After 85,000 pre-orders and over $10 million in Kickstarter pledges, the Pebble smartwatch is sold out.
Pebble is a wristwatch that connects via Bluetooth to the iPhone and Android phones, allowing it to receive caller ID, e-mails, calendar alerts, Facebook and Twitter messages and weather alerts. It’ll have its own custom watch faces and apps, such as a cycling monitor and a music controller. Android users will also be able to read text messages on the Pebble.
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Although Pebble’s not the first smartwatch, its low price of $115 to $125, iPhone support and minimal design helped it become a phenomenon. Pebble also rode a wave of interest in Kickstarter, a website that lets the masses pledge money to creative projects. Pebble is by far the most popular Kickstarter project yet, more than tripling the money that Double Fine raised for a new video game earlier this year.
Originally, Pebble only sought $100,000 in funding. With more than 100 times that amount in the bank, the team says it’s working with consulting firm Dragon Innovation on high-volume production. Still, Pebble wrote on its Kickstarter page that it wants to limit the initial number of pre-orders.
“We’ve thought a lot about this decision, and we feel it’s time,” the Pebble team wrote. “You, our backers, were the first group of people to believe in Pebble, and we want to return our focus to creating the most awesome watch possible for you.”
Anyone who didn’t pre-order a Pebble can sign-up for updates on availability, but the non-Kickstarter price will increase to $150 and buyers will have to wait longer for the product. Pebble expects to deliver watches to Kickstarter backers in September.