When the first Pebble smartwatch was released to the public in 2013 it received plenty of acclaim thanks to its crowdfunded origins, easy to use and highly versatile make-up.
Pebble Time
So, it comes as no surprise that the tech world is in raptures after Pebble revealed it had begun crowdfunding for a new and improved device – the Pebble Time. In fact, within the first three hours of the Pebble Time being launched on Kickstarter it had raised $4m, surpassing its $500,000 target eight times over.
Like its predecessor, the new Pebble Time is an innovative little watch with a whole host of tricks. For instance, unlike its rivals the Pebble Time won’t use an OLED or LCD display as they consume a lot of power and cut battery life short. The Pebble unconventionally will utilise the power of a colour e-paper display, which means it has a battery that can last up to a week. However, this means the display will not be a touchscreen like the competitions’ screens.
The device is also 20% slimmer than the original, has a scratch resistant display and a bezel made of stainless steel. It’s water resistant, has a quick release mechanism to make it easy to change the strap. The little watch also has a new operating system that organises alerts in chronological order.
Developers will Delight
The Pebble will also come with a smart accessory port that will facilitate developers in creating sensors and straps that can be used in conjunction with the watch.
This move is of course one that’s there to encourage developers to take a shine to the device. And, as well all know a smart phone operating system often lives and dies on the number of apps that it has.
The new watch, which will be compatible with both Android and iOS devices, will come with straps in a variety of colours and is compatible with the 6,500 apps currently in the Pebble store. It’s expected that it will be sold for $159 (£103) and shipping to those who have funded through Kickstarter will begin at the end of May. The device will also be sold via retailers later in 2015 for the higher price of $199.
Apple Watch
The release of the Pebble crowdfunding effort comes only a few weeks before the launch of the Apple Watch, which was showcased last year and will go on sale for $349.
Pebble’s previous device rose over $10m from a Kickstarter campaign in 2012 and was released in the UK last October alongside the slimmer bodied Pebble Steel.
Even though some experts think the small size of a smartwatch display is the biggest problem for these sorts of devices, most believe that the smart watch could have a big year in 2015.
We haven’t written our Christmas lists to Santa Claus yet, but this little watch may well make its way on them if it meets the buzz around it.
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