Check out our review of the Pebble Steel smartwatch.
For a project that started with crowdsourcing, Pebble has done pretty well. The company has sold over 300,000 units since its inception and is going strong. But now some of the big names in mobile are starting to tread upon the Pebble territory and the company appears ready to fight back with its new generation of smartwatch.
Pebble Steel reaches for the higher end of the smartwatch market, upping its price point to $250, but it appears ready to battle with the big guns from major mobile manufacturers. With a metal look that gives it a more premium feel and a Gorilla Glass protected, scratch resistant face, Pebble Steel is a little less sporty than its older brother and a little more business. Pebble hopes the classic watch look will make it more appealing to the more traditional consumer.
Adding to the Steel’s improvements over the original run of Pebble watches is a new, tricolor LED. The device is built with premium watch components assuring that it doesn’t just look more like a classic watch but feels like one as well. It will still be capable of running all the existing Pebble apps and runs the same software as existing Pebble devices. It also has maintained the waterproofing that is featured on the Pebble, rated at 5ATM, so users can “swim, run in the rain, or wash dishes” with the device.
The Pebble Steel is available for pre-order now and will begin shipping January 28th, 2014. It is available in one of two styles, Brushed Stainless Steel or Black Matte, for $250 through GetPebble.com. The original Pebble will still be available for $150.
