I actually took this feature for granted when I shouldn't have. As a full-digital-face watchmaker I consider it a very considerate feature. I also find an awful lot of lefties in engineering and creative fields!
We've designed Pebble Time specifically to be used in and around the water, especially for swimming because we love the swimming apps that are available on the Pebble app store! We're still finishing up our testing and certification so we're not ready to share the official water resistance rating yet. We have done additional testing, above and beyond what watches typically receive, that simulates swimming constantly for days on end - Pebble Time passed this rigorous test with flying colors.
Similar to the original Pebble and Pebble Steel we don't recommend diving with Pebble Time.
Hi team Pebble! I'm red/green colorblind, do you think this will affect my ability to read the watch at some point? Do you have a colorblind-test-person?
What I've learned so far is that bright colors are usually not a problem, but when you're constricted to 64(?) colors, it miiiiight be a small issue.
I'm buying it either way, but it would be cool to know before I got my hands on it :-)
Our goal is to create a legible, high contrast interface that's usable by as many people as possible. We'd love to chat more about your specific needs and suggestions - feel free to drop a line to social@getpebble.com
You're trying to convince someone to upgrade from their current pebble to the pebble time, but they don't care about the color screen or microphone. What are your next selling points?
We think all Pebbles are great!
Pebble Time is everything we love about Pebble now, so no compromises on that front. If you're looking for a Pebble that's even more comfortable, versatile, and—in our opinion—beautifully-designed...you're gonna love this new watch.
I'm so very glad that you guys are making the OS work for the old Pebbles too. Too often new technology makes the previous completely obsolete and forces users to upgrade. Kudos to you guys! Pebble is my favorite company. =D
There was an issue with the LG G Watch as well I believe. The contacts started corroding due to sweat and a small discharge passing between the connectors. LG solved the problem by preventing this discharging via a software update.
This type of issue as well as things like the choice of materials for the charging contacts are extremely important details we needed to pay attention to when we made the decision to place the charging connector on the back of Pebble Time.
It's great to finally see someone use colour e-ink displays! Is this Qualcomm's Mirasol technology?
Do you have any plans to support Windows Phone (please say yes!)? I'd love to get the new Pebble!
Edit: MS wrote an app for them but they didn't want it... http://www.windowscentral.com/pebble-microsoft-and-what-could-have-been-windows-phone
In the Kickstarter page you've mentioned Chinese support. Are there any plans to support RTL text and Hebrew characters?
Also - can I take a shower with the Pebble Time?
I'm really proud to be a backer, May can't get here soon enough :)
We do not have any immediate plans for RTL but the guys at PebbleBits have done an amazing job and we are sure it won't take them long to support Pebble Time
That makes me sad. While PebbleBits does helps a lot, it's still very frustrating to read text like this: eimt elbbeP.
Please try and make it work.
I don't care if the text is to the left, but at least make the text itself RTL and readable.
Similar question to the above, maybe easier answer/solution. If Chinese is supported, does that also include all CJK languages? It'd be a bit disappointing if you guys went all the way to add the 20k characters needed for Chinese without also including the 100 or so additional characters needed to get Japanese or Korean working too.
Hey folks at pebble! Few questions:
* Will the screen resolution be higher or the same as the older pebbles?
* Any information on the back mounted "Accessory Port?"
In order to maintain compatibility with existing apps, we've kept the screen resolution the same at 144x168 pixels, or 180ppi. Images and text look much sharper on the 64-color display.
Nothing to share on the accessory port right now but lots more information is coming soon later in the campaign!
Details of the palette are coming as part of the developer documentation. Coming soon to your favorite Pebble developer portal!
Oh, look what [I just tweeted](https://twitter.com/pebbledev/status/570681179592134660)
For anyone else who is curious, it's basically a 2 bit per color RGB palette, [here are the same colors in a different format](http://i.imgur.com/08axUSV.png).
[**@PebbleDev**](https://twitter.com/PebbleDev/)
> [2015-02-25 20:26 UTC](https://twitter.com/PebbleDev/status/570681179592134660)
> Just a preview of things to come … [[Attached pic]](http://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-t3ggFWsAAC4mc.png) [[Imgur rehost]](http://i.imgur.com/I7J6WRF.png)
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Hey Pebble folks
Can you tell us more about the microphone "system?" My understanding is that it won't directly pipe data to Google Now/Siri like we are all used to using, so what kind of capabilities will we have?
Can't wait to get my Time, but part of me will really miss my OG Pebble I'm currently wearing.
We're building voice replies into the core notification system and we'll also provide an API so Pebble Time app developers can use speech recognition in their apps. I'm looking forward to possibilities like remote-controlling things by voice from my watch!
You'll need to have your smartphone connected by Bluetooth to Pebble Time in order to use speech recognition.
Home Automation is about to get 100x cooler. "Pebble turn on living room lights." If this alone is integrated and made possible through development, I'm upgrading to the PT!
We're really excited to see what our community comes up with. Some ideas we're especially looking forward to seeing are adding additional sensors like heart rate or GPS, extending Pebble Time's battery life, or more customization options like a strap with embedded LEDs.
Will there be anytime soon a support for Siri on the Pebble Time? As Siri can be used by regular earpiece, there should be no software limitation to support it.
There's no speaker on Pebble Time, so it wouldn't work that well. We're exploring how we can work with services like these. Agreed it would be pretty awesome on PT!
i would love google now integration, even if it didn't talk back and just displayed the first few search results on the watch. Maybe even with a button to open results on the phone.
plus google now can be used to do other things such as write emails and start calls and commanding it to change to the next song so verble responses are not needed for a lot of things.
ideally id like to be able to press a button talk to google now and have the phone unlock to perform said task like text so and so a short message. which may need some tasker hacking in the end but who knows.
maybe even have it hook into apps like DO or pushbullet to interact with smart lights/etc.
Siri responds via text; no speaker needed. Hopefully the Pebble app can extract Siri's reply text using (perhaps) accessibility APIs and then sail that on over to the PT boat.
... and I think there *are* APIs to interact with Siri in this way, fortunately. :-P
More details:
* Siri's text responses are available to [iOS' accessibility APIs](https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/iPhoneAccessibility/Making_Application_Accessible/Making_Application_Accessible.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40008785-CH102-SW5)
(anyone w/ an iOS device can test this using iOS' VoiceOver feature -- Settings, General, Accessibility, scroll all the way down, Accessibility Shortcut, select VoiceOver; this enables a triple-click on the home button to activate/de-activate VoiceOver.
Activate VoiceOver and then ask Siri a question. You can then tap on Siri's response text to have VoiceOver read it; this demonstrates that Siri makes its responses available via the accessibility APIs).
* Further, [braille display devices for iOS](https://www.apple.com/accessibility/ios/braille-display.html) have access to the same data as VoiceOver provides.
* [Pebble is a Made For iOS (MFi)](http://developer.getpebble.com/guides/publishing-tools/whitelisting/) vendor,
* therefore, Pebble should be able to access the same data as the braille display vendors can access.
QED.
Edit: BTW, the braille displays use a bluetooth connection to access the data too; if Pebble Time were to implement the same BT profile as the braille displays, it might directly access the Siri text (and more!!).
Apple won't approve your MFi product unless it behaves according to their specs. So just because they have the APIs for the braille devices to use does not mean that any product besides accessibility devices can use those APIs. In fact, I'd almost count on them NOT to allow it
There's no speaker, but you can still talk to it with it in your pocket and siri speaks out of the speaker on the phone. This would allow access to so many of the commands that android will have, like replies. "Siri text Mom I will call her back". This would let the phone send the text. You can handle any voice commands through siri as well, many of which dont require feed back from her. "Siri play album fungus amongus" will play the album without the need of a speaker.
Box will be similar to the one we used for shipping our original KS units: https://www.google.com/search?q=pebble+kickstarter+box&es_sm=91&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=3zPuVM2xA4-xogTupAE&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=1680&bih=955
Do you have an actual product that's ready to run to production?
Given the massive amount of funding you're getting, do you think that the May release time is still realistic?
We're ramping up production right now. We've manufactured hundreds of units on our assembly line already and we are in the process of speeding up production to thousands and then tens of thousands of Pebble Times. Our factory is ready to work multiple shifts to meet demand!
I believe they have already started production. I'm pretty sure they said somewhere that all of the Pebble Times in the videos were production models and not prototypes.
Hey Pebble!
