes the Steel's software much simpler and more enjoyable to use than most modern smartwatches. No, you won't find all the snazzy features that newer watches have to offer, like replying to messages via voice, talking to virtual assistants, or doing any serious health tracking. However, as a simple notification mirror, stopwatch, timer, and media playback controller, the Steel does do a very good job. If you have an Android phone, you can even interact with and reply to some notifications, albeit with a canned response or emoji. To conclude, for basic smartwatch stuff, the Steel holds up very well.
That being said, the software is not perfect. My main issue with it is that it does not support Pebble Health. This is a shame because later Pebbles could record steps and sleep and sync it with the Pebble app. Better yet, you could even connect Google Fit or Apple HealthKit (depending on your platform) if you wanted to take advantage of those services as well. Sure, alternatives exist, but they lack the seamless integration with the Pebble app and other services that Pebble Health has. Thankfully, the Pebble Steel is hardly a sporty watch, and it's definitely not one that I would wear to bed, so I don't feel like this is a huge issue. Chances are, if you care first and foremost about fitness, you won't even be considering a Pebble anyway.
The Conclusion
It's easy to dismiss the Pebble Steel as a fancy redesign and nothing more. However, while this isn't entirely untrue, the Steel's sleek design and minimalist software make for a very compelling watch even today. This is especially true when you consider the impressively low prices that Pebble Steels sometimes go for secondhand on sites like eBay. Personally, I managed to snag mine for just about $30 (USD) with shipping, which is quite honestly a bargain for such a classy and capable watch.
To be clear, I'm not saying the Steel is for everyone. If fitness is even remotely a priority for you, you'll want to look elsewhere. There's also something to be said for paying a bit more and springing for the newer Pebble Time. It's nowhere near as premium-looking as the Steel, but it does bring Pebble Health and some other software perks. Of course, if you're interested in a premium Pebble and want something more advanced, you can always opt for a Time Steel or Time Round. That being said, neither of these tend to be particularly cheap on sites like eBay, so that does make them a bit less appealing.
In conclusion, if you don't care about fitness tracking, and if you want a stylish smartwatch that does most of the basics very well and doesn't break the bank, the Pebble Steel is a steal of a deal. It's not without its flaws, but we really like it anyway. While we can't say for sure, if you're willing to live with some of its shortcomings, we think you will, too.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and I hope this was helpful! Expect to see more posts soon.
- JohnS