Given that your EOL'd Pebble currently uses servers maintained by an independent nonprofit using an open source stack, it's about as far from Google's influence as anything can be.
My EOL Pebble doesn't use any servers at all, with Gadgetbridge. Why should moving data from my watch to my phone, over bluetooth, require a server on the internet? Silliness.
An app store, watch face store, dictation, weather. those features are the reason it requires a server. That's what you give up by not using rebble or similar services.
Also, any third party apps that create timeline pins unfortunately need to go through a server.
You can sideload Pebble apps AFAIR. I vaguely recall doing that recently to restore the watchface on my wife's Pebble after migrating it to a new phone.
You can. It's nice to have a working app store though!
I can't wait for my Pebble 2 I paid for via crowdfunding (shhh I know I got refunded) to get manufactured and shipped before the company decided to go out of business, not delivering the product they hyped, and sell themselves to FitBit.
Lol I have a P2 HR that I use, still think it’s the best watch they ever made.
Me too. I was all hyped up for my new Pebble 2 up until the money came back :/. I guess, at least they did refund us.
Yeah I was really excited. I left Apple's ecosystem when I switched to Project Fi and really did find my Gen1 Apple Watch useful, the Pebble 2 looked like it was going to handle the stuff I used the most on the Apple Watch and after having already been disappointed by an Android watch (ZenWatch 2) I was really looking forward to it.