Remember when Pebble talked about attaching sensors to the back of its watches? Well, it’s now a reality. Sort of.
Pebble has announced Smart straps, a new modular way of adding sensors to a smartwatch.
What’s more, the platform is set to be compatible with both of Pebble’s newest smartwatches, the Time and Time Steel.
Watch our Pebble Time and Pebble Time Steel hands-on video
Sort of like a Project Ara for smartwatches, the Smart straps ecosystem will be opened up to developers for tinkering.
This means that third-party OEMs can build custom straps for users, adding new levels of functionality to the Pebble smartwatches.
Pebble offered examples of sensory additions like heart-rate trackers, or even NFC support for mobile payments.
Related: Best Fitness Tracker 2015
It’s a pretty huge announcement as far as the wearables space goes as Pebble is launching the world’s first smart strap system.
This is especially good for the smartwatch space, as it means users and third-parties can make up for missing smartwatch features by lumping their own components onto a strap.
It could theoretically even be possible to create a battery strap, adding to the already formidable charge cycles of Pebble fare.
The straps attach to the Pebble watches via a new quick release pin for easy interchangeability. They also connect to a smart accessory port on the actual device body, enabling the modular functionality.
Pebble revealed to TrustedReviews that they anticipate the Smart straps not costing more than $50 to $100.
That’s pretty vague, but the pricing will very much depend on third-party input and the varying costs of components.
We’ll keep you posted as more details arrive about Pebble’s latest innovation.
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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.