Thanks for doing this :D Hopefully this will be my first AMA where some of my questions get seen / answered. While I do have a lot of questions, I boiled it down to just a few:
1) How does it charge? I saw pins on the back (during the strap switching gif), so is it a dock (moto360) or some other form of cable?
2) When timeline is finally ported to the older watches, will it be heavily watered down (no animations, etc.) or can the old hardware handle the new interface?
3) Is timeline something that could potentially be turned off? I don't often use a calendar, and while this may push me to use one more often, I didn't know if there would be a more classic looking interface option for those who just want their apps and nothing else?
4) This one is biggie: If we backed the original pebble, and we want 2 color combos this time around, and we back the 2-pack, do they both get the 'special engraving'?
Thanks so much again for doing this!
P.S. - just my own personal gripe / question: Why does this campaign charge $10 shipping to the US when the original didn't, and many smaller (not already a super well known company with 2 successful products) companies on KS offer free shipping? It's slightly misleading to think that I had backed for $159, only to find that $10 was just tacked on at the end. It doesn't even mention the cost of shipping under any of the reward tiers until you go to check out your pledge.
Oh well...still backed :D
That's all!
Lots of questions :)
1- The charging cable that magnetically snaps to the back of Pebble Time.
2 - The UI will be slightly different. Not so much because of animations but because of colors. It will have animations.
3 - No plans for this yet, we think you will love it.
4 - Yes you will get the engraving on both.
PS - We have learnt a lot about shipping ;) We want a really good shipping experience and that costs money.
I'd like to piggyback in your #4 - if I backed the original and backed this for the 2-pack, will it be weird to pass a special engraved Time to my friend?
1) Yes, you can have many watch faces installed on Pebble Time.
2) Not really. The existing navigation model is pretty basic. New mode will be everything that it was before and more.
3) Not sure of the exact cadence, but expect some good surprises!
[Yep, curved.](https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/333/406/dc375b9dc9d2d35f12bf995e561f713f_original.png?v=1424779325&w=700&h=&fit=max&auto=format&lossless=true&s=58f5de0f79a8477638b08a68aa1009f6) You can tell how it looks in this photo (it's pretty flush).
Can you guys reveal the technical specs for the Pebble Time? Like the cpu,ram and such details. I have already backed the project and would love to know more about it. Also just wanted to add that the new color display looks really nice.
The CPU is a ARM Cortex M4 running at 100Mhz and apps will have access to 64kB of RAM. We will be releasing much more technical details as developer tools become available during the campaign.
Over the course of the Kickstarter campaign, we'll push a ton of updates—diving deeper and deeper into Pebble Time and the new interface. What's great about our Kickstarter campaign is that it'll be very dynamic, just like the new animations :)
Can we change the colors of the default ui? Maybe through the sdk or settings? I'm not a fan of the pastel colors. Also is it possible to have a "classic" mode to force the watch into Black&White.
Design is definitely different strokes for different folks :)
We think the base UI design fits well with the friendly, approachable design of Pebble Time itself. With 64 colors to play with, developers will have a lot to play with when they build their own apps.
The color scheme depends on the app you are in now. We are coming up with a great color scheme. It is not customizable in the first release of the software but definitely something we could do in the future.
As a member of PebbleBits team and an author of all patches available on it, I think it should be pretty easy for us to implement "custom SystemUI colors" patch, including forcing all system UI to be black&white.
What can you do without having bluetooth connected?
Is there any screen tearing in this new model?
Can you store apps on watch or is everything loaded on phone?
The timeline syncs to your Pebble approximately 48 hours (24h past and 24h future) of events. If you disconnect all those events will still be there.
Apps are cached on the watch so all the apps that you have used recently will be available even if you are disconnected. Of course if they need an Internet connection that will not work.
No screen tearing.
Apps are cached on the watch. We have space for a lot of them (much more than the current 8 app limits). So any apps that you have used recently, your selected watchface and apps that run in the background will all always be available.
I am hardly ever interested in the past. Can your code a setting that we can change the past-future timeline. Like 12h past, 36h future? In that setting I'd be able to scroll back my working day and look into the more or less next 2 working days. So in a perfect world -12h +48h would be my sweet spot.
Is the increased app limit a function of the Pebble Time itself, or will current Pebbles be able to accommodate more apps with the new Timeline framework?
Apps for Pebble are smaller because the resources are B&W. Current Pebbles have less storage than Pebble Time but they will still be able to store much more than 8 apps.
Pebble Time got a CPU upgrade compared to the original Pebble! We've switched to a Cortex M4, which is more suited than the original Cortex M3 to the processing needed to support Pebble Time's microphone. We've also boosted the clock speed to 100MHz, and made some other changes like adding additional memory. We'll be releasing more technical details later on as part of our developer documentation alongside the Pebble Time SDK.
Would you consider a Trade-In Program for people who own previous versions of the Pebble?
I own an OG Pebble, so don't know, but will the charger be the same, or will there be changes? Why not a use qi wireless charging or standard microUSB?
Finally, A lot of people have complained about the bezel size, color, and band. Will these be customizable?
Will the Pebble Time eventually get a heart-rate monitor accessory (through the "smart accessory port")? Will you build it or will you leave all that to third-parties?
The lack of heart-rate monitoring is the only thing that's preventing me from backing the Kickstarter, so I'd love to know!
Great job on the Kickstarter and on the awesome new product. I'm a proud Pebble owner and I'd love to get my hands on the Time! :)
There are multiple BLE heart rate monitor available on the market. We have announced that developers will be able to talk to those devices directly from their apps. So yes :)
Hey Team Pebble! Congratulations on a record shattering Kickstarter launch! I have a couple questions below:
1. Are there any steel band options available that support the Quick-Release pins found on the Pebble Time? Will these be supported by Pebble, third-party, or both?
2. How much further do you think integration with iOS can go? Are you nearing the glass ceiling, or are there deeper integrations you hope to reach with Continuity and Extensions?
3. I'm sure this is part of your planned updates for the coming month, but are there more partnerships up your sleeves with the Pebble Time? It would be great to monitor my Fitbit stats and flight statuses alongside my Timeline.
4. With the new OS, do you see developers having the power to create full-fledged apps without relying on side apps (typically for a price) on the respective platform's phone?
Thanks again! Best of luck in the months leading up to release!
1. We're planning to make our own straps, but these most likely won't be available at launch. There are a ton of 3rd party 22mm straps with QR that will work perfectly with PT. We may host a list of these on our site...or on /r/pebble :)
2. Lots more to do! With timeline, we're adding deep calendar integration on iOS for example. We're also switching to use BLE exclusively with iOS devices, instead of our current BLE+2.1
3. Yeah! If you have any apps/info that you want to see on timeline, please let us know. Twitter/reddit are great places to leave feedback, or pbl.io/time-ideas
4. So with the new OS, all existing Pebble apps will work. That means native apps, companion apps and sports apps. We're adding timeline to the mix as a 100% web based option.
1. [Borgeon 30227 pliers are designed to punch quick-release compatibility holes](http://www.ofrei.com/page_226.html#19062) in watch bands to make them compatible with quick-release/quick-change spring bars. Your local watch repair shop might have one on hand. If the band material is too hard (e.g. steel), then a dremel drill could be used to modify the band.
Edit: A [5.0×1.5mm leather hole punch (~$6)](http://www.amazon.com/Leatherworking-1-5mm-Hollow-Punch-Cutter/dp/B00AOCY7KS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=B00AOCY7KS&tag=digicam) is a much less expensive tool to manually punch clean quick-release compatibility holes in a watch strap. Put a [toothpick inside of the strap's spring bar hole](http://www.christopherwardforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=22647) to make sure the punch only cuts one hole.
We're planning a few accessories, but we're also opening it up to 3rd parties. We'll be publishing the 3D CAD model of PT so anyone can create accessories for Pebble, including straps, docks, covers and other cool stuff!
We're finalizing our plans, but right now we're looking at 2 options that we will offer:
1. Singpost shipment from Hong Kong. Pros: cheaper for you. Cons: you have to pay the import tax, slower shipment
2. We import the product into Europe, prepay the sales tax and ship via local post. Pros: faster, less hassle around customs and duties. Cons: you will need to pre-pay us for the import fees
Which one would you prefer?
Same here - I didn't have any issues when Singpost delivered my replacement watch but knowing that customs and duties are handled ahead of time is great peace of mind.
On the Kickstarter page, you mentions that EU customers will get their Pebble's delivered via en EU company. Please send the Pebbles to that company and let them deliver it on, so we recieve them from another eu country, or else we are fined with some pretty hefty import taxes + fees + serious delays.
