iPhone Compatible 'Pebble' Wristwatch Tallies Nearly $4 Million in Kickstarter Presales

[tod]

Originally Posted by ardent73

Between this and Google Glass, I truly weep for the human race...

I'm too depressed to explain the 47 things wrong with the design.

I agree. I applaud their initiative and success at developing a product that will make a lot of people happy. But what kind of a world is this where people feel they need something like this? Because it isn't enough to have a thousand distractions in your pocket -- you need them on your wrist, too?

[vice-versa]

Apple is going to come up with iWatch and then sue pebble for "copying" them.

[Keebler]

I mean this with no animosity whatsoever, but what would the purpose be?

How would people use this when an iPhone or iPad is most likely really close?

Just curious. I think the concept is neat, but I don't quite get it.

[Les Kern]

PERFECT! It's the EXACT thing I was looking for because just today I was lamenting the fact that it's such a pain in the butt to actually have to reach in my pocket to grab my phone. And the battery drain alone is worth it... won't have the wife pestering me that the baby is due any second.

----------

Originally Posted by tod

Because it isn't enough to have a thousand distractions in your pocket -- you need them on your wrist, too?

"Is that watch hooked to that thing in your pocket or are you glad to see me?"

I agree.

[sulpfiction]

Is it me or do the watch faces not fit properly on the screen. U.G.L.Y

Nice idea, but really unnecessary. I don't need a portable device to replace my portable device.

[faroZ06]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Image


Image


Kickstarter is a popular place for wild ideas to gain some traction, but sometimes an idea clicks with so many people it's possible to wonder why no one thought of it before. Such is the case with the Pebble digital wristwatch.

It uses an e-paper display, similar to the screen on the Amazon Kindle, and connects to the iPhone (and Android devices) via Bluetooth. Pebble uses vibrating alerts to tell the wearer of incoming calls, emails, calendar alerts, Facebook and Twitter messages, weather alerts and more. It also has an extensive SDK for developers and its own "Pebble watchapp store". It will also be waterproof enough to swim with, but it will not be a dive watch.

The company behind the watch even has experience with smart watches. Pebble has been making a BlackBerry-compatible watch called the inPulse, and is a graduate of the Y Combinator startup incubator. It has now received pledges for $3.8 million from 26,500 backers on Kickstarter for a watch that will retail somewhere around $150 when it goes on sale this fall.

An article by Bloomberg notes that Kickstarter wasn't Pebble's first choice for raising funds. He tried to raise money via traditional venture capital firms, but "few investors were interested in betting on a hardware startup, or dealing with the headaches that often come with manufacturing goods." However, Kickstarter seems to have worked out very well. The watch is the most funded Kickstarter project ever.

Pebble told MacRumors that it's treating Kickstarter as a discounted pre-order mechanism, and once the funding period closes in a month it will continue taking orders on its website. US buyers can preorder a Jet Black Pebble watch via Kickstarter for $115, while foreign buyers will pay slightly more to cover shipping.

Article Link: iPhone Compatible 'Pebble' Wristwatch Tallies Nearly $4 Million in Kickstarter Presales

$115? It's cool, but there's no way I'm going to pay that much for something like that. I mean, I can just feel the iPhone vibrate in my pocket.

[vartanarsen]

Guys, this is not a new concept....check out im watch...its color and touch-capacative...oh yeah and text capable too

http://www.imwatch.it/us-en/

[faroZ06]

Originally Posted by sulpfiction

Is it me or do the watch faces not fit properly on the screen. U.G.L.Y

Nice idea, but really unnecessary. I don't need a portable device to replace my portable device.

Yo dawg, I heard you like portable devices, so we made a portable device that tells you when your portable device is ringing so you can carry two portable devices.

[Rocketman]

Originally Posted by WardC

I want an Apple-branded, iOS-running Wristwatch computer with 4G LTE internet that has a built-in speakerphone, can check e-mail and stocks, weather, and GPS navigation -- and a web browser -- with SIRI!!!

NOW -- that would rock, and I would buy one, even for $499.

Add glasses for heads up display and surface projector and it is an everyman's device . . .

[ericinboston]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

It uses an e-paper display, similar to the screen on the Amazon Kindle, and connects to the iPhone (and Android devices) via Bluetooth. Pebble uses vibrating alerts to tell the wearer of incoming calls, emails, calendar alerts, Facebook and Twitter messages, weather alerts and more.

So....

1)It's always using Bluetooth and communicating with my iPhone 10+ hours a day so I'm thrilled to be getting all that exposure 1mm away from my skin.

2)This thing is really just a 24hour vibrating device....sheeez...all it's going to do is just vibrate forever given all the "alerts" it can handle.

