After the success of Pebble and the Apple Watch more and more brands are jumping on the bandwagon launching their fitness bands disguised as smartwatches. We recently got the chance to check out the Pebble Impulse which comes with a squarish design, silicon watch straps, and an OLED display. Priced at INR 1,899, should you go for it? Let’s find out in our full review.
Pebble Impulse Specifications
Here are some essential specifications and features of the device.
- Bluetooth Version– 5.0
- Battery – 150mAh
- Display – 1.3-inch color OLED
- Waterproof – IP67
- Extra Features – Heart Rate Monitoring, BP Monitoring, SPO2 Monitoring, Workout monitoring
- Color – Black
Design
If you’ve by any chance looked at earlier pebble smartwatches or the Apple Watch, you would spot the similarities. The design is standard squarish with a clear polycarbonate shell covering the display curved towards the edges. Underneath the shell, you get to see the 1.3-inch color OLED display. Since there is no touch display here, you get a circular touch sensate button on the bottom to navigate through the menu.
Flipping the band, you would notice the heart rate sensor, along with the two contact pins used for charging it. Inside the box, you get the proprietary clip-on charger with the USB A input on the other end. Drawing our attention back to Pebble Impulse, you get watch-like wrist bands here, that are made out of high-quality silicone and wouldn’t irritate the skin during prolonged use.
Coming to the display, as previously mentioned, you get a premium 1.3-inch color OLED display. The Impulse has decent viewing angles and good sunlight legibility. The only gripe we have here is with the larger fonts and icons in the menu that look odd at times. That being said, we are quite impressed with what you are getting for in INR 2k.
Performance
Moving on to the performance, you get a bunch of nifty features like Heart Rate Monitoring, BP Monitoring, Workout monitoring and SPO2 Monitoring which is especially unheard at this price point.
The pairing process is simple. Just download the Lewfun app from the PlayStore/AppStore and follow the steps to pair up the band. Once paired, you will see four main tabs such as Status, Walking, Running and Cycling. You get access to the historical data and could keep a check on your active goals. The app is well built and robust with neatly defined menus and icons which is totally opposite on the band itself.
Coming to the tracking aspect, the band doesn’t have a built-in GPS and instead takes the GPS data from the smartphone it is paired to. During our running sessions, the distance tracking was spot on. The same could be said for heart rate monitoring and SPO2 levels. Though they are not up to the levels of medical-grade equipment but come close to it with close to 92% accuracy.
Moving on to the battery, you get a 150mAh cell on the Impulse which according to the brand should last you 7 days but in our tests, the band lasted just 5 days with the continuous Heart Rate monitoring turned on. So, in theory, if continuous HR is turned off, you get easily hit the claimed numbers. In terms of charging speeds, the band topped up in under 2 hours.
Pros
- Color Display
- IP 67 rating
- Continuous HR monitoring
- SPO2 monitoring (Blood Oxygen level monitor)
Cons
- Charging option could be better
- Tracking algorithm needs a little work
Verdict – Should you buy it?
Priced at INR 1,899, the Pebble Impulse packs in a punch. You get a smartwatch like design with sturdy straps, a nice OLED display with a host of fitness-related sensors. The only issue we had was with the navigations options on the band which need a little tweaking.
The only similar product currently in the market providing you all these features at a similar cost will be the newly launched Honor Band 5i.