Pebble is known as one of the first companies to release a smartwatch, though it was soon overshadowed by the likes of Samsung and Motorola devices.
Yet don't discount Pebble just yet when it comes to devising smartwatches. Its CEO is more than confident Pebble will stand up against Apple Watch and even new devices likely to come from Google. After all the company sold a million smartwatches when the device was initially released, and when wearables were brandnew for consumers and is second behind leader Samsung in the wearable smartwatch segment.
Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky suggests new features designed to increase consumer interaction will set his company's device ahead of the competition. User interaction has proved to be a challenge for many smartwatch makers because of the small display size. Apple has introduced the "Digital Crown," which users can turn to zoom in or scroll, while other wearable makers are tapping voice features to drive interaction.
"You'll actually interact with the watch in a completely different way than you do today," said Migicovsky in an interview. "What we've got on the horizon, and the vast part of the company is spending time on, is what's the new metaphor?"
Pebble won't be getting every sensor under the sun, but it might be able to control devices that do have more sensors. According to Migicovsky, it makes more sense to have the smartwatch be the hub of information rather than having to gather all user data on its own. This is largely because of the potential inaccuracy of things like heart rate monitors in smartwatches today.
The next Pebble will make use of Bluetooth Low Energy, or BLE. This will allow sensors and other devices to communicate with Pebble through the most power efficient form of Bluetooth currently available.
The design of the next Pebble is largely expected to be very similar to the one already being used. Pebble, says its CEO, is focused on creating longer battery life rather than a more impressive screen. Adding an OLED screen or something similar would mean a much shorter battery life. Not only that, but Migicovsky prefers having an always-on display, which can also be draining on battery, especially if the display is more power hungry.
This is in contrast to the display on the Apple Watch, which, if rumors are to be believed, will not have a battery life to go up against the likes of the Pebble.