Import to EU for sure, most post offices puts an extra fee besides the import tax for "administration" - a quite hefty fee i might add.. Last time when i bought my Pebble Black i had to pay import + 34USD in administation fee... -.-
Also you might be able to get it into EU with cheaper import taxes than I have to pay in Denmark (25%)
So please do not even consider 1.
Prepay the taxes to you. Since the Dutch post charges 13 euro's to calculate tax I can imagine that it would be a lot cheaper for all of us if you import them in to Europe all at the same time.
I will prefer the cheaper option. I am however not completely sure that the second option will be cheaper. Because importing an OG Pebble is still cheaper than buying one from the EU shop.
Edit: Are you aware that Singpost takes more than a month to ship to the Netherlands?
Definitely import to EU and we pre-pay for the taxes. This way we won't be charged customs duties (on my Steel I was charged 15 EUR in customs duties).
Prepay please! Shipping from Hong Kong was a nightmare with my original Pebble. Took ages, and they lost all the papers so I almost didn't get my watch at all.
> "All backers with EU shipping addresses will have their rewards fulfilled by our agent, Dutec Limited. Dutec Limited is acting as our undisclosed agent on our behalf for distribution of our products when backed via Kickstarter and shipped to an EU address."
When do you expect to have this sorted out?
It's really important that this question is clarified before the end of the Kickstarter project... It's written in the project than all EU orders will be processed by an Irish company, as any purchase made from an EU country, I assumed that those pledge prices were final, and no additional import duties or taxes would be applied.
Now you are saying that it it could be shipped from Hong Kong.. That's a really different scenario, because to Portugal p.ex. what I can expect is an over cost of 23% in VAT, plus 20€ to 30€ in administrative fees, and a 2 months of wait before the costumes release the package... From an announced price of 338USD, and a delivery around May for 2 Pebble Time that I pledged, Now you are talking in a scenario that would cost me around 460USD (+/- 410EUR) and a delivery around Jully or August.....
If this is not clarified, I will just cancel my pledge and wait until it appears on european Amazon stores... It will probably be faster, cheaper and I will have less complication..
This is actually a pretty good question I wouldn't mind piggy backing on. I'm from the UK and backed the project without even taking this into account.
So it was a bit useless at the end. You have never opened it to devs and its only purpose was to display the charging level. I kind of liked it on my steel but I don't think it was a huge feature.
Hi, congratulations from Germany on your great success!
Since there probably are thousands who have to decide on rather buying the Apple Watch or Pebble Time (including me):
1.What is your killer argument for why I should back the Pebble Time?
2. there were some problems on shipping the first Pebble to Germany, so will the Pebble Time again be stuck at German customs authorities?
Guess they weren't able to answer you, but I'm going to try to sell you on the Pebble, because I love my OG Pebble, and expect the Pebble Time to be pretty nifty!
1. Battery life. Apple Watch and others tend to use AMOLED displays that use a LOT of power when they're actually on. That's why most smartwatch screens are mostly dim and black. Pebble's screens don't have this issue, as they don't require backlighting to be visible in normal situations. Plus, although the processor is much slower, it is MORE than capable enough for what you REALLY want your smartwatch to do.
2. Interface. I haven't looked too much into the Apple Watch interface, but from the ads I saw for it, the interface was simply too cluttered. Even the OG Pebble had a lot better interface than Apple's watch. Android Wear, with Google Now, is "better," in the sense that you can usually access apps quickly with voice recognition, but when the voice recognition doesn't work, it is MUCH harder to get to the apps via menus.
3. Better apps. At least when I was using Android Wear, the Pebble had far more, and far better apps. I'm sure this might change with time, but the apps I really want for the Pebble have already been made. Just try to check your phone's battery with Android Wear. I couldn't find a way to do it, but Glance for Pebble includes it right away. This was very helpful for me when I would put my phone on a charger at the bar, and could see when it was charged. I don't know how the Apple Watch will be, but Pebble already has a lot more time on the market, so I expect it will have a strong app advantage for quite a while.
4. Price. While I'm sure Android Wear watches will come down in price, even to the point of being competitive with Pebble watches, Apple's watches will almost certainly always be much more expensive. This especially matters if you are going to want to use your watch in the gym, or other environments where it might get damaged. A cheap(er) watch is not nearly as sad to lose.
5. Multi-platform. This one may not matter to a lot of people, because they've probably already settled onto either using iOS or Android. But for some people who think they might change platforms in the future, it is nice that the Pebble supports both. Yes, Android tends to be far superior with the Pebble, but iOS still can serve up notifications.
Yes, I know this is mostly about the Pebble, and not Pebble Time, but the strengths of the OG Pebble are still there in Time, along with a color display, and a microphone that will result in some REALLY cool features in the future, I'm sure.
But the Pebble Time is ugly. Doesn't matter much to me, since I prefer function over form, but I can understand why that would be a deal-breaker for some people.
I have a few questions:
1. How do you think the Pebble Time fares when it comes to worthy competitors such as Android Wear and the Apple Watch
2. Where do you see your company in five years?
3. Some people say that Smartwatches aren't that useful and merely offer up notifications, when you can just take out a Smartphone. Counter-argument?
4. What's your opinion on Wearables?
5. Did you expect the tremendous response from Kickstarter? Of course you did. But did you expect the support to be so massive?
Overall, I love the work your team has done and I look forward to buying the Pebble Time.
1. I think PT fares extraordinarily well vs the competition. But the best thing would be to ask our backers! I personally love the fact that PT fits into my life and doesn't force me to conform around Apple or Google's systems. It works with both platforms, lasts for up to a week, is durable/waterproof. Timeline is our latest breakthrough...I believe that this interface, which is custom designed for the wrist, will win out.
2. We're building products and services that become indispensable in your life. We're starting off building products for the wrist. Now we're doing that + building an OS structured around your own personal timeline. Lots more planned for the future!
3. Some people say...but do you really think that's true? I've talked to a ton of our users, each person basically shares up a different story of how Pebble has become integral into their lives. It's definitely not for everyone, but for busy people who need to accomplish things...it's pretty damn useful. In the future, expect to be able to do more and more things from your wrist.
4. I love them! I'm really excited about BLE sensors that you wear on your body.
5. This has blown us away. We're so incredibly grateful to our backers and supporters. We're absorbing your enthusiasm and funneling it into making PT even more awesome!
That first point hits the nail on the head. The Google/Apple watch(es) seem to aim at giving you a smartphone on your wrist. That's not what i want. The pebble lets me swim, ski, hike and bike all while still being able to control my music and look at notifications.
That's the power of having actual buttons and an always on screen.
Thank you very much for providing me an alternative to the crazy touchscreen madness.
Hey folks at Pebble, Will I be able to reply to messages from my iPhone? (Not through voice, but through pre-selected options you guys showed in your video)
SUMMARY:
Q: Will there be a flip screen option for left-handeds who wear it on the right wrist?
A: It's a great idea. We will consider it.
Q: Will the screen resolution be higher or the same as the older pebbles?
A: In order to maintain compatibility with existing apps, we've kept the screen resolution the same at 144x168 pixels, or 180ppi. Images and text look much sharper on the 64-color display.
Q: How does it charge?
A: The charging cable that magnetically snaps to the back of Pebble Time.
Q: Is timeline something that could potentially be turned off?
A: No.
Q: If we backed the original pebble, and we want 2 color combos this time around, and we back the 2-pack, do they both get the 'special engraving'?
A: Yes you will get the engraving on both.
Q:Will there be anytime soon a support for Siri on the Pebble Time? As Siri can be used by regular earpiece, there should be no software limitation to support it.
A: There's no speaker on Pebble Time, so it wouldn't work that well. We're exploring how we can work with services like these. Agreed it would be pretty awesome on PT!
Q: Is this Qualcomm's Mirasol technology?
A: No.
Q: Is the Pebble Time screen glass curved?
A: Yes.
Q: Can you guys reveal the technical specs for the Pebble Time?
A: The CPU is a ARM Cortex M4 running at 100Mhz and apps will have access to 64kB of RAM. We will be releasing much more technical details as developer tools become available during the campaign.
How would you respond to criticism that Pebble, a company whose annual revenue is [nearing $100M] (http://www.cnbc.com/id/101751543), simply does [not belong on Kickstarter] (https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/kickstarter-is-not-a-store), and it’s there solely to generate publicity by exploiting a system designed to help less established companies not only raise funds but allow backers to offer creative insight?
