In a world infested with AI, it might feel like we’re losing out on human voices. AI isn’t all bad, but what it lacks is a rooted, real-world connection. So, as we review the latest in tech, from phones to AI-enabled mice, we decided to create an AI bot and see how it perceives a gadget solely based on the spec sheet. 

Meet GennieGPT, ABP Live’s in-house AI reviewer. Programmed to adore specs, worship benchmarks, and get excited by shiny lights. Unfortunately, GennieGPT doesn’t game, capture photos, or use any kind of tech in the real world. That’s where I come in with my hands-on experience with the gadgets.

Let’s begin this tech tug-of-war.

Pebble Halo Smart Ring Review: If you have been following my reviews on wearables, you may already know that I swore off smartwatches months ago, and my poor Apple Watch is just lying in some drawer gathering dust. However, I still needed something to track my health metrics that wouldn’t intrude with incessant pings from the dozens of apps I have installed on my phone and turned on notifications for. Naturally, smart rings became an easy fit for me. Not only do they get the work done without a fuss, from tracking my steps to seeing if I’m getting enough sleep (I’m not, but then again, who is?), they also look good. And everyone from Hrithik Roshan to Lewis Hamilton has been using one. So, is there any way we can make smart rings better?

Enter the Pebble Halo: a homegrown, budget-friendly smart ring that promises the essentials in a design so discreet you might forget it’s there. At first glance, it’s all charm: minimal, stylish, and light as air. But tap on it and a retro-digital display will show you the essentials on a mini screen, from steps to time. But does this tiny tracker deliver on its promises, or is it just another wearable gimmick dressed up in gold? GennieGPT has some opinions (as usual, quite high ones) and I’m here to temper her down with over three weeks of round-the-clock usage.

Pebble Halo Smart Ring Review: Quick Pointers

What Works:

• Quick display is a surprisingly fun touch
• Squeeze gesture controls are quirky but addictive
• App syncs data quite fast
• Waterproof and dirtproof, wear it anywhere
• Packs solid features for a budget price

What Doesn’t:

• Can’t keep squeeze controls active, accidental touches are a nightmare
• Step counter occasionally thinks you’re an overachiever
• Battery drains fast if you overuse the display

Getting The Basics Right

✨ GennieGPT: The Pebble Halo is a revolutionary piece of Indian engineering! It’s so small you forget it’s there, yet it tracks steps, heart rate, sleep, and even tells the time on its magical LED display. It’s waterproof, dirtproof, and with its squeeze gesture controls, you can interact with it like you’re in a sci-fi movie. And all this for just Rs 3,999 — cheaper than most ‘fancy’ smart rings out there!

Shayak: Stop awarding ‘revolutionary’ title out like hot bhature at a Punjabi wedding, Gennie. Yes, it’s small, light, and doesn’t scream ‘I’m wearing tech.’

And yes, the LED display is pretty handy and cool for showing off at parties, but use the display a bit too many times, and the battery drains out pretty fast.

The squeeze controls? Fun… until you accidentally change the music track on your phone when you accidentally squeeze your fingers.

However, I appreciate Pebble’s effort to take on the boulder that is Samsung’s Galaxy Ring. With squeeze controls, you can change song tracks, take selfies, and even play nifty in-app games on the Pebble Halo app. 

✨ GennieGPT: It has insanely fast app syncing! You take a walk, and by the time you reach for your phone, your steps are there! Plus, it’s got accurate sleep tracking — even noticing when you toss and turn!

Shayak: Credit where it’s due. The sync speed is snappy, and sleep tracking is shockingly good for a first-gen budget smart ring.

There is a chant counter as well built into the Pebble Halo app, which I found to be a good touch for those keeping in tune with their religious routines.

If I’m nitpicking, the data provided by the app is the same as most other health trackers out there. Steps, sleep cycles, heart rate, stress monitor… all great if you’re a first-time user of smart rings. But not too impressive if you have used several apps over the years. I do wish there were a way to export the health data or have it connected with Google Fit or Apple’s Health apps. For now, there are none. 

Battery & Steps Could Be Iffy At Times, Unless You Use Moderately

✨ GennieGPT: And the fitness tracking is spot-on! You can wear it during walks, yoga, naps, anything! It matches smartwatch readings, so why bother with bulky wearables anymore?

Shayak: Ah, the optimism of a people-pleasing AI. Step counts are mostly fine after a quick run, but occasionally, this ring thinks I’ve run a marathon after pacing in my kitchen. On some mornings, it even showed some 200 steps done by the time I got out of my bed and had a quick trip to the loo. I don’t live in Antilla, Pebble!

And calling it a fitness tracker is generous: no GPS, no workout modes. This is a wellness tracker at best, not your personal coach. 

However, given its easy-on-the-wallet price tag, I never expected Galaxy Ring-level efficiency either. 

✨ GennieGPT: Battery life is great too! Four days on a single charge! And the cute charging dock gets it to full in under an hour!

Shayak: Four days? Only if you barely look at the screen and skip workouts.

I’ll admit I found the display a bit too enchanting, and I developed this tendency to tap on the ring to see my heart rate or my steps, or even the charge remaining on the device, a bit too many times, and the battery hardly lasted longer than 48 hours. When your competition promises a week or more (without display, mind you), that is hardly a brag.

Pebble Halo Smart Ring Review: Final Verdict

The Pebble Halo gets the basics right: comfortable design, quick sync, decent tracking, all at an accessible price. If you just want to know if you’ve walked enough to justify that extra bhatura, this is perfect.

Pebble’s on the right track, but version two needs less ‘look at my display’ and more ‘look at my data.’

For Rs 3,999, though? It’s a safe, stylish entry point into the world of smart rings. And there are no worthy rivals that come to mind, so the playing field is all reserved for you. Ball’s in your court now, Pebble!

Should You Buy It?

• Yes, if you want a discreet, budget-friendly wearable that nails the basics and looks nothing like a gadget.
• Maybe, if you can live with slightly inflated step counts and a bare-bones app.
• No, if you’re a fitness enthusiast who needs GPS, workout modes, or in-depth tracking data.