Situation with Smartwatches - GDR3 and 8.1

[Lloyyd]

I love my 1020, I love WP8. But there is this point where I am getting crazy because I want something new: I want a Smartwatch.

I really really want one because I can clearly see how it's going to make my life more comfortable. And I love comfort.

But now I'm sitting against a wall with my Lumia. Because the Pebble that I want isn't really talking with the Lumia that much right now.

SO. I need you to help me. I've searched the whole web and I know that there isn't much information about this, BUT, I want to collect EVERY information about the Bluetooth and System Issues with WP that are there right now and will be fixed with future Updates.

This shouldn't be a discussion about the actual working parts or other Smartwatches that will/should run.. I've checked almost everyone and there is a big lack of information as I see.

So, here's what I know right now:

-- Current INFO

Nokia Black will get Bluetooth 4.0 LE support - and 8.1 will fix the issue with the system for not allowing 3rd party apps to access incominc calls/sms. (right?)
If this all will be available someday - like I think the only part left will be the Pebble SDK open for WP (right?)

-- Current INFO END --

(by the way, I think you can change Pebble with any other Smartwatch)

My question here right now and I will edit this post always to show everybody instantly the current situation with WP8 devices and Smartwatches.

Please let us fill this post. I'm getting really frustrated right now because I'm thinking about getting an iPhone 5S for working with the Pebble until the support for WP comes. And my wife would kill me, but f*** that. =D

Regards,
Martin

 

[N_LaRUE]

Have you looked into this?

Have a Pebble? Here's what you can do with it on Windows Phone | Windows Phone Central

 

[N_LaRUE]

Apparently the official app isn't too far away.

 

[manicottiK]

I love my 1020, I love WP8. But there is this point where I am getting crazy because I want something new: I want a Smartwatch.

There's also Agent, which is still in development. The creator of it is a Lumia owner, which explains why Agent charges via Qi. It looks more like a regular watch because the tech guy is working with an actual watch designer. Since it's already funded, you can't get in now, but you can follow progress to see when you might be able to buy one. More info at AGENT - The World's Smartest Watch

 

[Lloyyd]

Have you looked into this?

Have a Pebble? Here's what you can do with it on Windows Phone | Windows Phone Central

Yes, I've seen that and I already downloaded the app on my Lumia because I'm going to order a Pebble on next week probably.
But Twitter and Calendar notification isn't really making it at this point. I know it's not the developers fault so also I'm also reading the thread from the developer for the app. I'm sitting there calm and waiting for more changes, but I think it will take much time until we will have the same functionallity as other OS..

 

[Lloyyd]

There's also Agent, which is still in development. The creator of it is a Lumia owner, which explains why Agent charges via Qi. It looks more like a regular watch because the tech guy is working with an actual watch designer. Since it's already funded, you can't get in now, but you can follow progress to see when you might be able to buy one. More info at AGENT - The World's Smartest Watch

Yes, I've seen that one too. Sadly too less information yet on the website and I don't know yet how the Agent will have more access in WP than the Pebble - I think it still lacks there with the OS - so sadly we will have to wait with that one until we're able to judge..

 

[Lloyyd]

Apparently the official app isn't too far away.

Are there any official hints that you know? I would really love to see! I also think like that, but it's more like "hoping" than "knowing" ) would be great though..

edit says: sorry for 3 posts - i wanted to answer on every directly..

 

[badplanet]

So, here's what I know right now:
-- Current INFO

Nokia Black will get Bluetooth 4.0 LE support - and 8.1 will fix the issue with the system for not allowing 3rd party apps to access incominc calls/sms. (right?)
If this all will be available someday - like I think the only part left will be the Pebble SDK open for WP (right?)

-- Current INFO END --

Unfortunately, I don't think we know this. I have not heard MS confirm access to incoming phone calls and SMS for 3rd party apps. I think no one wants this as much as me. I answer emails and forum posts every day from people who want incoming phone calls and SMS from my WP8 app to the Pebble watch and I have to explain that it is not possible right now but hopefully we will get this capability with WP8.1.

 

[Lloyyd]

Unfortunately, I don't think we know this. I have not heard MS confirm access to incoming phone calls and SMS for 3rd party apps. I think no one wants this as much as me. I answer emails and forum posts every day from people who want incoming phone calls and SMS from my WP8 app to the Pebble watch and I have to explain that it is not possible right now but hopefully we will get this capability with WP8.1.

