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Pebble launched its smartwatch Kickstarter campaign in 2012 and started shipping the device early last year. Since January 2013, the company has sold over 400,000 smartwatch units, earning Pebble an estimated $60 million in revenue, reports Fortune, which spoke to Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky.

photo-full-500x375.jpg
Pebble as a company has grown significantly in the intervening years, becoming profitable in early 2013 and almost doubling its workforce from 45 up to 70 this year. Revenue also is expected to double year over year in 2014.
"When we started working on wearables six years ago, there were few players in the space and a lot of skeptics," says Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky of Google's news. "It's exciting to see this market grow so quickly -- enabling more interesting use cases and keeping all of us laser-focused on creating the very best user experiences we can."
As the company matures, Pebble's ecosystem is experiencing its own expansion. The company recently rolled out an Appstore for its smartwatch and has over 1,000 apps in its library, with 12,000 registered developers ready to add more titles in the future.

As for Pebble's next steps, Migicovsky is not concerned about Google's recent Android Wear announcement and the unveiling of Motorola's Android-based Moto 360 smartwatch.
For now, Migicovsky is more worried about making his products better than Google shaking up the market. He's exploring technologies that could help boost Pebble's week-long battery life further and keeping tabs on newer screen displays, particularly ones made from flexible materials.
Besides adding an Appstore, Pebble also recently started selling a new version of the smartwatch. The $249 Pebble Steel features a stainless steel body with a leather or steel band and a face covered with durable and scratch resistant Gorilla Glass material.

Apple also is expected to enter the wearables market in 2014 with its iWatch product. Recent rumors suggest the device will focus on fitness with support for heart rate measurement, step count and more. The device may pair with Apple's Healthbook app, a Passbook-inspired wellness app that could debut alongside iOS 8. The iWatch may also include Siri and mapping functionality.


Article Link: Pebble Smartwatch Sales Climb to 400,000 Units, Revenue to Double in 2014
 

APlotdevice

macrumors 68040
Sep 3, 2011
3,145
3,861
One of those 400,000 is currently on my wrist. Great little device... not perfect (I do wish it had a microphone for Siri), but the battery life is good and the screen easily readable.
 

luckydcxx

macrumors 65816
Jun 13, 2013
1,158
419
Is it just me or does anyone else think that once the iWatch is introduced Pebble will crumble.

There is no way that their revenue will double.
 

Dulcimer

macrumors 6502a
Nov 20, 2012
891
688
I'd get one if it wasn't so ugly and if the screen resolution wasn't so low.
 

APlotdevice

macrumors 68040
Sep 3, 2011
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3,861
I'd get one if it wasn't so ugly and if the screen resolution wasn't so low.

If you think the original pebble is ugly, then get the Steel. And the screen resolution is perfectly adequate for what it does.
 

Dulcimer

macrumors 6502a
Nov 20, 2012
891
688
If you think the original pebble is ugly, then get the Steel. And the screen resolution is more than adequate for what it does.

The Steel is $250. Too much for what it does. And in my opinion, the resolution is too low. I've been spoiled by high pixel-density screens for years now.
 

dacreativeguy

macrumors 68020
Jan 27, 2007
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It is a nice toy, but as soon as the big guys come out with a full color / touchscreen / voice whatever that works well, Pebble is toast.
 

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Nov 26, 2007
9,541
6,027
Is it just me or does anyone else think that once the iWatch is introduced Pebble will crumble.

There is no way that their revenue will double.

They're safe until the day Apple reveals an iWatch. Then they'll receive returns and shipment cancellations from everyone who ordered within the past month, and everyone else will put theirs in a drawer to be forgotten and Pebble will vanish

That's my expectation. I haven't bought a Pebble (or Android watch, or Gear) because I haven't seen what Apple's got, yet. Also because I haven't seen a killer app, yet.
 

APlotdevice

macrumors 68040
Sep 3, 2011
3,145
3,861
It is a nice toy, but as soon as the big guys come out with a full color / touchscreen / voice whatever that works well, Pebble is toast.
The "big guys" have already come out with such devices: Samsung and, to a lesser degree, Sony. So far Pebble has been holding its own. Why? Well, I'd argue that, for one thing, their implementation is much more practical for this form factor. The monochrome screen may not be all that flashy, but what it does do [that a color screen generally cannot] is provide a persistent, daylight friendly display of information while sipping battery life. The lack of a touchscreen also improves battery life.
 

chr1s60

macrumors 68020
Jul 24, 2007
2,061
1,857
California
I recently bought a Pebble Steel and am a big fan of it. No, it doesn't have the flare of the Samsung with the camera and color screen, but it does what it needs to in a very classy and simple way. It seems like a smart watch that remembers that at the end of the day it is still supposed to be a watch with some added functionality and not a shrunk down tablet that has a clock.
 