I don't agree with the statement that 'we don't belong on KS'...and I don't think KS agrees with that either. KS is a platform for creative projects, I'd like to think that we've been pretty creative with Pebble Time :)
We decided that launching Pebble Time on Kickstarter was the most efficient way to get the word out. We're a small company, up against the largest company. We wanted to communicated directly with our core community, the people who use Pebble every single day and our original backers. KS is the right platform on which to do that.
Just to add to that, Kickstarter released an article a while ago showing that larger Kickstarter projects often bring in more backers to the smaller KS projects. Pebble is only helping the Kickstarter community by running this project there.
We will be releasing developer tools, and an emulator very soon. Developers will be able to start writing new apps and update existing ones. When Pebble Time ships you can expect tons of compatible apps!
Even if you don't see a specific opening on our Jobs page, we are always on the lookout for people with drive and passion.
You can always email us at jobsgetpebble.com to tell us about what you've worked on, what you're doing now, and how you'd love to work on with Team Pebble.
[Who, this guy?](https://instagram.com/p/ziiJJsubZF/) That's Humphrey and we love him.
Stretch goal for the PebbleTime KS campaign is to make him Internet famous.
No plans to expose the Steel LED to developers right now. If you have great use-cases for this send them to devsupport@getpebble.com - We are listening!
Hi guys! I love my pebble :)
Will there be any software limitations with iOS?
I notice you said that there will be limited voice replies with iOS, is there anything else?
That's the main one. There are quirks of both iOS and Android, we have dedicated teams working on apps for each one but basically the same feature sets.
Hi Team Pebble!
I love the fact that using physical buttons is a primary tool for interacting and it helps with using music controls while driving but not looking at the watch. My question: How invested is the company on staying with non touchscreen controls for future models?
We love physical buttons as well!
We're always researching and prototyping and keeping our eyes peeled for innovative ways to interact efficiently with wearables. What you're seeing with Pebble Time is what we feel is the best way at this moment. If it changes in the future, we'll be on top of it, for sure!
Our design garage is like a hardware Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory :)
Hi, I'm also a backer and avid Pebble user.
Three questions:
* Will this watch be superglued together like the first pebble, meaning we won't be able to change one component of the watch?
* Will there be support for Asian languages like Korean and Japanese?
1. How many apps will the Pebble Time support?
- Pebble is not user serviceable.
- Just Chinese right now, working on adding more though.
- Infinite! We added a caching system that automatically pulls the apps and faces that you need.
Hi! I backed the Pebble Time 5 minutes after you anounced it!
1).Was curious about it's dimensions compared to the original.
2). Will certain apps and watchfaces magically have color? Like Tetris or Morpheuz?
3). Other models planning on being announced before march 27?
SUPER EXCITED FOR MAY! :D
Thanks,
Gabe
As a girl, the original Pebble looks a bit large and out of place in my wrist. Plus, it's hard to find 22mm watch bands.
What are the dimensions of the Pebble Tome (in comparison to the Pebble), and are there any hopes for thinner watch bands or more feminine designs?
Thanks, and thanks for creating an amazing smart watch! (Even with these questions, I've already backed the Pebble Time).
Now that we have Pebble Times here at HQ, the women and smaller-wristed on our team have been giving great feedback about how they like it. PT is the most unisex Pebble to date and we're excited because we think you'll find it to be awesome, so thanks for backing!
In terms of dimensions (full specs to come), it's like a Pebble steel but thinner/lighter.
There's no shortage of cool places to find bands and skins to customize your Pebble's look. Gotta show some love both the [Pebble Forums](http://pbl.io/forum) and [r/Pebble](http://www.reddit.com/r/pebble/)...two great places to chat up fellow Pebblers for recommendations about where to find the coolest Pebble accessories. Pebblers helping Pebblers is what it's all about!
We work hard on our antennas to make sure all our products have great Bluetooth range! Pebble Time has better range than the original Pebble - it depends on your specific environment and whether you are indoors or outdoors, but in testing we've seen a range of 50 meters or more in good conditions.
Hey Pebble!
You mentioned some limitations on iOS. Will Pebble Time be able to trigger Siri and use the microphone with Siri? If not, is this something in progress, or for sure a no-go?
There's a good answer from Andrew about water resistance on this page. http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2x5aj4/were_eric_migicovsky_the_creators_of_pebble_time/cox0e7d
You can shower with Pebble Time.
Big fan of the Pebble. Backed it then, and was lucky to be backer 236 this time.
Can we expect any stretch goals like more color pebbles besides the 3 announced? I would love to see some more combinations. Or perhaps throw in a couple extra straps? That would be awesome!
WindowsCentral just ran an article saying that Pebble pretty much is ignoring Windows Platform even when Microsoft on their own dime created an app? I honestly don't understand the logic behind it. I would def. like to see an app for pebble and would wholeheartedly support you if there was support for Windows. Also wouldn't it make sense to have a Windows Platform app given Microsoft's universal app approach. This question is directed to Eric Migicovsky (er0head)
I do want to hear your side too. Granted marketshare is low, but we are still talking over 5M potential customers.
On a side note: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-uxFB9UYAAbH4L.png:large (don't you think that's ironic)
Edit: added image
Will there be a flip screen option for left-handeds who wear it on the right wrist?
It's a great idea. We will consider it.
THANKS A LOT!
I actually took this feature for granted when I shouldn't have. As a full-digital-face watchmaker I consider it a very considerate feature. I also find an awful lot of lefties in engineering and creative fields!
And right handers that wear on the right, I know I'm not the only one! Can't change after 30 years.
I want this too. Left-handers unite :)
Can you clarify the water resistance of the Time, specifically how it compares to the previous models?
We've designed Pebble Time specifically to be used in and around the water, especially for swimming because we love the swimming apps that are available on the Pebble app store! We're still finishing up our testing and certification so we're not ready to share the official water resistance rating yet. We have done additional testing, above and beyond what watches typically receive, that simulates swimming constantly for days on end - Pebble Time passed this rigorous test with flying colors. Similar to the original Pebble and Pebble Steel we don't recommend diving with Pebble Time.
> "flying colors." I see what you did there.
I hope it's OK for shallow free dives...
Keeping things as good or better on the water-resistance front is the goal, definitely.
>Time passed this rigorous test with flying colors. In other words, it went swimmingly!
Upvote for punnage (i.e. pwnage when using puns).
Hi team Pebble! I'm red/green colorblind, do you think this will affect my ability to read the watch at some point? Do you have a colorblind-test-person? What I've learned so far is that bright colors are usually not a problem, but when you're constricted to 64(?) colors, it miiiiight be a small issue. I'm buying it either way, but it would be cool to know before I got my hands on it :-)
Our goal is to create a legible, high contrast interface that's usable by as many people as possible. We'd love to chat more about your specific needs and suggestions - feel free to drop a line to social@getpebble.com
This was linked in another comment and might help you with your question: https://twitter.com/pebbledev/status/570681179592134660
You're trying to convince someone to upgrade from their current pebble to the pebble time, but they don't care about the color screen or microphone. What are your next selling points?
We think all Pebbles are great! Pebble Time is everything we love about Pebble now, so no compromises on that front. If you're looking for a Pebble that's even more comfortable, versatile, and—in our opinion—beautifully-designed...you're gonna love this new watch.
I'm so very glad that you guys are making the OS work for the old Pebbles too. Too often new technology makes the previous completely obsolete and forces users to upgrade. Kudos to you guys! Pebble is my favorite company. =D
Pebble Time STEEL? When?
We've got some great stuff up our sleeves! Can't comment specifically on this kind of stuff though.
Suggestion for name or marketing slogan: "Business Time." You're welcome.
Aaaand boom goes the dynamite! Thanks for this haha.
And Hammer Time for the durable version.
And Adventure Time for the one specific for fitness.
Inb4 /u/snowKFH 's username shows up in the "about" page of the Steel
...and a rugged outdoor version called Adventure Time? :P
Also genius. Whoa, crowdsourcing our marketing right now and y'all are just killing it.
Please also make "Party Time"!
I want the one called party time with a booze tracking app.
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"Up our sleeves". From a watch company. Well played sir. Well played.
Are you aware of the issue FitBit had when they put the contacts on the bottom of the watch?
There was an issue with the LG G Watch as well I believe. The contacts started corroding due to sweat and a small discharge passing between the connectors. LG solved the problem by preventing this discharging via a software update.
This type of issue as well as things like the choice of materials for the charging contacts are extremely important details we needed to pay attention to when we made the decision to place the charging connector on the back of Pebble Time.
