With the advent of mobile phones, watches that once accompanied people day and night have basically become history. Indeed, the mobile phone can completely replace the watch function, who needs an extra single-function device on the wrist? However, with the development of smart phones, watches seem to have a tendency to gradually return with the help of old rivals.
For example, the smart phone i’m Watch launched by the Italian company i’m Watch. It is based on the Android system. After connecting to a smart phone via Bluetooth, you can make calls, send emails, text messages, Facebook/Twitter, watch the weather, etc. Sony has just launched the SmartWatch, which has the same functions as i’m Watch. Other similar products include Motorola’s Motoactv, even Apple’s iPod Nano（Fewer features, but last timeiPhone 4S conferenceShanghai Apple announced 18 dial designs.）
For those who often receive various information pushes, smart watches do have users,VentureBeat websiteSarah Mitroff said he might buy a product like this
My phone keeps notifying within a day. I can turn them all off, but a lot of information is important.（After wearing the smart watch）, I don’t have to check it every time the phone vibrates, just look at the watch to determine whether the information is worthy of attention. Emails from strangers can be read later, and calls from my mother need to be answered immediately——provided that I wear a Bluetooth headset at all times.
Recently, Allerta, the company that manufactures InPulse, has launched a new smart watch Pebble, which has aroused great interest. Their project was funded through Kickstart with a goal of $100,000, which has far exceeded expectations. More than 17,000 people participated and the funds received reached 2.4 million US dollars. What is so special about Pebble?
Its shape is cool
Before launching Pebble, Allerta had launched inPulse, a watch paired with BlackBerry phones in 2009, which was not very successful. Company CEO Eric Migicovsky toldWired website, They got a lot of experience from inPulse.
“We learned a lot from inPulse. One of the lessons is that BlackBerry’s market is not performing well." Eric Migicovsky, Allerta’s founder and chief designer said, "In addition, you must achieve truly attractive and aesthetic designs, because Watches are what people wear on their wrists every day”.
It has many dial styles
The company has designed many watch face styles for Pebble and is constantly updating. Users can choose their favorite style through Pebble''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s iPhone or Android application.
It''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s very customizable
In addition to the common functions of smart watches, Pebble also has some built-in applications. For example, by using GPS on mobile phones, cyclists and runners can see their speed, distance and other data on the watch. You can play music in your phone through a music application, and there is even a golf rangefinder application that supports 25,000 golf courses. At the same time, the company promises that there will be more applications.
In addition, Pebble provides SDK and watchapp store for application development. Developers can expand their functions as needed or submit applications to benefit the public. At the same time, for those users who do not understand programming but need to complete simple custom tasks, Pebble can accept reminders and notifications compiled from ifttt.com or the company''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s RESTful website.
When asked why people need a watch when they have a mobile phone, Migicovsky said, “Many times, it is easier to look at a watch. And this is a more cautious way to view the phone”.
It uses e-paper screen
Pebble adoptede-paper screen, Clear display effect can also be obtained in sunlight.
AcceptingInterview with TechCrunchIn, Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky said that the idea of ??smart watches came about four years ago. When he was studying industrial design in Europe, he often rode a bicycle, so he hoped that there would be a way to check the information on the phone conveniently without breaking the smartphone. He made a prototype and then found some friends to cooperate. After graduation, they continued to make this product. In 2011, they released inPulse and entered Y-Combinator. I moved to Silicon Valley at the end of 2011.
Eric said that Pebble is the evolution of InPulse. After the release of InPulse, users gave a lot of feedback, and they also learned about the needs of users for smart watches, such as running applications, customizing the dial style, etc. So they designed a new product Pebble from the ground up, a smart watch that works with iPhone / Android, and an e-paper screen.（Good display in daylight, 7 days standby time）.
For the response Pebble received, Eric said they were also a little surprised. Because within two hours, they reached their goal of financing.
So, how does Eric view the competition? He believes that there are some competitors in the market, but the Pebble team’s advantage is faster response time, “our team is small, which allows us to quickly respond to customer needs and develop software that people need”. And they are in close contact with users, “we were able to reply to their emails within a few hours——I replied to thousands of emails myself——we even and Customers go to drink beer together to see how they use this product in their daily lives. ”
For this small-scale start-up company, an outstanding product idea is important, but to scale production, there must be sufficient funds. Kickstarter provides them with a financing platform. Eric also has his own opinions on how to raise funds. He thinks this is marketing that requires a lot of effort. The Pebble team spent several weeks making the Kickstarter page. To ensure that it can accurately express the value of the project, they chose the focus of expression: customization.
Eric believes that their project is not only to seek sales, but also to build a community. Therefore, the Kickstarter page specifically mentioned providing prototypes for hackers involved in financing, and can provide them with SDK in advance, which makes people think about the possibilities of various applications on the watch.
Later, Eric talked about their focus. “On Kickstarter, the thing we need to focus on is the real product: Pebble. Some plans will have additional items such as T-shirts and badges. We think it''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s cool and have supported projects like that, but we need to focus on developing a very good watch. We focus on Pebble”.