Yeah haha, I'm reading some of your threads also on the pebble forum
i think MS has to react because as you can see there are plenty of users who really are interested in a smartwatch. And when it comes to the point where the people would even switch to another OS to have access, then there won't be another chance for MS.
Could be possible that MS only wants their own smartwatch to have full access but I don't know, I don't think that they're like Samsung in this way..

but at the end all we can do is hope and wait.

 

[manicottiK]

I have not heard MS confirm access to incoming phone calls and SMS for 3rd party apps.

I assumed that the watch presented itself to the phone as a Bluetooth headset so that it knew when calls were coming. How does Pebble present itself to the iPhone or Android?

 

[Lloyyd]

@bacplanet: will the new BT 4.0 with LE bring you any steps forward or will it offer you new ways for development?

 

[badplanet]

I assumed that the watch presented itself to the phone as a Bluetooth headset so that it knew when calls were coming. How does Pebble present itself to the iPhone or Android?

Currently with Windows Phone 8 we identify ourselves as an Android phone. Android uses only SPP (Serial Port Profile) because on Android apps have access to virtually every notification. That way the Pebble just needs to communicate with one protocol. Much simpler for the watch and the Android app.
If the Pebble did use the Bluetooth HFP and AVRCP you would get incoming call notifications from Windows Phone 8 and be able to control the music from the watch without an app on WP8. This is why some of the other watches (I think the Metawatch does this but I don't have one to test) and the cheap $30 notification bracelets they sell on ebay work with WP8.

 

[badplanet]

@bacplanet: will the new BT 4.0 with LE bring you any steps forward or will it offer you new ways for development?

Unfortunately, I do not think so. The problem is not the communcation with the Pebble over Bluetooth. It is access to incoming phone calls, SMS and emails from WP8. Now the new version of the Pebble watch does support BT 4.0/LE for notifications from an iPhone to the Pebble but they do not do that for Android. We have to identify WP8 as Android to the Pebble to get it to work with our phones. I thought I heard that since there are so many different BT variations in all the flavors of Android, Pebble is not rushing to do anything different than they do today over SPP. Until Pebble explicitly supports WP8 we are kind of hitched to Android.

 

[Lloyyd]

So I understand that the big part should be coming from Pebble? Their SDK needs to get open for WP.
You think we have big chances for that?

btw: I will edit the first post with every information so that incoming searchers will see everything at the top.

 

[badplanet]

So I understand that the big part should be coming from Pebble? Their SDK needs to get open for WP.
You think we have big chances for that?

btw: I will edit the first post with every information so that incoming searchers will see everything at the top.

I think we need MS to update WP8 first. In a Reddit AMA, Pebble said that the reason they cannot support WP8 is the lack of a way to intercept notifications from the phone like incoming SMS and emails. If my app had a way to intercept those notifications today it could forward those notifications to the Pebble without Pebble providing an app. In both my apps I have a way to send test phone call, SMS and other notifications to the Pebble with no Pebble app.

The way the Pebble SDK works is Pebble provides an app that runs all the time on the phone in the background and it handles all Bluetooth communications with the Pebble. That app watches for incoming phone calls, SMS, emails and other notifications and sends the notifications to the phone. Third party apps like mine would not communicate directly with the Pebble as they do today, they would just communicate with the Pebble app and the Pebble app would send the notifications to the Pebble.

I'm not sure the Pebble watch could handle open connections from more that one app on the phone at the same time. This is why you see so many Pebble apps on IOS and Android, they do not have to handle any of the messy Bluetooth communications as they just talk to the background Pebble app via the Pebble api. I think if 3rd party apps were doing the Bluetooth communications, the Pebble app would need to be stopped. (I don't know this for a fact, just speculating as I have not seen the source code for any of the 3rd party IOS and Android apps.)

 

[Rainey Land]

Here's another option....

kreyos - bing it....

 

[anon(5340153)]

Here's another option....

kreyos - bing it....

No WP app yet, even though they say it is Coming Soon (TM).

 

[Eye Freely]

Here's another option....

kreyos - bing it....

no app, build quality is rubbish, doesn't work in all regards at this point. Much rage on the internets....