智能手表Pebble Steel真机初体验

    在智能手机时代，手表的主要功能已经不再是显示时间了。不过Pebble Steel可不是手表——它是“智能手表”。它不是一件时尚饰品，而是智能手机的扩展部件。手机的通知会发送到你的腕表上，只需瞄一眼，你就能决定有没有必要从口袋或者包里掏出手机。

    在今年的国际消费电子展（International Consumer Electronics Show）上，Pebble团队没有获得展位，但这并不能阻止这家公司抢镜的企图。展览第一天，Pebble宣布将发布新一代以公司名称命名的智能手表。这款名为“Pebble Steel”的新产品使用了不锈钢外壳，令人联想起卡地亚（Cartier）标志性的Tank手表和Pebble团队的第一款智能手表inPulse，同时也给这款产品平添了高贵气质。在消费电子展上，无论我在和谁交谈，关于Pebble Steel的话题总是占了大半。大多数情况下，人们主要关心的是：这款新手表是否配得上那250美元的价格。

    我喜欢戴老款的Pebble，而且已经开始依赖它来提醒我接收重要的邮件或短信。尽管塑料外壳没什么值得夸耀的地方（而且还容易留下划痕），我却没有怨言。新款的Pebble Steel除了拥有金属外壳，还采用了康宁公司（Corning）的大猩猩玻璃（Gorilla Glass）来防止划痕。时髦的智能手机屏幕使用的就是这种玻璃材料。新款的外壳比老款稍微小一点，但是质量更重。戴在手腕上的感觉则差不多轻便。我戴着它在城里走动的时候，陌生人和朋友们都会问到它。

    Steel的防水等级是5 ATM（ATM意为“大气压”，压力大约等同于水深50米），续航时间与老款Pebble一样，都是5至7天。手表的左侧有着新式的磁性充电口和一个按钮，右侧则有用于导航的另外三个按钮。表盘内有一个Pebble标志，显得有点突兀。（我希望它不存在。）屏幕下方有一个红绿蓝三色的二极管，但它只用来当作充电的指示灯。我不理解，开发者为什么不给它赋予更多的用途。手表整体具有金属质感，拥有黑色的亚光表面。无论你选择了哪种颜色，都会得到两条表带，一条是黑色皮革的，另一条则是金属的。

    这里我就要提到Pebble Steel的第一个缺点：表带的兼容性。Pebble Steel并没有采用标准的22毫米表带，而是使用了专门的表带。直到第三方公司开始生产定制表带之前，你都只能用Pebble希望你用的这两种。

    The Pebble Steel (left) and the original Pebble watch.

    In the age of the smartphone, wristwatches are no longer worn primarily as timekeepers. But the Pebble Steel isn't a watch -- it's a "smartwatch." Instead of serving as a fashion accessory, the Pebble Steel acts as an extension of your smartphone. Notifications are sent to your wrist, requiring only a glance to decide if you need to reach into your pocket or bag for your phone.

    The Pebble team didn't have a booth at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show, but that didn't stop the company from trying to steal the spotlight. On the first day of the show, Pebble announced it would release a new version of its eponymous smartwatch. Dubbed the "Pebble Steel," the device would bring an air of sophistication to the company's lineup by using a stainless steel housing that recalls the lines of Cartier's iconic Tank watch and the inPulse, the team's first foray into smartwatches, in equal measure. No matter who I talked to at CES, the Pebble Steel took up the bulk of our conversation. For most, the main concern was whether or not the new watch warranted the $250 price tag.

    I enjoyed wearing the original Pebble, and came to rely on it to notify me of important e-mails or text messages. Though the plastic housing wasn't anything to boast about (and prone to scratches), I had no complaints. Aside from its metal housing, the new Pebble Steel carries Corning's Gorilla Glass for scratch protection, just like a modern smartphone. The new enclosure is a tad smaller than the original Pebble, but heavier. On the wrist, the Steel feels as light as its predecessor. Strangers and friends alike inquired about it when I wore it around town.

    The Steel offers the same 5 ATM (as in "atmospheres"; it translates to a depth of about 50 meters) waterproof rating and the same 5 to 7 day battery life as the original Pebble. On the left side of the watch is a magnetic charging port -- new for this model -- and a button. On the right side there are three additional buttons for navigation. Inside the bezel, there is a Pebble logo, which feels out of place. (I would have preferred none at all.) Just below the display is a single RGB LED light that acts only as a charging indicator, though I don't see why it couldn't be used by developers in other ways. The watch comes in metallic and black matte finishes. Whatever color you choose, you'll get two bands: One that's black leather, the other made of metal links.

    Which brings me to the first drawback of the Steel: Watchband compatibility. Instead of using a standard 22-millimeter band, the Steel uses a proprietary band. Until third-party companies start making custom bands, you're stuck with the bands Pebble wants you to have.