Pebble Is Gearing up to Compete with the Apple Watch - East Idaho News
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Pebble Is Gearing up to Compete with the Apple Watch

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HT Pebble Smartwatch ml 150223 16x9 992?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1424707220136Get Pebble(NEW YORK) — Smart watch maker Pebble is upping the ante ahead of the Apple Watch release.

A countdown clock on Pebble’s website hints that the indie watch maker may be ready to unveil the next generation of its wearable on Tuesday, coming more than a month before Apple is set to release its flagship wearable.

“Pebble is the singularly most successful smart watch right now in terms of raw volume,” Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight, a technology analysis firm, told ABC News. “I think the timing is interesting for Pebble to get out there and highlight its capabilities.”

The rumored new watch is expected to boast color and an e-paper-like display, along with a thinner design, according to 9to5Mac.

Beginning as a Kickstarter project that raised $10 million in 2012, Pebble has become one of the top smart watches on the market, winning over users with its low price point and up to seven days of battery life.

Pebble’s current watch retails for $99, while a charging cable costs $15.

By comparison, the Apple Watch is expected to start at a $349 price point and will come in three editions: Apple Watch Sport, the standard Apple Watch and a luxury gold edition. Consumers can expect to pay more for the high-end versions.

“I think it captured the moment and it arrived at a point in time when smart watches were becoming a cool concept. It was a cool company, a disruptive company,” Wood said. “It ticked a lot of the boxes for people who wanted a smart phone companion device.”

The one potential hiccup Pebble may have by releasing something ahead of Apple is the possibility of being surprised by potential “knockout capabilities” the public does not yet know about.

“The Apple Watch is good news for the entire wearables segment because it will take consumer awareness to a whole new level,” Wood said. “If you don’t own an iPhone but you are keen to join the smart watch party, there are alternatives.”

Pebble, however, has a “vibrant developer community,” Wood added, that he expects will continue to innovate with its suite of apps to push the user experience forward.


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