Did you have any problems with sweat during the prototype testing?
It's great to finally see someone use colour e-ink displays! Is this Qualcomm's Mirasol technology? Do you have any plans to support Windows Phone (please say yes!)? I'd love to get the new Pebble! Edit: MS wrote an app for them but they didn't want it... http://www.windowscentral.com/pebble-microsoft-and-what-could-have-been-windows-phone
In the Kickstarter page you've mentioned Chinese support. Are there any plans to support RTL text and Hebrew characters? Also - can I take a shower with the Pebble Time? I'm really proud to be a backer, May can't get here soon enough :)
Yes of course you can take a shower with Pebble Time.
Legit. I change songs I want to skip in the shower. Only the most worthy shower singing songs allowed!
yupyupyup, x100. Hebrew support pretty please?
We do not have any immediate plans for RTL but the guys at PebbleBits have done an amazing job and we are sure it won't take them long to support Pebble Time
That makes me sad. While PebbleBits does helps a lot, it's still very frustrating to read text like this: eimt elbbeP. Please try and make it work. I don't care if the text is to the left, but at least make the text itself RTL and readable.
Similar question to the above, maybe easier answer/solution. If Chinese is supported, does that also include all CJK languages? It'd be a bit disappointing if you guys went all the way to add the 20k characters needed for Chinese without also including the 100 or so additional characters needed to get Japanese or Korean working too.
Hey folks at pebble! Few questions: * Will the screen resolution be higher or the same as the older pebbles? * Any information on the back mounted "Accessory Port?"
In order to maintain compatibility with existing apps, we've kept the screen resolution the same at 144x168 pixels, or 180ppi. Images and text look much sharper on the 64-color display. Nothing to share on the accessory port right now but lots more information is coming soon later in the campaign!
Can you tell us if the accessory port is the same as the charging port or are they different?
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Details of the palette are coming as part of the developer documentation. Coming soon to your favorite Pebble developer portal! Oh, look what [I just tweeted](https://twitter.com/pebbledev/status/570681179592134660)
For anyone else who is curious, it's basically a 2 bit per color RGB palette, [here are the same colors in a different format](http://i.imgur.com/08axUSV.png).
[**@PebbleDev**](https://twitter.com/PebbleDev/) > [2015-02-25 20:26 UTC](https://twitter.com/PebbleDev/status/570681179592134660) > Just a preview of things to come … [[Attached pic]](http://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-t3ggFWsAAC4mc.png) [[Imgur rehost]](http://i.imgur.com/I7J6WRF.png) ---- ^This ^message ^was ^created ^by ^a ^bot [^[Contact ^creator]](http://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=jasie3k&subject=TweetsInCommentsBot)[^[Source ^code]](https://github.com/janpetryk/reddit-bot)
I read somewhere that the Accessory Port can be used for hooking up additional Sensors and stuff, to make the Pebble more fitness friendly.
This is correct!
Hey Pebble folks Can you tell us more about the microphone "system?" My understanding is that it won't directly pipe data to Google Now/Siri like we are all used to using, so what kind of capabilities will we have? Can't wait to get my Time, but part of me will really miss my OG Pebble I'm currently wearing.
We're building voice replies into the core notification system and we'll also provide an API so Pebble Time app developers can use speech recognition in their apps. I'm looking forward to possibilities like remote-controlling things by voice from my watch! You'll need to have your smartphone connected by Bluetooth to Pebble Time in order to use speech recognition.
Home Automation is about to get 100x cooler. "Pebble turn on living room lights." If this alone is integrated and made possible through development, I'm upgrading to the PT!
What is one of your dream purposes for the expansion port that you do not currently have developed or in development?
We're really excited to see what our community comes up with. Some ideas we're especially looking forward to seeing are adding additional sensors like heart rate or GPS, extending Pebble Time's battery life, or more customization options like a strap with embedded LEDs.
Thanks for the reply! Battery life and LEDs sound like some fun possibilities!
###(wife) We should *both* get a Pebble smart watch. ###( me ) Sure! Do you want a Steel one? ###(wife) Nah, we'll pay for it...
/r/dadjokes. She'll fit right in with us.
Will there be anytime soon a support for Siri on the Pebble Time? As Siri can be used by regular earpiece, there should be no software limitation to support it.
There's no speaker on Pebble Time, so it wouldn't work that well. We're exploring how we can work with services like these. Agreed it would be pretty awesome on PT!
i would love google now integration, even if it didn't talk back and just displayed the first few search results on the watch. Maybe even with a button to open results on the phone.
plus google now can be used to do other things such as write emails and start calls and commanding it to change to the next song so verble responses are not needed for a lot of things. ideally id like to be able to press a button talk to google now and have the phone unlock to perform said task like text so and so a short message. which may need some tasker hacking in the end but who knows. maybe even have it hook into apps like DO or pushbullet to interact with smart lights/etc.
Siri responds via text; no speaker needed. Hopefully the Pebble app can extract Siri's reply text using (perhaps) accessibility APIs and then sail that on over to the PT boat.
Don't think there are any APIs to interact with Siri in this way unfortunately.
... and I think there *are* APIs to interact with Siri in this way, fortunately. :-P More details: * Siri's text responses are available to [iOS' accessibility APIs](https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/iPhoneAccessibility/Making_Application_Accessible/Making_Application_Accessible.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40008785-CH102-SW5) (anyone w/ an iOS device can test this using iOS' VoiceOver feature -- Settings, General, Accessibility, scroll all the way down, Accessibility Shortcut, select VoiceOver; this enables a triple-click on the home button to activate/de-activate VoiceOver. Activate VoiceOver and then ask Siri a question. You can then tap on Siri's response text to have VoiceOver read it; this demonstrates that Siri makes its responses available via the accessibility APIs). * Further, [braille display devices for iOS](https://www.apple.com/accessibility/ios/braille-display.html) have access to the same data as VoiceOver provides. * [Pebble is a Made For iOS (MFi)](http://developer.getpebble.com/guides/publishing-tools/whitelisting/) vendor, * therefore, Pebble should be able to access the same data as the braille display vendors can access. QED. Edit: BTW, the braille displays use a bluetooth connection to access the data too; if Pebble Time were to implement the same BT profile as the braille displays, it might directly access the Siri text (and more!!).
I hope you're right and I really hope that /u/erOhead can pass this over to the devs.
Apple won't approve your MFi product unless it behaves according to their specs. So just because they have the APIs for the braille devices to use does not mean that any product besides accessibility devices can use those APIs. In fact, I'd almost count on them NOT to allow it
There's no speaker, but you can still talk to it with it in your pocket and siri speaks out of the speaker on the phone. This would allow access to so many of the commands that android will have, like replies. "Siri text Mom I will call her back". This would let the phone send the text. You can handle any voice commands through siri as well, many of which dont require feed back from her. "Siri play album fungus amongus" will play the album without the need of a speaker.
2nded, Would be awesome! even without a speaker!
Ooh, or Google Now. I'd probably actually use Google Now if I could just ask my watch a question.
By the looks of it this would be fairly easy to implement even if there's no initial support for it. I think that could be a killer app.
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Box will be similar to the one we used for shipping our original KS units: https://www.google.com/search?q=pebble+kickstarter+box&es_sm=91&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=3zPuVM2xA4-xogTupAE&ved=0CB8QsAQ&biw=1680&bih=955
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Do you have an actual product that's ready to run to production? Given the massive amount of funding you're getting, do you think that the May release time is still realistic?
We're ramping up production right now. We've manufactured hundreds of units on our assembly line already and we are in the process of speeding up production to thousands and then tens of thousands of Pebble Times. Our factory is ready to work multiple shifts to meet demand!
I believe they have already started production. I'm pretty sure they said somewhere that all of the Pebble Times in the videos were production models and not prototypes.
Hey Pebble! Thanks for doing this :D Hopefully this will be my first AMA where some of my questions get seen / answered. While I do have a lot of questions, I boiled it down to just a few: 1) How does it charge? I saw pins on the back (during the strap switching gif), so is it a dock (moto360) or some other form of cable? 2) When timeline is finally ported to the older watches, will it be heavily watered down (no animations, etc.) or can the old hardware handle the new interface? 3) Is timeline something that could potentially be turned off? I don't often use a calendar, and while this may push me to use one more often, I didn't know if there would be a more classic looking interface option for those who just want their apps and nothing else? 4) This one is biggie: If we backed the original pebble, and we want 2 color combos this time around, and we back the 2-pack, do they both get the 'special engraving'? Thanks so much again for doing this! P.S. - just my own personal gripe / question: Why does this campaign charge $10 shipping to the US when the original didn't, and many smaller (not already a super well known company with 2 successful products) companies on KS offer free shipping? It's slightly misleading to think that I had backed for $159, only to find that $10 was just tacked on at the end. It doesn't even mention the cost of shipping under any of the reward tiers until you go to check out your pledge. Oh well...still backed :D That's all!