3)And what's the range on Bluetooth anyway? 30 feet on a good day with the wind blowing? I hear my iPhone vibrating on the counter much farther away than 30 feet....or I just leave it on a chime mode...or gosh golly I leave it in my pocket so I feel the vibration.


Lame and pointless.

[kalsta]

Originally Posted by MrXiro

Go Go Gadget Watch!

Have you forgotten, it wasn't Gadget, but his niece Penny who had the really cool watch!



That thing was able to wirelessly connect to just about anything—hack into critical systems, reprogram killer robots, that sort of thing. Why Dr Claw didn't realise that world domination was just a matter of getting that watch away from a 10-year-old girl is beyond me!

[trustme]

Most importantly, when will jailbreak be available?

[ShogunLychee]

Originally Posted by Keebler

I mean this with no animosity whatsoever, but what would the purpose be?

How would people use this when an iPhone or iPad is most likely really close?

Just curious. I think the concept is neat, but I don't quite get it.

This would be great for my wife. She always has her phone in her bag (like when shopping), and never hears it due to other noise around the place. With the incoming call making the watch vibrate, she won't miss the call! Brilliant.

I also checked out that "I'm" watch - far too expensive ...

[dasmb]

please no more god damn screens.

[highdough]

Originally Posted by d4rkc4sm

atrocious writing

Ya, isn't it awful when people don't use capitals at the beginning of sentences or lack any punctuation.

Oh, wait. You were talking about the article....

[dasmb]

Originally Posted by kalsta

Have you forgotten, it wasn't Gadget, but his niece Penny who had the really cool watch!

As I recall, the watch was just a two way communicator. That "Computer Book" of hers was the real magic tech. Man, who would think to put a COMPUTER in a BOOK genius.

Also, the dog's collar had a retractable camera in it. THAT needs a kickstarter.

[jasonforisrael]

seems cool but actually not useful for me if I can't get SMS do to Apple limitations

[atomicbean]

At first I wasn't too impressed because it seemed redundant with a phone. Cut the phone out because it's not that hard to carry a phone. Have this watch paired with a cellular iPad and eliminate a phone altogether.

Personally I bring my tablet about everywhere I go and my iPhone isn't used to it's potential. I'd like to see something evolve in that direction.

[DroidRules]

Originally Posted by VenusianSky

Maybe a Pebble pocket watch?

They already have that it's called your phone. What would be the point of having to pull the "watch" out of your pocket to see what's going on when you can pull your phone out and do the same thing?

I believe the point of the watch is so you don't have to "pull it out".

[dissdnt]

Hmm no offense to these guys trying to make this watch but I don't think iOS even has an API to display notifications on another device. Or I'm totally wrong hehe.

[jcmeyer5]

I guess I don't get it. If it were a standalone device, maybe. As it is, I don't see how this is more useful than just using the iPhone itself to check those things. Is this supposed to be more discrete?

[Cougarcat]

Originally Posted by vartanarsen

Guys, this is not a new concept....check out im watch...its color and touch-capacative...oh yeah and text capable too

http://www.imwatch.it/us-en/

The battery only lasts 24 hours (due to not using e-ink), not seven days. Also, it's not text capable with iOS--that's up to Apple to enable.

[jcmeyer5]

Originally Posted by kalsta

have you forgotten, it wasn't gadget, but his niece penny who had the really cool watch!

image

that thing was able to wirelessly connect to just about anything—hack into critical systems, reprogram killer robots, that sort of thing. Why dr claw didn't realise that world domination was just a matter of getting that watch away from a 10-year-old girl is beyond me!

winner!

[billchase2]

Originally Posted by Michael Scrip

Maybe you misunderstood what I was saying.

Some people are so freaked out about battery life that they keep Bluetooth turned off all the time. That makes it a pain if you actually want to use it... because you have to turn it on every time.

Which... is quite a few taps.

Or you buy this app while it's still available to enable/disable bluetooth:
http://www.macrumors.com/2012/04/17/...ith-one-touch/

Originally Posted by vartanarsen

Guys, this is not a new concept....check out im watch...its color and touch-capacative...oh yeah and text capable too

http://www.imwatch.it/us-en/

Besides the fact that they have different screens (e-paper vs. LCD, which is hard to see in the sun) and purposes (the i'm Watch does more on-board than the Pebble, which is more of an extension of your phone), that also starts at $469... ouch.

Also, the i'm Watch debuted at CES 2012, which was just a couple of months ago. IMO, all of these watches are "new concepts."

[TimAlia]

Originally Posted by jlgolson

They say the battery will last around a week.

Battery on you IPHONE.