Pebble is ceasing all hardware operations. We are no longer manufacturing, promoting, or selling any new products. Active Pebble models in the wild will continue to work.
Crazy that their deal was basically "kill everything and work for us" and not more of an "absorb the brand and refocus new efforts towards the parent brand and phase out Pebble operations"
I can appreciate the benefits of killing it dead quickly and getting on with it. I'm sure in the processs some people will be upset but perhaps its avoiding a more drawn out suffering?
You buy a company for usually one of these things: 1. Their customers 2. Their brand 3. Their proprietary technology 4. Their people 5. Their revenue stream
Fitbit has 1, 2, 3 covered by their own teams. 5 was probably nonexistent for Pebble. That leaves 4.
This was an acquihire (in my personal opinion). They'll put the people responsible for UX and software/apps/ecosystem into the fitbit ecosystem to make incremental improvements and protect their turf.
I am very happy I went with an original Moto 360. It's a little bulky but it doesn't bother me. I got a good deal on it. It's lasted two years now with no issues and still gets 2 full days of battery. It isn't getting the new Android Wear OS update but it does the core things I need it to to (notifications, SMS/hangout replies, GPS, email reading) really really well.
At this point I'll just get the next Apple Watch. Apple broke their usual pattern of having v2.0 of their product be amazing. First iPhone = bleh. iPhone 3G = whoah! iPod physical wheel bleh. iPod touch wheel yay!
iWatch 1 bleh. iWatch 2 bleh also? It's more like iWatch 1.5. Give me the real deal iWatch 2.0.
I really love my Pebble and its week long battery life. I bought it for $25 at an anime con swap meet and it has never left my wrist but to charge it once a week. This is the first watch I have worn in more than five years.
I ordered a Pebble Time as soon as I found out about the buyout.
I really love my Pebble and its week long battery life. I bought it for $25 at an anime con swap meet and it has never left my wrist but to charge it once a week. This is the first watch I have worn in more than five years.
I ordered a Pebble Time as soon as I found out about the buyout.
Yeah, I've really like my Pebble Time Steel. I'm going to enjoy it until the next iOS update borks it.
At this point I'll just get the next Apple Watch. Apple broke their usual pattern of having v2.0 of their product be amazing. First iPhone = bleh. iPhone 3G = whoah! iPod physical wheel bleh. iPod touch wheel yay!
iWatch 1 bleh. iWatch 2 bleh also? It's more like iWatch 1.5. Give me the real deal iWatch 2.0.
I'm debating if I even want to replace it. I haven't really taken to this smartwatch thing that well. When my wrist buzzes I still check my phone.
This was an acquihire (in my personal opinion). They'll put the people responsible for UX and software/apps/ecosystem into the fitbit ecosystem to make incremental improvements and protect their turf.
Fitbit began sending job offers to about 40 percent of Pebble’s employees in the last week. Most of these are software engineers. Very few Pebble interface designers were offered jobs and hardware teams were not offered positions, the people said. Some staff who didn’t get an offer will be given severance packages, one of the people said.
Comments
I can appreciate the benefits of killing it dead quickly and getting on with it. I'm sure in the processs some people will be upset but perhaps its avoiding a more drawn out suffering?
1. Their customers
2. Their brand
3. Their proprietary technology
4. Their people
5. Their revenue stream
Fitbit has 1, 2, 3 covered by their own teams. 5 was probably nonexistent for Pebble. That leaves 4.
This was an acquihire (in my personal opinion). They'll put the people responsible for UX and software/apps/ecosystem into the fitbit ecosystem to make incremental improvements and protect their turf.
iWatch 1 bleh. iWatch 2 bleh also? It's more like iWatch 1.5. Give me the real deal iWatch 2.0.
I ordered a Pebble Time as soon as I found out about the buyout.
I basically never take my phone out of my pocket anymore unless I have to type a detailed response to something.