Pebble has today announced a new addition to its burgeoning smartwatch roster – the Pebble Time Steel.
It’s poised a premium alternative to the new Pebble Time, and brings back the stainless steel design we saw from the original Pebble Steel.
So what’s new? Not much actually – the Time Steel lands with all the same features as the Time.
Watch our Pebble Time and Pebble Time Steel hands-on video
That means it’ll ship with waterproof coating and run the exact same software package as the Time.
The core difference – aside from the stainless steel bezel and optional metal band – is that its grown in thickness by 1mm, up from 9.5mm.
We’ve had a bit of a hands-on with it, and it’s fair to say you don’t really notice the added thickness.
What this means, however, is that Pebble has been able to bump the battery life up to 10 days, building on the Time’s 7 day cycle.
The Pebble Time, of course, launched just last month, hitting its Kickstarter target within minutes of the unveiling.
Notably, it eschewed the LCD screen of its counterparts, instead using always-on e-paper display technology to stretch out battery life.
It’s also compatible with both Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms, which makes it a solid contender for the top smartwatch spot.
It will carry phyiscal buttons for easy use, and will be compatible with all standard 22mm watch straps.
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What’s also interesting is that, like the Time, the Time Steel will support Pebble’s new smart straps.
This innovative addition means users will be able to buy custom tech-toting straps for their smartwatches, adding features like heart-rate tracking or NFC support for mobile payments.
The Pebble Time Steel is headed to Kickstarter today, and looks set to price at 299 Euros (~£217) when it launches in July.
Pebble also revealed to TrustedReviews that if you registered for the Time on Kickstarter, you can transfer over your registration for the Steel and keep your place in the queue.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
