MetaWatch, the Kickstarter crowdfunded smartwatch that initially rolled out over 1,700 devices to customers that had pledged over $300,000, joins competitor Pebble on the shelves of Best Buy.
Now the startup has inked a distribution deal with electronics giant Best Buy. Meta Watch smartwatches will be available at Best Buy stores and online starting on Nov. 3, Meta Watch announced this morning.
Meta Watch’s news comes on the heels of increasing interest and competition in the wearable technology market, which includes watches and fitness trackers.
The smartwatch space continues to grow ever more crowded as Samsung recently introduced its Galaxy Gear wearable device, and Apple is continually rumored to be working on its own “iWatch.”
“This wearable category has just exploded,” said MetaWatch CEO Bill Geiser, who co-founded MetaWatch with David Rosales. Both founders worked at Fossil’s watch technology group until they spun off MetaWatch in 2011.
The MetaWatch connects via Bluetooth to iOS and Android devices, allowing users to check text messages and emails, be notified of alerts, control music, and see who’s calling, all without taking their phone from their pocket.
I’m forgetting a feature… Oh, yeah. It tells the time too.
Best Buy will sell two MetaWatch models, the Strata, priced at $179, and the Frame priced at $229.
