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Smart Watches Do Much More Than Tell Time
At least initially, Apple Watch’s voice controls will be considerable more extensive, since wearers will be able to communicate freely with Siri, as well as control a wide range of watch and smartphone features, functions, and apps using their voice.
Both Apple Watch and Pebble Time are being supported by hundreds of third-party app developers, who are hard at work creating cutting-edge ways people will be able to use these smart watches in their everyday lives. While some of these apps are fitness, health, and medical-related, this is only the beginning.
These latest smart watches will take full advantage of their own built-in technologies, as well as the capabilities of the smartphone they are paired with, in order to provide the wearer with easy and convenient access to content and information, plus the ability to view and respond to text messages, emails, and in the case of Apple Watch, make and receive phone calls.
When an Apple Watch is linked with an iPhone, pretty much anything Siri can do, the Apple Watch can handle, without the user needing to physically touch their smartphone. Apple Watch will also serve as a feature-packed remote control for other equipment and devices, such as a camera, lights in a home, a vehicle, or Apple TV, for example.
Introduced in conjunction with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Watch will also support Apple Pay. Thus, wearers will be able to link their compatible credit card or debit card to the Apple Pay service, and use their watch to make retail purchases at thousands of retails stores and restaurants.
At least initially, Pebble Time will support online payments via PayPal, but how this will work at retail remains to be seen. Pebble has announced a partnership with Domino’s, for example, so pizzas can be ordered and paid for via the smart watch.
In terms of keeping the wearer up-to-date with weather forecasts, news headlines, stock market activity, sports scores and other information, the customizable watch faces on both Apple Watch and Pebble Time can display a wide range of user-selectable information, including details about incoming emails, text messages, as well as app-specific alerts, alarms, or notifications generated by their smartphone.
Apple Watch integrates seamlessly with of iOS 8’s preinstalled and third-party apps, including Contacts, Calendars, Notes, Reminders, Mail, Messages, Health, Camera, and Photos, for example. Pebble Time utilizes a unique Timeline interface that provides wearers with easy access to current, past, and future-related content and information based on simple button presses.
As a fitness device, both Apple Watch and Pebble Time can help you measure your activity, steps, calories burned, and workout-related information. However, Apple Watch has more advanced technology built into the watch itself, plus integrates with the Health app on the iPhone. Pebble Time has a built in 3D accelerometer, but offers compatibility with optional fitness devices, from companies like Fitbit.