Gudi

Suspended
May 3, 2013
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MacRumors said:
Since January 2013, the company has sold over 400,000 smartwatch units, earning Pebble an estimated $60 million in revenue ...
Oh look, a $0.06b market Apple is not serving. Now they got to make an iWatch. :D
 

dacreativeguy

macrumors 68020
Jan 27, 2007
2,032
223
The "big guys" have already come out with such devices: Samsung and, to a lesser degree, Sony. So far Pebble has been holding its own. Why? Well, I'd argue that, for one thing, their implementation is much more practical for this form factor. The monochrome screen may not be all that flashy, but what it does do [that a color screen generally cannot] is provide a persistent, daylight friendly display of information while sipping battery life. The lack of a touchscreen also improves battery life.

You missed the part of my post "that works well". Samsung's first try was obviously subpar in the absence of an Apple version to copy. But in time, the big guys will eventually get it right.
 

za9ra22

macrumors 65816
Sep 25, 2003
1,139
1,121
They're safe until the day Apple reveals an iWatch.....

Unless Apple takes a surprising turn and makes the iWatch Android compatible, I suspect a large segment of the market will continue to have to look elsewhere for a smartwatch.
 

redhawk87

macrumors regular
Jul 11, 2009
181
23
Raleigh, NC
Is it just me or does anyone else think that once the iWatch is introduced Pebble will crumble.

There is no way that their revenue will double.

The watch market is very diverse with all kinds of types. There are fitness watches, dress watches, diving watches, etc. In order for smart watches to be the "next big thing", they are going to have to fill the need for all these different areas. I do not see Apple releasing 5 or 6 different iWatches for each individual market. With that said, it sounds like Apple is going the "fitness watch" rout. The Pebble Steel is going the "dress watch" route. I am not sure where the original Pebble stands, but it is possible it may loose some market share at the release of the iWatch. So I think there may be some overlap in sales, but I dont think Pebble will crumble when the iWatch is released.
 

za9ra22

macrumors 65816
Sep 25, 2003
1,139
1,121
The watch market is very diverse with all kinds of types. There are fitness watches, dress watches, diving watches, etc. In order for smart watches to be the "next big thing", they are going to have to fill the need for all these different areas. I do not see Apple releasing 5 or 6 different iWatches for each individual market. With that said, it sounds like Apple is going the "fitness watch" rout. The Pebble Steel is going the "dress watch" route. I am not sure where the original Pebble stands, but it is possible it may loose some market share at the release of the iWatch. So I think there may be some overlap in sales, but I dont think Pebble will crumble when the iWatch is released.

Isn't at least some of the point of a smartwatch that if designed to run apps, it can be almost any type of watch to fit the owner's needs, even as those needs change during the day or day by day. It isn't necessary to pick what kind of watch to wear, just what apps or watchfaces to load on the one watch you do wear.

For the little my opinion is genuinely worth, I would think the degree of success any of the players can expect to have in this marketplace will depend on the availability of apps and user-customisations. I suspect that's why Pebble recently created it's appstore.
 

redhawk87

macrumors regular
Jul 11, 2009
181
23
Raleigh, NC
Unless Apple takes a surprising turn and makes the iWatch Android compatible, I suspect a large segment of the market will continue to have to look elsewhere for a smartwatch.

Hopefully the iWatch will be able to function at least somewhat on its own and not have to be paired to an iPhone 24/7. Sure, it pays off to stay within the Apple ecosystem, but I dont think Apple would release a product on the sole basis of being a companion product. If it was a companion product, that would mean its sole purpose is to increase iPhone sales. If iPhones decline in popularity, so does the iWatch, regardless on how amazing the iWatch is. That leaves too much at steak for the "next big thing" in tech. I think Apple has positioned itself well to release a stand alone iWatch with the introduction of iCloud. Everything the iWatch does could be synced and stored in iCloud with no phone needed.

Yes, a person with an Android phone may not want an iWatch because it may restrict what the watch can do, but you should still be able to use its core features. I am sure there are a ton of Android users that own Apple TV's even though the cant mirror their phones/tablets screen onto the TV with it.