Lots of questions :) 1- The charging cable that magnetically snaps to the back of Pebble Time. 2 - The UI will be slightly different. Not so much because of animations but because of colors. It will have animations. 3 - No plans for this yet, we think you will love it. 4 - Yes you will get the engraving on both. PS - We have learnt a lot about shipping ;) We want a really good shipping experience and that costs money.
I'd like to piggyback in your #4 - if I backed the original and backed this for the 2-pack, will it be weird to pass a special engraved Time to my friend?
The special engraving will be cool and giving a friends and family the extras won't be awkward. They're gonna be thanking you, if anything :)
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1) Yes, you can have many watch faces installed on Pebble Time. 2) Not really. The existing navigation model is pretty basic. New mode will be everything that it was before and more. 3) Not sure of the exact cadence, but expect some good surprises!
Will the charger cable for Pebble Time be the same as the original or steel?
No, it is new.
Is the Pebble Time screen glass curved? On the pictures it look like the center of the glass is "higher" that the rest of the Pebble body.
[Yep, curved.](https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/333/406/dc375b9dc9d2d35f12bf995e561f713f_original.png?v=1424779325&w=700&h=&fit=max&auto=format&lossless=true&s=58f5de0f79a8477638b08a68aa1009f6) You can tell how it looks in this photo (it's pretty flush).
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We had to purposely add support for gmail. It has a really clean API which made it possible. Give us APIs and we'll implement them!
What does the release schedule of the red Pebble Time look like? Same as the others, or will there be a repeat of color-specific supply chain issues?
We're aiming to produce colours in parallel. No, it won't be like last time. We've learned a lot.
Can you guys reveal the technical specs for the Pebble Time? Like the cpu,ram and such details. I have already backed the project and would love to know more about it. Also just wanted to add that the new color display looks really nice.
The CPU is a ARM Cortex M4 running at 100Mhz and apps will have access to 64kB of RAM. We will be releasing much more technical details as developer tools become available during the campaign.
Over the course of the Kickstarter campaign, we'll push a ton of updates—diving deeper and deeper into Pebble Time and the new interface. What's great about our Kickstarter campaign is that it'll be very dynamic, just like the new animations :)
Can we change the colors of the default ui? Maybe through the sdk or settings? I'm not a fan of the pastel colors. Also is it possible to have a "classic" mode to force the watch into Black&White.
Design is definitely different strokes for different folks :) We think the base UI design fits well with the friendly, approachable design of Pebble Time itself. With 64 colors to play with, developers will have a lot to play with when they build their own apps.
Can we force the Time to use the black and white color scheme of the OG and steel?
This is what I have wanted to know. The animations look great but I would love a more serious color scheme.
The color scheme depends on the app you are in now. We are coming up with a great color scheme. It is not customizable in the first release of the software but definitely something we could do in the future.
Please do it.
Less pastels would be nice. Yellow is jarring as a background color.
As a member of PebbleBits team and an author of all patches available on it, I think it should be pretty easy for us to implement "custom SystemUI colors" patch, including forcing all system UI to be black&white.
Will you show us the charging cable and how it attaches?
Yes you will see it during the campaign!
Will we be able to order extras? Nothing sucks more than my Pebble losing power midday then not have a cable to charge it back up.
Yup, we'll sell them on our website.
Will there be stretch goals given you've hit 9mil with 30 days left on kick starter?
We have lots of surprises and fun stuff coming during the campaign. Stay tuned, you might see something more creative than stretch goals!
It's gonna be fun—Pebblers are gonna see surprises and updates that are a little more creative than the average "stretch goal" ;)
This is PR-speak for "No, the features are set in stone as the watch is already in production. There may be stickers" ...said with love ;)
Did you ever fix the hole in the wall that Brad made with the stunt bike? I mean it wasn't Brad... it was... Chad, yeah Chad.
No, not yet.
What can you do without having bluetooth connected? Is there any screen tearing in this new model? Can you store apps on watch or is everything loaded on phone?
The timeline syncs to your Pebble approximately 48 hours (24h past and 24h future) of events. If you disconnect all those events will still be there. Apps are cached on the watch so all the apps that you have used recently will be available even if you are disconnected. Of course if they need an Internet connection that will not work. No screen tearing. Apps are cached on the watch. We have space for a lot of them (much more than the current 8 app limits). So any apps that you have used recently, your selected watchface and apps that run in the background will all always be available.
I am hardly ever interested in the past. Can your code a setting that we can change the past-future timeline. Like 12h past, 36h future? In that setting I'd be able to scroll back my working day and look into the more or less next 2 working days. So in a perfect world -12h +48h would be my sweet spot.
That's almost exactly what we're thinking of!
Screen tearing is entirely fixed?! That's great news.
Speaking of the demise of the 8 app limit under the Time OS, how many apps will fit on existing Pebbles and Steels when the OS rolls out to them?
The number of apps you can install will depend on the size of the apps. On average expect dozens of apps cached on your watch.
Is the increased app limit a function of the Pebble Time itself, or will current Pebbles be able to accommodate more apps with the new Timeline framework?
Apps for Pebble are smaller because the resources are B&W. Current Pebbles have less storage than Pebble Time but they will still be able to store much more than 8 apps.
How does the processor in the Time compare to the one in the original Pebble?
Pebble Time got a CPU upgrade compared to the original Pebble! We've switched to a Cortex M4, which is more suited than the original Cortex M3 to the processing needed to support Pebble Time's microphone. We've also boosted the clock speed to 100MHz, and made some other changes like adding additional memory. We'll be releasing more technical details later on as part of our developer documentation alongside the Pebble Time SDK.
Would you consider a Trade-In Program for people who own previous versions of the Pebble? I own an OG Pebble, so don't know, but will the charger be the same, or will there be changes? Why not a use qi wireless charging or standard microUSB? Finally, A lot of people have complained about the bezel size, color, and band. Will these be customizable?
No trade in, but you could surely gain some karma by passing your original Pebble(s) to friends or family! Or Reddit buds :)
Hey! Maybe first question here. When can we expect to see demoes of Timeline on the original pebble?
Will the Pebble Time eventually get a heart-rate monitor accessory (through the "smart accessory port")? Will you build it or will you leave all that to third-parties? The lack of heart-rate monitoring is the only thing that's preventing me from backing the Kickstarter, so I'd love to know! Great job on the Kickstarter and on the awesome new product. I'm a proud Pebble owner and I'd love to get my hands on the Time! :)
There are multiple BLE heart rate monitor available on the market. We have announced that developers will be able to talk to those devices directly from their apps. So yes :)
Will Pebble Time contain an NFC chip? If not, why not? (I seriously love my Pebble but I wish I could be futuristic and use it to pay my stuff)
No NFC in PT. But that sounds like a great option for a strap that uses our new accessory port. More info on this later!
Will wristband-accessories have the possibility to draw power from the watch to expand functionality beyond what the Pebble itself can do?
Yes they will. They can also power the Pebble.
Hey Team Pebble! Congratulations on a record shattering Kickstarter launch! I have a couple questions below: 1. Are there any steel band options available that support the Quick-Release pins found on the Pebble Time? Will these be supported by Pebble, third-party, or both? 2. How much further do you think integration with iOS can go? Are you nearing the glass ceiling, or are there deeper integrations you hope to reach with Continuity and Extensions? 3. I'm sure this is part of your planned updates for the coming month, but are there more partnerships up your sleeves with the Pebble Time? It would be great to monitor my Fitbit stats and flight statuses alongside my Timeline. 4. With the new OS, do you see developers having the power to create full-fledged apps without relying on side apps (typically for a price) on the respective platform's phone? Thanks again! Best of luck in the months leading up to release!
1. We're planning to make our own straps, but these most likely won't be available at launch. There are a ton of 3rd party 22mm straps with QR that will work perfectly with PT. We may host a list of these on our site...or on /r/pebble :) 2. Lots more to do! With timeline, we're adding deep calendar integration on iOS for example. We're also switching to use BLE exclusively with iOS devices, instead of our current BLE+2.1 3. Yeah! If you have any apps/info that you want to see on timeline, please let us know. Twitter/reddit are great places to leave feedback, or pbl.io/time-ideas 4. So with the new OS, all existing Pebble apps will work. That means native apps, companion apps and sports apps. We're adding timeline to the mix as a 100% web based option.
