with the portion SmartWatch Apple Worldwide Developers Conference opening last week.
Apple seemed to have taken a page directly from the playbook of Pebble with a feature of Apple Watch called Time Travel. Coming this fall watchOS 2 Time Travel will allow users to move digital clock Corona information for past or future, directly from the main clock face. A forward shift, for example, could show the weather forecast tomorrow, and a scroll backwards could reveal the score of last night's game.
Months earlier, Pebble had revealed a similar feature called Timeline as part of its new Pebble SmartWatch time. Pressing up or down on the watch's buttons, users can jump into the past or the future to see the bits of relevant information. Pebble clearly saw the timeline as an achievement in the SmartWatch software, with CEO Eric Migicovsky telling The Verge that was unlike anything Apple or Google came up with. "We found a new framework for its use as a model of interaction on the clock," he said in February.
Coincidence or not, Apple has taken a liking to this model of interaction too. But is Apple's version of the information based on the time a pale imitation, a blatant scam, or a smart iteration? Upon closer inspection, which is a combination of the three.
The priority of time
Before we dive in, let's step back and consider why Apple needed a function as Time Travel in the first place.
In my experience, clock Apple has been a beautiful piece of hardware with software deeply improper. While the design is sharper than any other SmartWatch in the market, even in the basic Sport Watch Apple I've been using for two weeks-watchOS can look very silly.
More collected in the obvious, such as confusing interface and slow applications, nonnative disadvantages (the latter of which should also be addressed by watchOS 2) Reviews. But my complaint is more fundamental: In regular use, I'm rarely compelled to do anything besides looking at the clock in the notification and checking the time. Everything else, from fighting with the application launcher to interfere with looks, feels like a waste of energy. You might as well just take my phone.
That is why the Timeline of Callao and son Apple Time travel stories important features. In Place of us just remember one Important events Through notifications, As Our phones already do, SmartWatch These features give us an overview of high level on demand. Son more powerful than notifications, but dig a Faster Than through applications or slide a through a look. In other words, child A good model of interaction SmartWatch UN para. Migicovsky Pebble was in place.
choose a time, any time
While Pebble and Apple seem to have created similar systems, in some ways they are very different.
With Time Travel, Apple's use of "complications" in the watch could allow users to combine data points to better prospects. Say, for example, you have a complication for sports scores, and one for the sports headlines. A quick scroll back in time might give the score and a summary of a line. WatchOS 2 preview Apple site gives an even simpler example, by the calendar and weather complications, you could see the weather forecast for tomorrow's meeting, just in case you are considering having out.
The robustness of the Apple platform also makes a big difference. Say you wanted to read more of this recapitulation game. A tap on the complication would let you dive into the application for a longer description, and from there you might even be able to send the story to your iPhone Transfer. You want to reschedule the meeting based on the weather? A brief chat with Siri could help you get that done. Although you can also launch applications from the timeline of Pebble, they are not so capable.
If there is an advantage to Pebble it is that the timeline is less limited in the amount of information that can reveal. Whereas Apple clock is limited by the complications of numbers that fit on the screen, you can not put in more than five at the moment with Pebble you can put as many data points in the timeline you want,
The fact that the timeline of Pebble is separate from the watch is also beneficial in a way that fits nicely Pebble Weather always on screen. At this time, my review unit Pebble time a photograph of Mega Man swinging on a blue background, and I would not have it any other way. With the clock Apple, four out of 10 watch faces are not compatible with the complications at all, and it seems that the next face of the watch Photo will not have complications either. The use of any of these faces mean neglecting Full Time Travel.
Where Apple stands
Beyond these theoretical distinctions, there are some differences in implementation to account, and this is difficult not to see Apple as the victor.
At this time, the timeline of Pebble does not have a lot of support developers have 21 applications that integrate with the timeline and, therefore, does not feel like the game-changing role might be. To be fair, it is too early for the Pebble time, but we can safely assume that Apple will have less problems for developers on board. Even before its launch, Apple clock accumulated more than 1,000 applications, many of the big names who have not played Pebble-and travel time given the opportunity to occupy prime real estate on the wrists of users.
Apple hardware also lends itself to a time-based interface, with the ability to move through time rather than having to repeatedly press the buttons. I do not get much use of the Digital Crown now is usually easier to just slide on the screen, but Time Travel could finally make this finale of hardware seems essential.
That does not mean that the imitation of Apple makes obsolete Pebble time. If you like the original Pebble always on screen and multi-day battery life, time Pebble is a good improvement. (My biggest complaints so far. The screen may appear dim when not in direct light, and the battery keeps falling short of the one-week run time advertised) I ordered Time Steel Pebble myself, I do not regret it.
At the same time, I can not fault Apple to run the software function signature of Callao. Here's how it works competition, and is now in Pebble to make your bright idea even better. Smarter win the watch.
