Samsung Gear 2 vs. Pebble comparison

Samsung has already launched the second smartwatch with the Gear 2. Pebble, on the other hand, is a small crowdfunding project. Find out what makes the smart watches tick in a direct comparison here.

1) Pebble - the crowdfunding watch

The pebble was released in early 2013. In March 2014, the Pebble boss announced that over 400, 000 copies of the smartwatch, originally funded by the crowdfinancing platform Kickstarter, had already been sold in 2012. The smart watch originally had a plastic case, but the Pebble Steel was followed at the beginning of this year by a deluxe version with a steel bracelet.

1. Compatibility: Thanks to app remote control or via Bluetooth, the Pebble communicates with both Android smartphones and iOS iPhones.
2. Display: Like an ebook reader, the Pebble smartwatch has an e-ink display that does not consume electricity as long as the image is not moving. The disadvantage is that the Pebble only offers a monochrome display.
3. Special features: The pebble is waterproof.
4. Apps: There are now over 1, 000 apps in Pebble's own store. The software kit is freely available to developers.
5. Price: The Pebble Smartwatch costs around 150 euros and is available as an import from third parties on Amazon. The new deluxe version Pebble Steel, on the other hand, costs around 350 euros.

2) Samsung Gear 2 - the 2.0 update without Galaxy

The predecessor of the Samsung Gear 2, the Galaxy Gear, came out in autumn 2013 and garnered mixed reviews at best. In spring 2014, the Gear 2 without Galaxy appeared in the name with numerous improvements.

1. Compatibility: In contrast to the first Gear smartwatch, which initially only wanted to work with three devices, the Gear 2 is already compatible with 17 other Samsung smartphones and tablets. Instead of Android, the Gear 2 uses the new smartwatch operating system Tizen OS, which is why the Galaxy name in the title was also dropped.
2. Display: The Samsung Gear 2 has a 1.63-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels.
3. Special features: The Gear 2 is also waterproof for up to 30 minutes of diving, and also also dust-proof to IP67. The smartwatch also offers a heartbeat monitor and a 2 megapixel camera with 720p video recording.
4. Apps: While only certain developers were allowed to create apps for the first Galaxy Gear, Samsung even released a developer kit for the successor and in a competition launched on May 8, the Smart App Challenge 2014, $ 1.25 million in prize money for Apps provided. Accordingly, the offer is larger than the Galaxy Gear.
5. Price: At around 300 euros, the Gear 2 is twice as expensive as the original Pebble, but around 50 euros cheaper than the current Pebble Steel.

Conclusion: Pebble Steel vs. Samsung Gear 2

The Pebble Steel and the Samsung Gear 2 are currently the most popular smartwatches, which are already very powerful, but also show how much potential the topic still has. The Pebble developers are already working on Flexi devices with which you will soon be able to remotely control your household appliances. Samsung has learned from the mistakes of the first generation of gear and is increasingly relying on apps because smartwatches are only as intelligent as apps allow them to be. If you want to control an iPhone, the Pebble is currently unrivaled as long as Apple does not present an iWatch. For a Galaxy S5 from SAmsung, however, the Gear 2 is the ideal addition. In addition, they are available without a camera for a little less than Gear 2 Neo for around 200 euros.

You can find out exactly which variants of Samsung Gear Smartwatches are available in the next CHIP practical tip.