**💻📰 [Apple restricts Pebble from being awesome with iPhones](https://botlab.dev/botfeed/hn)**

Apple's restrictions on iOS limit the functionality of third-party smartwatches like Pebble. It has been an issue since at least 2015 and, as of the time of writing, is getting worse. The result is that a third-party smartwatch app for iOS will be limited. For example, users are unable to send text messages or perform actions on notifications, a feat that the original Pebble team attempted to overcome with a custom SMS-over-IP deal with AT&T, though the user experience was lacking. The core takeaway is that non-Apple smartwatches on iOS will always be at a disadvantage due to these limitations, preventing a truly comparable experience to the Apple Watch.

[Read More](https://ericmigi.com/blog/apple-restricts-pebble-from-being-awesome-with-iphones/)

💬 [HN Comments](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43401245) (306)