Pebble was doing a bit of teasing before CES. They were showing the Pebble appstore back in December, and then mentioned they had “something special” to announce during CES. That something special turned out to be the Pebble Steel, and as of today — the second-generation Pebble is shipping.
The Pebble Steel is priced at $249.99 and is being sold alongside the original Pebble. The original model remains priced at $150 and available in a variety of colors to include black, grey, white, orange and red. Pebble Steel isn’t available with as many color options, but those considering a purchase will be able to pick from Black Matte or Brushed Stainless.
Pebble Steel is described as being made from “premium watch components.” That basically means the watch is milled stainless steel and sporting Corning Gorilla Glass to protect the display. Similar to the original model Pebble, the Pebble Steel battery life is rated between 5-7 days. The watch is also waterproof to 5ATM, which is to say you can wear it while swimming, in the rain, or while showering.
This second-generation Pebble is actually a bit smaller than the original. Measurements for the Pebble Steel come in at 46 x 34 x 10.5mm, while the original measures in at 52 x 36 x 11.5mm. Not surprising given the material used, the Pebble Steel is a bit heavier at 1.97 or 3.49 ounces depending on the watchband you choose.
That brings another point for the Pebble Steel — it ships with two watch bands, one metal and one leather. The leather is the 1.97 and the steel is 3.49 ounces. In comparison, the original Pebble weighs in at 1.34 ounces. Otherwise, the Pebble Steel will be compatible with all current Pebble apps, and will also have support for both Android and iOS devices.
That all having been said, the folks at Pebble have said the Pebble Steel is currently available in limited quantities. Aside from news teasing of the Pebble Steel shipping from today, there is also some further news on the Pebble appstore and four partner apps. The appstore is said to be “coming very, very soon.” With that, make sure to check the video included in this post for a bit of hands-on time with the Pebble Steel as well as those four partner apps.