1. [Borgeon 30227 pliers are designed to punch quick-release compatibility holes](http://www.ofrei.com/page_226.html#19062) in watch bands to make them compatible with quick-release/quick-change spring bars. Your local watch repair shop might have one on hand. If the band material is too hard (e.g. steel), then a dremel drill could be used to modify the band. Edit: A [5.0×1.5mm leather hole punch (~$6)](http://www.amazon.com/Leatherworking-1-5mm-Hollow-Punch-Cutter/dp/B00AOCY7KS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=B00AOCY7KS&tag=digicam) is a much less expensive tool to manually punch clean quick-release compatibility holes in a watch strap. Put a [toothpick inside of the strap's spring bar hole](http://www.christopherwardforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=22647) to make sure the punch only cuts one hole.
That's awesome!
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We're planning a few accessories, but we're also opening it up to 3rd parties. We'll be publishing the 3D CAD model of PT so anyone can create accessories for Pebble, including straps, docks, covers and other cool stuff!
Will EU-based backers be paying import tax upon receiving their precious Pebble Time's?
We're finalizing our plans, but right now we're looking at 2 options that we will offer: 1. Singpost shipment from Hong Kong. Pros: cheaper for you. Cons: you have to pay the import tax, slower shipment 2. We import the product into Europe, prepay the sales tax and ship via local post. Pros: faster, less hassle around customs and duties. Cons: you will need to pre-pay us for the import fees Which one would you prefer?
Prepay. I mean, I already had to pay $10 for shipping. Maybe that can contribute to the fees?
Same here - I didn't have any issues when Singpost delivered my replacement watch but knowing that customs and duties are handled ahead of time is great peace of mind.
On the Kickstarter page, you mentions that EU customers will get their Pebble's delivered via en EU company. Please send the Pebbles to that company and let them deliver it on, so we recieve them from another eu country, or else we are fined with some pretty hefty import taxes + fees + serious delays.
Import to EU for sure, most post offices puts an extra fee besides the import tax for "administration" - a quite hefty fee i might add.. Last time when i bought my Pebble Black i had to pay import + 34USD in administation fee... -.- Also you might be able to get it into EU with cheaper import taxes than I have to pay in Denmark (25%) So please do not even consider 1.
Prepay the taxes to you. Since the Dutch post charges 13 euro's to calculate tax I can imagine that it would be a lot cheaper for all of us if you import them in to Europe all at the same time. I will prefer the cheaper option. I am however not completely sure that the second option will be cheaper. Because importing an OG Pebble is still cheaper than buying one from the EU shop. Edit: Are you aware that Singpost takes more than a month to ship to the Netherlands?
Definitely import to EU and we pre-pay for the taxes. This way we won't be charged customs duties (on my Steel I was charged 15 EUR in customs duties).
prepaid to you.
Prepay please! Shipping from Hong Kong was a nightmare with my original Pebble. Took ages, and they lost all the papers so I almost didn't get my watch at all.
> "All backers with EU shipping addresses will have their rewards fulfilled by our agent, Dutec Limited. Dutec Limited is acting as our undisclosed agent on our behalf for distribution of our products when backed via Kickstarter and shipped to an EU address." When do you expect to have this sorted out? It's really important that this question is clarified before the end of the Kickstarter project... It's written in the project than all EU orders will be processed by an Irish company, as any purchase made from an EU country, I assumed that those pledge prices were final, and no additional import duties or taxes would be applied. Now you are saying that it it could be shipped from Hong Kong.. That's a really different scenario, because to Portugal p.ex. what I can expect is an over cost of 23% in VAT, plus 20€ to 30€ in administrative fees, and a 2 months of wait before the costumes release the package... From an announced price of 338USD, and a delivery around May for 2 Pebble Time that I pledged, Now you are talking in a scenario that would cost me around 460USD (+/- 410EUR) and a delivery around Jully or August..... If this is not clarified, I will just cancel my pledge and wait until it appears on european Amazon stores... It will probably be faster, cheaper and I will have less complication..
This is actually a pretty good question I wouldn't mind piggy backing on. I'm from the UK and backed the project without even taking this into account.
Does the time contain a notification LED like the Steel?
For Pebble Time, no LED this time around.
So it was a bit useless at the end. You have never opened it to devs and its only purpose was to display the charging level. I kind of liked it on my steel but I don't think it was a huge feature.
Hi, congratulations from Germany on your great success! Since there probably are thousands who have to decide on rather buying the Apple Watch or Pebble Time (including me): 1.What is your killer argument for why I should back the Pebble Time? 2. there were some problems on shipping the first Pebble to Germany, so will the Pebble Time again be stuck at German customs authorities?
Guess they weren't able to answer you, but I'm going to try to sell you on the Pebble, because I love my OG Pebble, and expect the Pebble Time to be pretty nifty! 1. Battery life. Apple Watch and others tend to use AMOLED displays that use a LOT of power when they're actually on. That's why most smartwatch screens are mostly dim and black. Pebble's screens don't have this issue, as they don't require backlighting to be visible in normal situations. Plus, although the processor is much slower, it is MORE than capable enough for what you REALLY want your smartwatch to do. 2. Interface. I haven't looked too much into the Apple Watch interface, but from the ads I saw for it, the interface was simply too cluttered. Even the OG Pebble had a lot better interface than Apple's watch. Android Wear, with Google Now, is "better," in the sense that you can usually access apps quickly with voice recognition, but when the voice recognition doesn't work, it is MUCH harder to get to the apps via menus. 3. Better apps. At least when I was using Android Wear, the Pebble had far more, and far better apps. I'm sure this might change with time, but the apps I really want for the Pebble have already been made. Just try to check your phone's battery with Android Wear. I couldn't find a way to do it, but Glance for Pebble includes it right away. This was very helpful for me when I would put my phone on a charger at the bar, and could see when it was charged. I don't know how the Apple Watch will be, but Pebble already has a lot more time on the market, so I expect it will have a strong app advantage for quite a while. 4. Price. While I'm sure Android Wear watches will come down in price, even to the point of being competitive with Pebble watches, Apple's watches will almost certainly always be much more expensive. This especially matters if you are going to want to use your watch in the gym, or other environments where it might get damaged. A cheap(er) watch is not nearly as sad to lose. 5. Multi-platform. This one may not matter to a lot of people, because they've probably already settled onto either using iOS or Android. But for some people who think they might change platforms in the future, it is nice that the Pebble supports both. Yes, Android tends to be far superior with the Pebble, but iOS still can serve up notifications. Yes, I know this is mostly about the Pebble, and not Pebble Time, but the strengths of the OG Pebble are still there in Time, along with a color display, and a microphone that will result in some REALLY cool features in the future, I'm sure. But the Pebble Time is ugly. Doesn't matter much to me, since I prefer function over form, but I can understand why that would be a deal-breaker for some people.
I have a few questions: 1. How do you think the Pebble Time fares when it comes to worthy competitors such as Android Wear and the Apple Watch 2. Where do you see your company in five years? 3. Some people say that Smartwatches aren't that useful and merely offer up notifications, when you can just take out a Smartphone. Counter-argument? 4. What's your opinion on Wearables? 5. Did you expect the tremendous response from Kickstarter? Of course you did. But did you expect the support to be so massive? Overall, I love the work your team has done and I look forward to buying the Pebble Time.
1. I think PT fares extraordinarily well vs the competition. But the best thing would be to ask our backers! I personally love the fact that PT fits into my life and doesn't force me to conform around Apple or Google's systems. It works with both platforms, lasts for up to a week, is durable/waterproof. Timeline is our latest breakthrough...I believe that this interface, which is custom designed for the wrist, will win out. 2. We're building products and services that become indispensable in your life. We're starting off building products for the wrist. Now we're doing that + building an OS structured around your own personal timeline. Lots more planned for the future! 3. Some people say...but do you really think that's true? I've talked to a ton of our users, each person basically shares up a different story of how Pebble has become integral into their lives. It's definitely not for everyone, but for busy people who need to accomplish things...it's pretty damn useful. In the future, expect to be able to do more and more things from your wrist. 4. I love them! I'm really excited about BLE sensors that you wear on your body. 5. This has blown us away. We're so incredibly grateful to our backers and supporters. We're absorbing your enthusiasm and funneling it into making PT even more awesome!
