Tech manufacturer Pebble has again looked to crowdfunding site Kickstarter to raise money for its second smartwatch, Pebble Time. Pebble Time will offer a color e-paper display and up to seven days of battery life, says the company. It will also come complete with a microphone that will allow owners to send voice replies to notifications and messages via their smartphone.
The company raised more than $10 million for its first smartwatch. It has sold over one million wristwear devices. It had raised more than $2 million just an hour after announcing the new smartwatch, despite only targeting $500,000.
Pebble boss Eric Migicovsky said: “Pebble was first brought to life by 69,000 backers and people who supported our vision three years ago. We could not think of a better way to share our new watch”. The chief executive said that new hardware and “re-imagined software” were to be launched. The watch is to be 20% thinner than the first device. A smart accessories port will be featured, with the firm hoping that developers will create hardware for it.
Crowdfunding backers should receive their watch by the end of May, with the device being shipped worldwide by the end of the year, costing $199.