Updated on 08-07-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Pebble opened up preorders for the Pebble Time Steel to everyone on its website. It will ship in 6-8 weeks, Pebble says.
You can now preorder the Pebble Time Steel directly from Pebble’s website for $250. The listing says that it will ship to new buyers in 6 to 8 weeks. All of the color options are still available, including the red-gold combo and the ones with metal bands.
The company previously announced in a Kickstarter update that backers should begin receiving shipment information for their new smartwatches in the first week of August. Even though Pebble stated that every backer will receive a leather band and matching metal band, supply issues prevented the company from shipping out metal bands in time. As such, Pebble will include them with reward watches as one shipment, and the company will swallow any shipping costs.
According to Pebble, the first batch of Pebble Time Steel smartwatches already left the factory, and it expects to finish shipments of the watch by the end of August. As for the metal bands, Pebble said it expects to ship them out to backers by the end of September, probably sooner, though no further specifics were given.
While you wait for yours to arrive, you can read our review of the Pebble Time smartwatch, which is the less premium version of Pebble Time Steel. For more details on the interface and Pebble’s Kickstarter campaign, you can read our full rundown of the entry-level Pebble Time.
What we learned about the watch at MWC
On stage at MWC in Barcelona during a session on wearables, Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky, revealed a new model of smartwatch: the Pebble Time Steel. Just like the recently announced Pebble Time, it has a color epaper display, but it’s 20 percent thinner than the original, water resistant, and more durable.
It will also run Pebble’s new timeline interface, but there was another revelation.
“Imagine attaching a GPS strap when you go for a run,” says Migicovsky.
There’s a hardware accessory port in the back of the Pebble Time Steel that allows you to attach a sensor strap or some other kind of hardware. Development is open to all interested parties. It takes 5-10 seconds to switch the strap. Migicovsky envisages a whole ecosystem of devices and sensors attracted by Pebble’s thriving community of app developers.
The Pebble Time Steel is a high-end version of the Pebble Time, so it’s made from stainless steel and comes with a choice of leather or steel straps. Some sensor straps and other accessories should be ready by the July release. The battery life is good, Migicovsky promises it can go 10 days between charges. However, if it’s anything like the regular Pebble Time, it’ll last through four days tops.
“Our vision, mission, goal is to make Pebble a indispensable part of your life,” says Migicovsky.
It will be available in gold, silver, or black, and if you pre-ordered on Kickstarter you got it for $250. No worries, though. If you already pre-ordered the Pebble Time, you can upgrade. The retail price will be $300.
Previous updates:
Updated on 07-30-2015 by Williams Pelegrin: Pebble announced it will start shipping out the Pebble Time Steel to Kickstarter backers in the first week of August.
Updated on 07-13-2015 by Malarie Gokey: Added news that the Pebble Time Steel will start production the week of July 13 and ship before the end of July, assuming all goes according to plan.
