Android's Pebble 2.0 app lagging behind is a matter of resources
There has been a good bit of outcry about Pebble releasing their new version — and their appstore — on iOS before Android, and even more that we still haven't seen the official version of the app in Google Play.
Lead software engineer from Pebble Kean Wong took the the blog to tell us why, and what they're doing to rectify the situation.
The reason why the Android version of the 2.0 Pebble app has lagged the iOS version is fundamentally pretty simple – it has purely been a matter of resources. In order to ship a high quality, reliable Android experience that will work for many thousands of users across the myriad of devices and operating systems, we need engineers working on the Android app who are both fantastic engineers and great Android developers.
Make no mistake — we're talking about some complicated and intricate code here. Not only do the developers have to make a product that works as well or better than the previous Android app did, but they have to worry about app versions, automatic upgrading for watch apps and watch faces, and users who may not be tech-savvy if things go wrong. I do not envy these guys.
The current beta version of the Pebble 2.0 app is available for those brave souls who want to try it out. We're using it, and can tell you that it's not even close to ready yet. Trust us when we say you do not want this to be released to the general public, and it's very much still a developer preview. We love the new functionality, but when lots of little things go wrong it makes for a poor experience that normal users won't want. Pebble is wise to hold this back.
The good news is that Pebble is actively looking for Android engineers and developers — ones with the right credentials who can back it up with results. Those folks are few and far between, because most are already employed elsewhere because of the high demand for quality Android coders.
This is a situation that will correct itself, but only after a lot of hard work and long nights. While we all want the latest and greatest for our Pebble, sometimes it's better to wait.
Source: Pebble Blog