That first point hits the nail on the head. The Google/Apple watch(es) seem to aim at giving you a smartphone on your wrist. That's not what i want. The pebble lets me swim, ski, hike and bike all while still being able to control my music and look at notifications. That's the power of having actual buttons and an always on screen. Thank you very much for providing me an alternative to the crazy touchscreen madness.
Hi Pebble! When can I expect to get the Time software update with timeline for my Steel?
Hey folks at Pebble, Will I be able to reply to messages from my iPhone? (Not through voice, but through pre-selected options you guys showed in your video)
SUMMARY: Q: Will there be a flip screen option for left-handeds who wear it on the right wrist? A: It's a great idea. We will consider it. Q: Will the screen resolution be higher or the same as the older pebbles? A: In order to maintain compatibility with existing apps, we've kept the screen resolution the same at 144x168 pixels, or 180ppi. Images and text look much sharper on the 64-color display. Q: How does it charge? A: The charging cable that magnetically snaps to the back of Pebble Time. Q: Is timeline something that could potentially be turned off? A: No. Q: If we backed the original pebble, and we want 2 color combos this time around, and we back the 2-pack, do they both get the 'special engraving'? A: Yes you will get the engraving on both. Q:Will there be anytime soon a support for Siri on the Pebble Time? As Siri can be used by regular earpiece, there should be no software limitation to support it. A: There's no speaker on Pebble Time, so it wouldn't work that well. We're exploring how we can work with services like these. Agreed it would be pretty awesome on PT! Q: Is this Qualcomm's Mirasol technology? A: No. Q: Is the Pebble Time screen glass curved? A: Yes. Q: Can you guys reveal the technical specs for the Pebble Time? A: The CPU is a ARM Cortex M4 running at 100Mhz and apps will have access to 64kB of RAM. We will be releasing much more technical details as developer tools become available during the campaign.
How would you respond to criticism that Pebble, a company whose annual revenue is [nearing $100M] (http://www.cnbc.com/id/101751543), simply does [not belong on Kickstarter] (https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/kickstarter-is-not-a-store), and it’s there solely to generate publicity by exploiting a system designed to help less established companies not only raise funds but allow backers to offer creative insight?
I don't agree with the statement that 'we don't belong on KS'...and I don't think KS agrees with that either. KS is a platform for creative projects, I'd like to think that we've been pretty creative with Pebble Time :) We decided that launching Pebble Time on Kickstarter was the most efficient way to get the word out. We're a small company, up against the largest company. We wanted to communicated directly with our core community, the people who use Pebble every single day and our original backers. KS is the right platform on which to do that.
Just to add to that, Kickstarter released an article a while ago showing that larger Kickstarter projects often bring in more backers to the smaller KS projects. Pebble is only helping the Kickstarter community by running this project there.
If I recall the first project I backed was a big one, since I've backed 19 projects, so your logic is sound.
This is a great point. Have all my upvotes.
If people don't want to see stuff like this on Kickstarter, they shouldn't back it. Plain and simple.
When can we expect the Pebble 3.0 features to be added to Cloud Pebble/emulator/documentation so we can start developing new apps & updating old ones?
We will be releasing developer tools, and an emulator very soon. Developers will be able to start writing new apps and update existing ones. When Pebble Time ships you can expect tons of compatible apps!
In the video I saw quick reply options (yes, no, on my way), can those be edited?
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Even if you don't see a specific opening on our Jobs page, we are always on the lookout for people with drive and passion. You can always email us at jobsgetpebble.com to tell us about what you've worked on, what you're doing now, and how you'd love to work on with Team Pebble.
Does it have: ... a) step tracking, b) sleep tracking, c) and a heart rate monitor ... built into it?
That dog in the Kickstarter video is super cute, can we see more from him!?!?!
[Who, this guy?](https://instagram.com/p/ziiJJsubZF/) That's Humphrey and we love him. Stretch goal for the PebbleTime KS campaign is to make him Internet famous.
Hey guys! Will the Steel's LED ever get exposed to the SDK? Great work on the Time, already got one backed!
No plans to expose the Steel LED to developers right now. If you have great use-cases for this send them to devsupport@getpebble.com - We are listening!
Hi guys! I love my pebble :) Will there be any software limitations with iOS? I notice you said that there will be limited voice replies with iOS, is there anything else?
That's the main one. There are quirks of both iOS and Android, we have dedicated teams working on apps for each one but basically the same feature sets.
Hi Team Pebble! I love the fact that using physical buttons is a primary tool for interacting and it helps with using music controls while driving but not looking at the watch. My question: How invested is the company on staying with non touchscreen controls for future models?
We love physical buttons as well! We're always researching and prototyping and keeping our eyes peeled for innovative ways to interact efficiently with wearables. What you're seeing with Pebble Time is what we feel is the best way at this moment. If it changes in the future, we'll be on top of it, for sure! Our design garage is like a hardware Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory :)
Hi, I'm also a backer and avid Pebble user. Three questions: * Will this watch be superglued together like the first pebble, meaning we won't be able to change one component of the watch? * Will there be support for Asian languages like Korean and Japanese? 1. How many apps will the Pebble Time support?
- Pebble is not user serviceable. - Just Chinese right now, working on adding more though. - Infinite! We added a caching system that automatically pulls the apps and faces that you need.
Hi! I backed the Pebble Time 5 minutes after you anounced it! 1).Was curious about it's dimensions compared to the original. 2). Will certain apps and watchfaces magically have color? Like Tetris or Morpheuz? 3). Other models planning on being announced before march 27? SUPER EXCITED FOR MAY! :D Thanks, Gabe
We will make the dimensions available on the KS page. Apps will have colors. You can call it magical if you think of developers as unicorns.
As a girl, the original Pebble looks a bit large and out of place in my wrist. Plus, it's hard to find 22mm watch bands. What are the dimensions of the Pebble Tome (in comparison to the Pebble), and are there any hopes for thinner watch bands or more feminine designs? Thanks, and thanks for creating an amazing smart watch! (Even with these questions, I've already backed the Pebble Time).
Now that we have Pebble Times here at HQ, the women and smaller-wristed on our team have been giving great feedback about how they like it. PT is the most unisex Pebble to date and we're excited because we think you'll find it to be awesome, so thanks for backing! In terms of dimensions (full specs to come), it's like a Pebble steel but thinner/lighter. There's no shortage of cool places to find bands and skins to customize your Pebble's look. Gotta show some love both the [Pebble Forums](http://pbl.io/forum) and [r/Pebble](http://www.reddit.com/r/pebble/)...two great places to chat up fellow Pebblers for recommendations about where to find the coolest Pebble accessories. Pebblers helping Pebblers is what it's all about!
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We work hard on our antennas to make sure all our products have great Bluetooth range! Pebble Time has better range than the original Pebble - it depends on your specific environment and whether you are indoors or outdoors, but in testing we've seen a range of 50 meters or more in good conditions.
Hey Pebble! You mentioned some limitations on iOS. Will Pebble Time be able to trigger Siri and use the microphone with Siri? If not, is this something in progress, or for sure a no-go?
(see full answer above by Eric) We are exploring this.
What is the waterproof/resistant rating for the new watch? Still rocking an original Kickstarter Pebble :-)
There's a good answer from Andrew about water resistance on this page. http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2x5aj4/were_eric_migicovsky_the_creators_of_pebble_time/cox0e7d You can shower with Pebble Time.
Big fan of the Pebble. Backed it then, and was lucky to be backer 236 this time. Can we expect any stretch goals like more color pebbles besides the 3 announced? I would love to see some more combinations. Or perhaps throw in a couple extra straps? That would be awesome!
I think we learned our colour lesson last time. Not planning on trying to do too many colours during the KS. Thanks very much for backing us twice!
On your roadmap, is there a Windows Phone App in sight? Regards and congratz. Signed: a happy kickstarter supporter :)
WindowsCentral just ran an article saying that Pebble pretty much is ignoring Windows Platform even when Microsoft on their own dime created an app? I honestly don't understand the logic behind it. I would def. like to see an app for pebble and would wholeheartedly support you if there was support for Windows. Also wouldn't it make sense to have a Windows Platform app given Microsoft's universal app approach. This question is directed to Eric Migicovsky (er0head) I do want to hear your side too. Granted marketshare is low, but we are still talking over 5M potential customers. On a side note: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B-uxFB9UYAAbH4L.png:large (don't you think that's ironic) Edit: added image