The Pebble smartwatch is one of those Cinderella stories that happens once in a blue moon in tech. Born out of the ashes of the failed InPulse smartwatch, Pebble turned to Kickstarter for funding — and managing to set records and raise more than $10 million in the process. Today, Pebble is one of the best-known and affordable smartwatches available.
There are a few different Pebble models currently available, at various price points. The original plastic Pebble costs $99. It's less of a looker but has the same internals and same functionality as its younger sibling, Pebble Steel.
As the name implies, Pebble Steel is a metal upgrade to the original. It's available in stainless steel silver or a matte black finish. Both come with an adjustable leather strap as well as an optional metal bracelet. (It takes just a small screwdriver and just a few minutes of your time to swap them out. Pebble Steel absolutely has a more classy, more professional look than its predecessor.
Pebble launched its first smartwatch with a color e-ink display, the Pebble Time, as a followup to their original design. Much like its previous generation of watches, the company also launched a Steel version of the watch, followed by its first round watch. All of these new models are available from Pebble directly, as well as a variety of other retailers.
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Pebble 2
On May 24, 2016, a new Kickstarter was launched for the Pebble 2 (along with the Pebble Time 2 and Pebble Core). The Pebble 2 is available in a variety of sporty colors and features a new design that builds upon the original model. It retains many of the same features as the previous version, adding an always-on heart rate monitor, better fitness tracking and longer battery life.
More info and pre-order info can be found on Kickstarter
