Pebble again turns to crowdfunding to take on Apple Watch with new color display model
Best known for being a blockbuster success on Kickstarter, Pebble announced on Tuesday that it is returning to its roots, and will crowdfund its next-generation smartwatch with a color display and voice input, in a bid to take on the upcoming Apple Watch.
With a fundraising goal of $500,000, Pebble blew past that target almost immediately Tuesday morning after the campaign was announced. The highlight of the new model is a color e-paper display that the company says will offer up to 7 days of battery life.
Dubbed the Pebble Time, the device also features a new timeline interface that's said to highlight what's important. The hardware is also water resistant and remains compatible with the existing 6,500 Pebble apps and watchfaces.
An integrated microphone also allows users to send voice replies to incoming notifications, though voice replies will be limited to Gmail notifications on an iPhone. Android users will be able to send voice replies with "most" major apps for that platform.
Pebble expects the Time to begin shipping to customers in May. While Kickstarter supporters will get a discount, the final shipping price of the device will be $199.
Pebble Time is 20 percent thinner than the original model, at just 9.5 millimeters. It also features a scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass display.
Input with the Pebble remains driven solely by physical buttons, with three located on the right side of the hardware, and one on the left. The redesigned user interface uses the top right button for "past" information, the center one to access the "present," and the bottom right button for "future."
The Pebble Time will work on an iPhone 4s and above running iOS 8. The company says the display is daylight readable and includes a backlight.
The watch will use any standard 22-millimeter watch band, and step tracking will require a separate Misfit or Jawbone device.
Apple, of course, will begin shipping its own Apple Watch to customers in April. For $150 more than the new Pebble Time, it will include an OLED touchscreen, step tracking, heart rate monitoring, Siri compatibility, and more.
With a fundraising goal of $500,000, Pebble blew past that target almost immediately Tuesday morning after the campaign was announced. The highlight of the new model is a color e-paper display that the company says will offer up to 7 days of battery life.
Dubbed the Pebble Time, the device also features a new timeline interface that's said to highlight what's important. The hardware is also water resistant and remains compatible with the existing 6,500 Pebble apps and watchfaces.
An integrated microphone also allows users to send voice replies to incoming notifications, though voice replies will be limited to Gmail notifications on an iPhone. Android users will be able to send voice replies with "most" major apps for that platform.
Pebble expects the Time to begin shipping to customers in May. While Kickstarter supporters will get a discount, the final shipping price of the device will be $199.
Pebble Time is 20 percent thinner than the original model, at just 9.5 millimeters. It also features a scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass display.
Input with the Pebble remains driven solely by physical buttons, with three located on the right side of the hardware, and one on the left. The redesigned user interface uses the top right button for "past" information, the center one to access the "present," and the bottom right button for "future."
The Pebble Time will work on an iPhone 4s and above running iOS 8. The company says the display is daylight readable and includes a backlight.
The watch will use any standard 22-millimeter watch band, and step tracking will require a separate Misfit or Jawbone device.
Apple, of course, will begin shipping its own Apple Watch to customers in April. For $150 more than the new Pebble Time, it will include an OLED touchscreen, step tracking, heart rate monitoring, Siri compatibility, and more.
Comments
No, the happiest are those receiving the funding. Free capital without giving up stock or control of the company? Insane. Good for Kickstarter and those who use it.
Why not a swipe up and down on the screen?
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen which direction (full apps vs simplicity) will win out in the end. An iPod initially just did music...and succeeded in doing that very well. It eventually gave way to apps and video with the iPod Touch.
Any app will need to be optimized for small watch screens. Whether there's enough functionality and usefulness in these apps is another story.
I'm glad to see something like this. Even though I think it's ugly as sin, I have to admire the fact that it is water resistant (you can swim with it -- something you can't do with the Apple Watch) and that it lasts for 7 days on a charge.
Something like this is more of a replacement watch to me than a limited device like the Apple Watch which will last a day per charge and can't even handle more than a few rain drops. If they made a Pebble Time Steel version, they'd definitely have my attention.
I'm glad to see something like this. Even though I think it's ugly as sin, I have to admire the fact that it is water resistant (you can swim with it -- something you can't do with the Apple Watch) and that it lasts for 7 days on a charge.
Something like this is more of a replacement watch to me than a limited device like the Apple Watch which will last a day per charge and can't even handle more than a few rain drops. If they made a Pebble Time Steel version, they'd definitely have my attention.
Although I'm not sure what functionality would make a color version a significant improvement over the current Pebble Steel.
The happiest people are Kickstarter. Those scammers get 5% fees of of every dollar.
Kickstarter are providing a service. Why shouldn't they get paid for their work?
Personally, I'm glad that the Pebble exists. It's currently $159 on the Early Bird pledge. That's going to get a lot of people interested in smart watches and hopefully some of those people will eventually upgrade to a $349+ Apple Watch.
Competition is always good. I'm not sure this actually is competition for the Apple Watch though. Seem to be targeted at completely different audiences. If it was about $50, maybe.
Takes guts to go up against AAPL with a hobbyist product. Pebbles' time (!) was a couple years ago. IIRC, it took them forever to deliver. Understandable from a small startup. Now that the Big Guns have showed up, it's time (!) to move on to something else.
Pebble's cost isn't $199 to make the watch.
Bad move. Mess with fire, you get burned. I think Pebble would have been better to stick with their core strengths and not tried to directly compete with Apple.
AppleWatch has 100x more uses than pebble. Calling it limited is ridiculous.
Sure you need to recharge it every day. But that's like calling a smartphone limited because a feature phone can last 4 days without a charge.
A watch that I can't wear when it's raining outside or when I'm swimming laps is most certainly "limited". I'm am NOT going to take a step back in everyday functionality... period.
Fundraising is for charities. Get proper investors like a real bloody company you damn moochers.
It's crowdfunding, not charity-style fundraising. The backers get something for their money.
A watch that I can't wear when it's raining outside or when I'm swimming laps is most certainly "limited". I'm am NOT going to take a step back in everyday functionality... period.
You seem to know a lot about ?Watch that hasn't been announced.
Tell me, why would ?Watch have a waterproof speaker and sealed electronics if it couldn't go out in the rain?
Anytime you get an opportunity to get free money with no strings attached for your business, you take it!
That isn't accurate. Those funded do not guarantee backers will actually receive anything. They provide goals, not guarantees.
You seem to know a lot about ?Watch that hasn't been announced.
Tell me, why would ?Watch have a waterproof speaker and sealed electronics if it couldn't go out in the rain?
I was wrong about the rain, but it is definitely out when it comes to swimming, which is a big part of my fitness routine and many active athletes:
http://www.cultofmac.com/295055/apple-watch-water-resistant-waterproof/#AppZIivJAmk1li3h.99