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Pebble Steel smartwatch leaks: metal & Gorilla Glass version on the way (Update: Announced)

Left: Pebble Steel. right: original plastic Pebble

Left: Pebble Steel. right: original plastic Pebble

If you like the functionality of the Pebble smartwatch but are less keen on the plastic finish, it looks like you won’t have long to wait for a metal version. We’ve seen a couple of leaks of the Pebble Steel, seemingly the exact same innards as the existing Pebble watch but with a stainless steel casing and Gorilla Glass.

There are said to be two versions, one in brushed stainless steel (shown alongside the original plastic version above) and a matte black one (shown below the fold) … 

Matte black version

Matte black version

The Pebble Steel is expected to come with a choice of metal and leather straps, and to retain the waterproofing of the plastic model.

We’re guessing it will be officially unveiled sometime this week at CES. It is said to be priced at $240 – a hundred bucks more than the original – and to be available from the end of the month.

Update: Pebble has officially announced the Pebble Steel for $249 shipping January 28. The metal version of the smart watch will be available only at getpebble.com initially. Press release below:

Introducing Pebble Steel: A Premium Addition to the Pebble Family
  • Unveiled on Pebble’s website and blog at 11:00 a.m. Pacific, Pebble Steel is the premium smartwatch for iOS and Android.
  • Pebble Steel comes in Black Matte or Brushed Stainless, included with both a leather and metal strap for $249.
  • Pebble Steel is open for orders now, and shipments begin January 28.

Las Vegas, NV (January 6, 2014) – Pebble Steel, the premium watch for iOS and Android, is the newest addition to Pebble’s smartwatch family. Proudly announced today just in time for CES, Pebble Steel wraps everything users know and love about Pebble—clear ePaper display, week-long battery life, and waterproof design—into a slimmer, classic form factor. Available now in Black Matte or Brushed Stainless exclusively on getpebble.com for $249, worldwide shipments of Pebble Steel will begin January 28.

“With Pebble, we created an iconic, colorful, and sporty smartwatch,” says Product Evangelist Myriam Joire, “but we wanted to build something even more refined. Pebble Steel cranks the style dial to 11.”

Pebble Steel unites modern technology and timeless design, coming in two finishes: Brushed Stainless and Black Matte. All models are bundled with both a matching metal band and a black leather strap. The Black Matte Pebble Steel is crafted using a process called Physical Vapor Deposition to provide a tactile, deep black finish that’s also ultra-durable. Pebble Steel’s ePaper display is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass lens with an oleophobic, anti-fingerprint coating. The housing also subtly incorporates a RGB LED light to indicate charge status. Like the original Pebble, Pebble Steel is waterproof up to 5 ATM.
“Our mission is clear,” says CEO Eric Migicovsky. “Create the gold standard for wearables that mesh perfectly with your everyday life, and build the fundamental ecosystem and platform for these devices.”
During CES 2014, Pebble partners Pandora, iControl, and Mercedes-Benz will feature Pebble Steel in hands-on demos of their new Pebble app integrations. These pioneering brands join ESPN, Yelp, Foursquare, and GoPro as part of Pebble’s growing app family, ready to bring tiny moments of awesome to Pebblers’ wrists every day.

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Comments

  1. Jochen Wiencke - 10 years ago

    Shut up already and take my money!
    THIS is what a smartwatch should look like.

    • varera (@real_varera) - 10 years ago

      Seriously? they should be ugly as hell?

      • Jochen Wiencke - 10 years ago

        What do you expect a (smart)watch to look like?
        – The curved-screen prototypes I have seen (in real life) didn’t provide a better view at the information on the screen -> flat display, check.
        – A round display is nice and all, but only if you want to display a traditional watchface with rotating hands -> (almost) square screen, check.
        – Touchscreen would be nice, but the production quantities do not seem to allow for precision/responsiveness as in an iPod nano, plus: fingerprints on your watch -> Button-opperated, check.

        Now, one may or may not like the brushed stainless steel or the black anodised steel, but most people like one or the other and additional colours/materials may come later.
        And the rounded sides or the black area around the screen are perfectly acceptable.
        It shouldn’t win design awards (maybe it will ^^), but it it SO far ahead of everything else it’s not even funny anymore.

        So if you find this ugly as hell, then yes, this is what I want it to look like.

      • Will Tee - 10 years ago

        Despite what any Pebble “plants” may say, the steel watches are horrid looking. They look like cheap Casios. Apple will blow them off the planet.

  2. neonshogun - 10 years ago

    What kind of watchband is that on the normal Pebble? It looks quite nice.

  3. Will Tee - 10 years ago

    I have the original Pebble. The steel ones are fugly. They have been late to the gate with apps and this cosmetic variation only makes me long for my Kreyos to hurry. Pebble, thy days are numbered if this is your idea of progression.

    • neonshogun - 10 years ago

      I don’t think they see it as progression. They’ve gotten flak for the build quality of the Pebble, but they’ve also said they don’t intend to release an update to the hardware until all the software has come together (at this point, it’d be SDK 2.0 and the App Store). This way you get a more professional looking watch for the people complaining about plastic, but you don’t alienate the backers and new buyers with updated specs and features.

  4. Swilks (@i_am_swilks) - 10 years ago

    Ewwww. That is not nice, ’tis like my dads dodgy knock off watches. I’ll stick to plastic, thanks.

  5. ramon solorio - 10 years ago

    Wow, this really looks like a step backwards in design and aesthetics. Disappointing.

  6. Christopher Baxter - 10 years ago

    Where did you get your steel band from for the original pebble? It looks awesome

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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