Who needs Android Wear? Pebble app update brings actionable Android notifications and more
The Pebble app for Android is receiving an update today in the Google Play Store (version 2.3) that, in conjunction with the latest Pebble smartwatch firmware update (version 2.9), gives the world’s most popular smartwatch the ability to interact with notifications similar to Android Wear. Only Android devices running Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) or higher are supported, but according to Android’s latest numbers, that’s a good majority of currently active Android devices.
The best part is Pebble’s new actionable notifications actually offer something Android Wear smartwatches don’t: the ability to select customized canned responses. These are small phrases (up to 5) the user can customize and select without having to physically speak to their watch (not like the Pebble has a microphone anyway). Although voice recognition has improved greatly in recent years, it still has a way to go. There’s nothing more embarrassing than repeating the same phrase over and over to your watch while onlookers point and laugh.
Curious to see how Pebble’s actionable notifications compare to Android Wear’s? Our own Joe Fedewa put together a quick comparison video back when the update was still in beta. Check it out down below.
The update for the Android app also brings other notable improvements including auto-updating watch faces, support for most SMS messaging apps, and bug fixes relating to WhatsApp notifications. You can grab the update via the Google Play Store link below.