Pebble Steel Smartwatch review: No frills, no fuss, and certainly no additional glamor, the Pebble Steel is a premium smartwatch that has no microphone, no camera, and no always-on pedometer. But when it comes to good fulfilling its original purpose as both a watch and an extension of a smartphone, this gadget never fails to deliver.

After the rise of other smartwatches, the Pebble still is dubbed by CNET as the best watch to date. And here are five reasons why:

It is available to all smartphones.

The Pebble sends notifications such as calendar reminders, social media updates, text messages, weather reminders, and incoming calls from both Android and iOS smartphones. This is one of Pebble’s greatest advantages as Android Wears only work with Android phones, while Samsung Gears are only for Samsung devices. We’ll just have to wait and see if the upcoming Apple smartwatch can match this feature.

It has a fashionable body.

Like in other gadgets, simplicity is still the best design principle. And so is having a light built. The Pebble Steel is less bulky and less complicated. Appearing as a unisex watch, this gadget is very fashionable and comfortable to wear. However, the public will get to really know if it will still stand out when the Moto 360 Android Wear with the circular design comes out.

It is water-resistant and water-proof.

Recent Samsung and LG smartwatches are water-resistant. This means that they can be wet. But with the Pebble Steel, we are talking about going under water and plunging 5 ATM or 50 m down. This is a completely different ball game if you’re into sports.
It has a record-breaking stellar battery life.

After Pebbles claimed that its 140 mAh battery can last up to a week, CNET showed in its test that it can run up to 4 days. Still, that’s the longest run for a smartwatch. The latest Android Wears can only last for 2 or 3 days.

It can be viewed anytime, anywhere.

Many users complain that they are having difficulty viewing their smartwatches outside in direct sunlight. But because of the Pebble’s highly reflective 1.26-inch LCD display, it is still great for outdoors, while its shake-to-light LED backlight allows you to see it instantly any time.

“It currently has the best batch of watch faces, looks good, is easy to use, and lasts longer,” critiqued CNET on the Pebble Steel. The only complaint that we have about this piece is the high price. But other than that, this smartwatch proves that additional features do not really matter much as long as the device delivers its primary function.