Pebble has announced a steel version of its upcoming Pebble Time smartwatch, along with opening up an accessory port called “smartstrap.”
The Pebble Time Steel will carry a $70 premium over the plastic version, selling for $250 for early adopters on Kickstarter. The device will sell for $299 when it becomes available at retail — just $50 less than the starting price of an Apple Watch.
The new model offers up to 10 days between charges, thanks to a 1mm thicker battery. The device will be CNC-finished 316L stainless steel, and will boast a premium leather and stainless steel strap.
The Pebble Time Steel will be available in three color options: silver with a stone leather band, gunmetal black with a black leather band, and gold with a red leather band.
If you’ve already backed the Pebble Time, you can upgrade to the new model by increasing your pledge amount to cover the difference. The pebble Steel is expected to begin shipping in July.
Pebble also announced details on so-called “smartstraps” for the Pebble Time platform, allowing accessory makers to create extensions to the Pebble Time’s functionality, enabling them to add functionality such as GPS or heart-rate monitoring.
The power contacts on the smartstraps will be bi-directional, allowing accessories to either draw power from, or supply power to, the Pebble. Accessories will be allowed to draw up to 20mA of power from the watch.
While the company has yet to provide an API for developer to interact with the smartstrap, the company say it will be made available following the release of the watch.
The Pebble Time was unveiled a week ago, as the company dipped back into the Kickstarter well for funding. The campaign surpassed its $500,000 goal in a matter of minutes, and has so far raised over $12 million from its nearly 55,000 backers.
