The Smartwatch Apple Should Have Thought Up


“Pebble” may be a dumb name, but it’s a killer idea: a smartwatch that connects to your iPhone via Bluetooth, uses an e-ink display for long battery life, and even comes with a free SDK so devs can make their own apps for it.

Pebble, currently looking for backers on Kickstarter, sports a 1.26-inch, 144×168 pixel e-ink display, four buttons, vibration, and even an accelerometer. Since it uses a low-powered e-ink display, a single battery charge will last more than 7 days. And it interacts with your iPhone via Bluetooth 2.1.

The idea is built on how iPhone users are constantly pulling out their phones throughout the day to check the time, play music, check email, and so on. The makers of Pebble — a startup called Allerta — came up with the clever idea of putting these functions into a wrist watch that interacts directly with your iPhone. Instead of pulling out the phone, you just look down at your wrist. Allerta expects Pebble to be of greatest use to outdoor users on the go, like runners, cyclists, and golfers, because they can use things like the iPhone’s built-in GPS to track speed, distance, and more, right on their watch.

The smartest thing about the device is its e-ink screen; this is a true masterstroke on Allerta’s part, because it allows for near infinite customization, and eliminates the sunlight glare that iOS users frequently experience outdoors. And since that e-ink screen is nice and roomy, you can download watchfaces as well as apps built just for Pebble that you can download in-app on your iPhone. Pebble will vibrate for notifications, and to dismiss, you just shake your wrist.

Pebble will be available in black, white, red, and one last color that users get to vote on. And don’t let the uncertainty of Kickstarter put you off; Allerta was looking for $100,000 in pledges, and in just over a single day has already received more than one million dollars in pledges. That’s probably due to the discounted price that Allerta’s offering Kickstarter pledges. Pebble is expected to retail for $149, but you can score one by backing it on Kickstarter for as little as $99.

Oh, and if for some strange reason you’re an Android user (seriously, I don’t understand you), Pebble works with the inferior, highly fragmented smartphone OS as well.


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

4 Comments

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  1. I abandoned my watch four years ago and don’t want to wear one again. My iPhone is in my pocket with instant access. I don’t need an ‘intermediary device notifying me of stuff I then have to get my iPhone out for anyway…… This is a daft flash in the pan ‘idea’ and will go nowhere.

  2. A non issue, the watch is coming since they surpassed by millions for their dream to happen.

    21,610
    BACKERS
    $3,074,313
    PLEDGED OF $100,000 GOAL