Pebble Unveils 3 Brand New Products for Kickstarter
Pebble, the folks behind what many of us know as “the original smartwatch,” have announced their 2016 lineup: three new products, including one that doesn't even require a smartphone connection, are now available for customers to back using the Kickstarter platform.
First, and perhaps the most interesting, is the Pebble Core: a $99 dongle that lets users perform a number of tasks without requiring a smartphone connection. It has built-in GPS, and so the dongle can track your walks and runs; it also syncs with RunKeeper and a bunch of further apps in order to port in your data. In this respect, Pebble Core has a big advantage over the Apple Watch, which requires an iPhone connection in order to track GPS (though it can “guesstimate” distance through learning the length of its owner's stride). Pebble Core also supports Spotify streaming, it features a headphone jack, and a built-in microphone lets users capture voice notes, too.
Charging the device is made easy through a Qi charger, and it comes in two colors: black or white. As mentioned, the price is $99 and Pebble Core is shipping in January 2017.
Pebble's two further products are updates for its original Pebble smartwatch and its Pebble Time. Pebble 2 offers the same e-paper black and white display, a 168 x 144 screen resolution, and Gorilla Glass to keep the screen scratch-free. There's also a built-in heart rate monitor, and this is included on the Pebble Time 2, also. Both smartwatches look very much like the previous-generation models.
In terms of price, Pebble 2 will set you back $99, and Pebble Time 2 will cost $169 provided you place an early enough backing bid on Kickstarter. Full retail prices will sit at $129 and $199, respectively.
For more information, including the option of backing one of Pebble’s new products, visit Kickstarter.