Pebble teardown deems smartwatch unrepairable, long-lasting
updated 09:39 am EDT, Wed March 13, 2013
Adhesive for waterproofing partly to blame
A teardown of the Pebble smartwatch found it to be a fairly unrepairable device, though its expected longevity is a saving grace. The team at iFixit declined to give the Pebble a repairability score due to its uniqueness, but did praise the combination of its low-power e-paper display and weekly charging cycle, which gives the non-replaceable battery a lifespan of between six and ten years.
The waterproofing, allowing the Pebble to operate in water as deep as 165 feet, used a sufficiently high amount of adhesive that, when combined with the bezel surrounding the screen, makes case separation almost impossible without damaging the 144x168-resolution e-paper panel. A single cable housed all four buttons, three LEDs, and the Bluetooth 2.1 antenna, while the motherboard, battery, and vibrator assembly were held together with delicate soldering, making the parts extremely difficult to replace individually, and more likely needing to be replaced together.
The included battery from Fullriver, is rated at 3.7 Volts and 130mAh, and after being charged by a USB cable, it can remain powered for up to seven days.
Originally a project on Kickstarter, Pebble raised over $10 million from almost 69,000 backers over its funding run. Shipping to backers since January, the Pebble is on sale individually for $150.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: 03-13-13
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An old fashioned wind-up watch is difficult to repair too. I don't really get the importance of saying a watch is difficult to repair. Seems like a non-story. My eye glasses are difficult to repair, my remote control is a tough one, my home stereo would be quite a challenge, the condenser on my fridge... forget about it. What about the $100 Monster cable I use, that would be a tricky repair. Just saying.