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Pebble today announced its new smartwatch and successor to the original Pebble, the Pebble 2. In addition, the company also launched the Pebble Time 2. Both smartwatches feature a slightly refreshed design that has made them sleeker and reduced the bezel size surrounding the display.
Both smartwatches continue to feature an e-ink display, though the one on the Pebble 2 is black-and-white, while the Time 2 features a color e-ink display. The display on both smartwatches are protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass, and they also feature a built-in microphone and are water resistant for up to 30m depth. The display on the Pebble Time 2 is 53 percent larger than the one found on its predecessor, thanks to the reduced bezel space.
Most importantly though, Pebble is highlighting the heart rate tracker on both smartwatches. This is the first time that Pebble is including a heart rate sensor in its smartwatches, and the company says that going forward all its watches will feature one. The company has also updated Pebble OS to include a built-in Health tools and activity tracking.
Thanks to the e-ink displays, both smartwatches offer stellar battery life. The Pebble 2 will last for a week on a single charge, while the Pebble Time 2 will last for around 10 days on one charge. This is significantly more than any other smartwatch in the market now. This is even more impressive once you consider that the watches also feature a heart rate monitor, though it remains unclear if the sensor will timely scan for your heartbeat or one will have to do a scan manually.
Like previous Pebble watches, the Pebble 2 and Pebble Time 2 go on sale on Kickstarter from today. The former has been priced at $99 and will ship in September, while the latter has been priced at $169 and will ship in November.
In addition to two new smartwatches, Pebble also announced Pebble Core – an ultra-wearable with built-in 3G connectivity that can stream music from Spotify and track your run using GPS.
What do you think about the Pebble 2 and the Pebble Time 2? Will you be ditching your Apple Watch for it?
