The Pebble Watch Begins Shipping Jan. 23; $10 Million Kickstarter Success Story Becomes Reality [VIDEO]

By Charles Poladian | January 09 2013 6:55 PM

The Pebble watch, funded by Kickstarter, will begin fulfilling its thousands of pre-orders Jan. 23. Pebble was a massive success story in 2012; its Kickstarter goal was set at $100,000 but it received pledges in excess of $10 million.

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Pebble is a very interesting gadget for more than its tech specs. The crowdfunded watch was a runaway success, with roughly 85,000 pre-orders, according to Forbes. By raking in $10 million on Kickstarter, Pebble shows that gadgets can be funded by public donations. More tech companies, and startups, may now look at Kickstarter, and the success of Pebble, as a way to fund ambitious projects.

Eric Migicovsky, the company’s CEO, announced the plans to start fulfilling pre-orders of Pebble watches at CES in Las Vegas, reports Forbes. Migicovsky said Pebble watches will begin shipping Jan. 23 and he hopes to fulfill all pre-orders by February. By March, Pebble plans on fulfilling new orders.

Pebble unveiled the E-paper watches to CES attendees and Forbes notes that all reports have been extremely positive for the product. The Pebble watch is lightweight, scratch-resistant as well as water-resistant, an advantage for a smart watch that is loaded with electronics. The battery lasts for seven days and is rechargeable.

The Pebble watch is totally customizable thanks to the E-paper and its ability to sync with Android devices and iPhones via Bluetooth. The watch can be synced to a phone, and a silent vibration will alert the wearer to new text messages, emails and calls. One feature that will be immediately available with the Pebble watch will be the ability to read text messages on the watch itself, reports Forbes. The screen is similar to that of the Kindle, notes Forbes, and is backlit, which allows for easy readability.

The Pebble watch can be customized with downloadable apps. Pebble says the watch can be used while cycling to track distance, speed, pace and location via a GPS system. For the running enthusiast, a similar app will be available that will track distance, speed, pace and location.

The watch will allow users to control the music that’s playing on their phone with simple button presses. If the watch face tires, that’s easily changed and there will be plenty more options to choose from that will become available to download.

Pebble is still accepting pre-orders. The watch costs $150 and is available in Jet Black, Cherry Red, Arctic White, Grey and Orange.

The Verge was able to get hands-on with the Pebble watch at CES. Watch the video below.