In case you haven’t heard the of the Pebble watch, it’s kind of a big deal. By that we mean it has smashed every previous record for a Kickstarter project ever and currently pledges to the cause stand at a snip over $5.1 million. When you consider that the company were only asking for a relatively tiny $100,000, the current total is staggering and for now continues to rise.
The creator of the Pebble, Eric Migicovsky, is no stranger to the smartwatch world as he previously created the inPulse, a colour watch which wirelessly interfaced with BlackBerry devices, offering up email and text content, caller ID and more. The draw from a developers perspective, as with his last project, is that Pebble utilises its own macro-app store which will allow all manner of functionality to be added based on what’s developed by third-parties.
The plastic body of the Pebble itself houses an e-paper display which will be easily viewable, even in bright sunlight and since the project’s funding really went wild, the company have even been able to include waterproofing too, making it even more desirable.
Able to interface with both iOS and Android devices via Bluetooth the Pebble also offers a lot more flexibility over notable rival devices such as the Motorola MOTOACTV and the new Sony SmartWatch, despite the lack of a colour screen.
With all the attention and over 35,000 backers already, Allerta (the company producing the Pebble) will easily surpass 50,000 sales by the time the the Kickstarter campaign finishes 28 days from now.
Migicovsky expects a huge uptake of the SDK from developers, now that the Pebble is in the public eye and as such, new functionality will continue to arrive as more app launch. In the Kickstarter video, the Pebble has already been shown doubling as a bike computer, but that’s just the start.
When the watch finally does launch, in September it’ll cost $150 with free shipping for those in the US or additional costs for international delivery. Presently the Pebble is being offered in Arctic White, Black or Cherry Red, but backers have been pledging on a fourth colour yet to be revealed.
For those interested, head over to the Kickstarter page (which no doubt shows an even higher total than previously mentioned) where you can pledge to pre-order, or just keep your eyes out for it online following its September launch.
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