Pebble 2 vs Apple Watch: Which is best for you?

Pebble has recently announced a second version of its keenly priced smartwatch to rival heath-trackers like the Fitbit.

Called the Pebble 2, the retro smartwatch boasts an average battery life of seven days, as well as the ability to connect to most mobile operating systems, including iOS and Android.

With the Apple's entry-level Watch Series 1 available costing nearly three times as much, could the Pebble 2 be a worthy competitor?

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Here's how the two compare and what the experts think.

Display

The Apple Watch Series 1 comes in two sizes, 38mm and 42mm, while the Pebble 2 is 32mm across.

In terms of screen quality, the Apple Watch Series 1 wins hands-down. All models feature an OLED Retina display with Force Touch, enabling the user to push down on the display to access a range of features. Alphr finds the Apple Watch easy to read in daylight and describes Force Touch as "a weird feeling at first, but one that you very quick get used to".

While the Pebble 2's monochrome display and lack of touchscreen abilities may put it at a disadvantage, it can still be used to receive notifications and control music. PC Advisor says the display may seem lacklustre compared to the Apple Watch, but the Pebble 2 "fulfils its function perfectly well".

Hardware

One of the Pebble 2's stronger suits is the breadth of features it offers at a considerably cheaper price compared to its Apple rival. The Pebble 2 has over 13,000 apps available and can be used as a sleep tracker. Wearable says the biggest new addition is the optical heart rate monitor, which can "be integrated with Google Fit and Apple Health".

The Apple Watch offers similar features, including a fitness app to track your daily activities. But Macworld found that the lack of GPS in the device decreased the accuracy of its tracking apps. "Without the iPhone in your pocket, the Watch doesn't know how much distance you've covered," it says.

Prices

You can pick up a Pebble 2 from Amazon for £99.99, which is significantly cheaper than the Apple Watch. It starts at £269 for the Series 1, and the more recent Series 2 comes in at £369.