The Pebble raised more than $10 million on Kickstarter, becoming the second most financially supported project in the platform's history. Even so, everything suggests its achievements will be forgotten next to the Pebble Time, its new version. In addition to being backward compatible with all applications and keeping its seven-day battery, the Pebble Time incorporates a color e-paper display. In just 49 minutes, it received a million dollars.
There are still many users who are not convinced about getting a smartwatch. The doubts begin with a simple question: What does a smartwatch do? Currently, it cannot replace any smartphone on the market. At the same time, nobody wants a watch with three or four hours of battery life. And it still has to smooth out several rough edges as a companion to mobile devices. Samsung, LG, and Motorola have shown us their products. The specialized press and Cupertino fans are eagerly awaiting Apple's response. But apparently we all forget about the Pebble. Ten million dollars on Kickstarter, seven days of battery, a large number of apps and “faces” available… it is not perfect, however, what started as a $100,000 project sold over a million units. If the original Pebble, with its limitations and benefits, proved to be a success, how can it be improved?
The Pebble Time
The answer is Pebble Time. Once again, the creators of the Pebble presented their new vision of smartwatches on Kickstarter. The first change we notice is its display. E-paper is much kinder to batteries, but this time, the e-paper is in color, a technology we've been waiting for for some time. The new watch also includes a microphone for sending short voice messages, features an optimized interface called Timeline that arranges the user's events chronologically, has a much more elegant and polished design compared to the previous model, is water resistant, and can be easily customized. Compatibility with the 6,500 Pebble apps is guaranteed, and battery life remains a solid seven days.
Price and Availability
The option to purchase the Pebble Time for $159 is already sold out, and now interested buyers are snapping up the next offer at $179. Shipping is available to (almost) the whole world, and distribution will begin in May. Once the campaign ends, the final price of the Pebble Time will be $199. We're not sure if that means the original Pebble will be retired, but we won't have to wait long to find out.
