14 DAY TRIAL // As previously anticipated, smartwatch maker Pebble has recently pulled the veil off its newest product, the Pebble Time.
Facing massive pressure from smartwatch producers like Samsung and Apple (who is yet to launch its highly hyped Watch device), Pebble had to regroup and come up with something new, so it went back to Kickstarter where it launched a new crowdfunding campaign for its latest effort, the Pebble Time.
The new device sports a colorful screen, which is neither of the LCD nor OLED variety, but an e-paper display. Pebble’s CEO Eric Migicovsky argued that smartwatches boasting this kind of display technology feel more like smartphones on the user’s wrist, but they are not very useful as watches.
The new Pebble is here, get excited
Hence, Pebble has decided to go with a color e-paper display. The company promises the same 7-day life cycle, which is what we saw on the original Pebble or Pebble Steel.
Time is 20% thinner than the original Pebble and comes boasting a quick-release mechanism which allows you to swiftly change watch bands, so you can match them with the particular events you’re attending.
More than that, it has an embedded microphone allowing users to record short messages that can be used as quick replies and short notes.
Pebble Time has also been revamped in terms of software interface, so now information coming from notifications (weather, calendar, news, messages) will be listed chronologically, instead of being showcased through standalone apps.
The new app will be compatible with iOS and Android, and all Pebble apps will be made to work on the Time too. The watch is due to ship out in May for a $199 / €175 a pop. However, for early birds the price goes down to just $159 / €139.
Pebble Time has already registered a monster success
Now, if you thought smartwatch enthusiasts are only interested in things like the Apple Watch, you couldn’t be more wrong.
In just 32 minutes, Pebble Time smashed its $500,000 / €439,313 fundraising goal and then went on to become the fastest project to hit $1 / €0.88 million and then $5 / €4.39 million.
At the time of writing this article, the Pebble Time already ticked past $8 / €7 million donations. Quite a successful little product, wouldn’t you say?