If the iWatch proves to be a huge success, it would do the same thing for iPhone sales that the iPhone/iPod did for Mac PCs.
 

luckydcxx

macrumors 65816
Jun 13, 2013
1,158
419
The watch market is very diverse with all kinds of types. There are fitness watches, dress watches, diving watches, etc. In order for smart watches to be the "next big thing", they are going to have to fill the need for all these different areas. I do not see Apple releasing 5 or 6 different iWatches for each individual market. With that said, it sounds like Apple is going the "fitness watch" rout. The Pebble Steel is going the "dress watch" route. I am not sure where the original Pebble stands, but it is possible it may loose some market share at the release of the iWatch. So I think there may be some overlap in sales, but I dont think Pebble will crumble when the iWatch is released.

I see your point but I do not think pebble is a dress watch (at least not a good looking one). I think the iWatch will hit a few of those categories you listed.
 

APlotdevice

macrumors 68040
Sep 3, 2011
3,145
3,861
You missed the part of my post "that works well". Samsung's first try was obviously subpar in the absence of an Apple version to copy. But in time, the big guys will eventually get it right.

Still, for a smart watch to "work well" it absolutely MUST have a persistent (reflective or transflective) display. OLED-based watches are basically the modern equivalent of this:

pulsar_led_watch.jpg


Now I'm not saying that smart watches should remain black and white. High contrast reflective/transflective color displays will enter the market eventually.
 
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wesk702

macrumors 68000
Jul 7, 2007
1,809
368
The hood
March has been an awesome month. Got my pebble steel and nMP the same week. Love my pebble. Evernote is real useful for work due to management grilling us about cellphones in the workplace and leaf app is awesome for controlling my nest at home. It's simple, unobtrusive, and does everything I need...for now. But off to Craigslist it will go once the Apple watch comes to fruition.

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Depends on a lot of things, including compatibility and ability.

That said, how much do you expect Apple's entry to sell for ?

I'm gonna guess $499
 

redhawk87

macrumors regular
Jul 11, 2009
181
23
Raleigh, NC
Isn't at least some of the point of a smartwatch that if designed to run apps, it can be almost any type of watch to fit the owner's needs, even as those needs change during the day or day by day. It isn't necessary to pick what kind of watch to wear, just what apps or watchfaces to load on the one watch you do wear.

For the little my opinion is genuinely worth, I would think the degree of success any of the players can expect to have in this marketplace will depend on the availability of apps and user-customisations. I suspect that's why Pebble recently created it's appstore.

Yes, I agree to some extent. The bigger the app ecosystem, the better. That goes for any "computer". That is one of the reasons I believe the Mac computer did not do so well.

So yes, you can create a watch that is highly customizable and can interchange watch straps. You can also change the watch face to "analog" or digital or tetris for all I care.

The majority of watches that are out there today have become more like jewelry. The exceptions in my mind are GPS watches and fitness/heart rate watches. They actually do serve a purpose. These watches are generally not as aesthetically pleasing. Also, people have different preferences for the materials used in their watches. Most fitness watches do not have a metal watch face and I assume there is a reason for that. People who really like watches would not wear a fitness watch out to a fancy restaurant, just like they would not wear a Rolex to go running. Right now there is not a single popular watch that is ideal for working out/tracking your location that can also be worn at fancy occasions and I believe there is a specific reason for that. I do not know enough about the inner working of watches and all the cultural nuances surrounding watches to say exactly what the reason is, but I believe there is a reason. You might say "oh well, that is just because Apple has not entered the market yet", but I dont think Apple can even crack this issue.

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I see your point but I do not think pebble is a dress watch (at least not a good looking one). I think the iWatch will hit a few of those categories you listed.

I dont know if the Pebble Steel is considered a dress watch or not, but I think that is the direction Pebble was going with that design. It is no Rolex or anything, but it does have more class than the original and would appeal more towards the same people who tend to buy dress watches. And yes, I think the iWatch could span a couple different categories, but it will never cover them all.
 

hh83917

macrumors 6502
Jun 30, 2005
297
65
I have the Pebble watch, ordered the pebble steel, but cancelled the order due to massive delays and reports of quality control issues. I decide to stick with my black pebble and wait for the recently popular motorola watch or wait for the iwatch. I hope pebble rake in money fast now before it's too late. :rolleyes:
 
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