Pebble jumped the gun when it released a watch last week, and the first two days of Mobile World Congress 2015 has already seen a plethora of wearables. But now the smartwatch maker has released a smart strap too.
The release of the Pebble Time on Feb. 24 broke Kickstater records -- $13 million and counting has already been raised -- and punters can now get its premium cousin, the Pebble Time Steel, as part of the same project. But it is the company's smart strap technology that raised eyebrows at MWC 2015.
Alongside the Pebble Time Steel launch, details were released about how the new charging and data connector on the back of the watch will work. The connector can send and receive power and data to the watch which would allow it to work with "straps that expand the functionality of Pebble Time and Pebble Time Steel."
Pebble is inviting developers to create straps that could use this connector to communicate with the watch via dedicated APIs through the generic connector that the company says will work with most straps. We are creating an open platform that will enable anyone to build smartstraps for Pebble watches," says Pebble CEO and founder, Eric Migicovsky.
Smart straps could be a huge breakthrough for the wearables industry. Much of the criticism of smart watches to date, including the much awaited Apple Watch, has been that there's only so much you can do with a small display. However, the addition of a smart strap could allow the device to hold more sensors and provide more real estate for interactive features.
The APIs could also be used to communicate with accessories like heart rate monitors, GPS or even pollution sensors. In theory, this could transform the Pebble Time from a device to show alerts from your phone to a platform for controlling any wearable gadget.
"We can't wait to see what people develop; the opportunities are endless," added Migicovsky. Pebble says the APIs won't be available to developers for several months after the watches start shipping in May, but if they can get smart straps out before Apple or anyone else, Pebble will have a key advantage in the ever crowded market. For now, developers can download 3D models of Pebble Time and the DIY smart strap here.
As for the Steel release, similar to the original watch, the Pebble Time Steel is a premium version made of steel aimed at the high end market. On top of the steel casing and strap for an extra $100, you get longer battery life (10 days rather than three according to the release) and the display is bonded directly to the top lens.
Photo Credit: Pebble
