cmc/cleberg.net

  1#+date:        [2022-04-09 Sat 00:00:00]
  2#+title:       PineTime: Open Source Smartwatch Overview
  3#+description: An overview of the PineTime open-source smartwatch and what it can do.
  4#+slug:        pinetime
  5#+filetags:    :linux:
  6
  7* PineTime Product Information
  8
  9** Overview
 10
 11The [[https://www.pine64.org/pinetime/][PineTime]] is an open-source smartwatch, created by [[https://www.pine64.org][PINE64]]. Originally
 12announced in September 2019, this ARM-based watch is a fantastic option for
 13users who want the benefits of a modern smartwatch with the backing of
 14open-source components and software.
 15
 16** Product Specifications
 17
 18I won't dive into too many details that you can find on [[https://www.pine64.org/pinetime/][the product page]], but I
 19wanted to point out the prices for each watch and the primary functions:
 20
 211. Price:
 22
 23   - $26.99 (Sealed)
 24   - $24.99 (Dev Kit)
 25   - $51.98 (One Sealed + One Dev Kit)
 26
 272. Primary Functionality:
 28
 29   - Clock (+ Smartphone Sync)
 30   - Pedometer
 31   - Heart Rate Monitor
 32   - Sleep Monitor
 33   - Calories burned
 34   - Messaging
 35   - Smartphone Notifications
 36   - Media Controls
 37
 38* Unboxing
 39
 40Now, my PineTime was ordered on 2022-02-17, shipped on 2022-02-22, and was
 41delivered on 2022-03-23. With the current delays on shipping times around the
 42world (and the semiconductor shortage), a month for delivery from China seems
 43reasonable to me.
 44
 45The packaging is simple, and the watch comes with instructions, technical
 46information, the watch, and a charger (it does not include a USB wall adapter).
 47
 48The watch itself was able to turn on immediately when I pulled it out of the
 49box, but the battery was depleted and required charging right away.
 50
 51* Software
 52
 53** Watch Operating System (OS): InfiniTime
 54
 55While turning on the watch for the first time, some of the main design choices
 56you can see in the watch OS, [[https://wiki.pine64.org/wiki/InfiniTime][InfiniTime]], are:
 57
 58- A square bezel, not too thin against the sides of the watch.
 59- A simple, rubber band.
 60- Basic font and screen pixel design.
 61- Swipe gestures to access other screens.
 62
 63The OS itself is fantastic in terms of functionality for me. It does exactly
 64what a smartwatch should do - track time, steps, heart rates, and connect to
 65another smart device, without being overly burdensome to the user.
 66
 67My only gripe so far is that it's /really/ difficult to swipe to different
 68screens, such as pulling down the notification tray. I'm not sure if this is an
 69OS or hardware issue, but it makes it quite hard to quickly move around the
 70screens.
 71
 72However, my absolute favorite design choice is that the button the side turns
 73the screen on and off and tilting/waving my wrist doesn't accidentally turn on
 74the screen. With other watches, I absolutely hated not being able to turn off
 75the raise-to-wake or wave features (i.e., blinding myself while wearing a watch
 76at night because I moved my arm).
 77
 78** iOS App: InfiniLink
 79
 80Since I am using iOS as my primary mobile device OS, I am using the [[https://github.com/xan-m/InfiniLink][InfiniLink]]
 81app to connect my watch.
 82
 83This app provides the following for PineTime owners:
 84
 85- Firmware updates
 86- Steps
 87- Charts
 88- Notifications
 89
 90Another big feature of InfiniLink is the ability to track pedometer steps in a
 91collection of beautiful graphs, with the option to change your step goal and add
 92in manual steps.
 93
 94Finally, there are charts to display the battery percentage and heart rates over
 95time. This area also comes with an option to clear data.
 96
 97* Final Thoughts
 98
 99** Pros
100
101After wearing my watch for a few weeks, I have mostly positive thoughts about
102the watch so far. In the past, I have owned smartwatches by FitBit, Fossil,
103Apple, etc. - *but I prefer the PineTime over all of those watches*.
104
105The PineTime strips out all the unnecessary features and performs the functions
106that it provides effectively and efficiently.
107
108The battery life is amazing on this device. By default, the watch seems to last
109anywhere from a few days to a week before dying.
110
111And of course, it's open source and backed by some of the most dedicated
112enthusiasts and developers I've seen. Watching the Matrix channel, forums, and
113website have been exciting to see.
114
115** Cons
116
117If I had to complain about anything, it would simply be the small bugs in some
118features that can be contributed to the companion apps more than the watch
119itself.
120
121A regular user would want native notification support out-of-the-box, which is
122the biggest item not working for me at the moment.
123
124My only other complaint is that the battery indicator on the watch doesn't seem
125accurate when it's nearing depletion - it seems that there's a bit of battery
126life left and then my watch is dead very suddenly after. This could just be me
127misinterpreting the battery level icons, but it has fooled me a few times into
128thinking I had more battery left than I actually did.
129
130Other than those small items, I really do love this watch and am glad I replaced
131my Apple Watch with the PineTime.