Pebble Core backers on Kickstarter are getting a little something extra. They will be first to experience Amazon Alexa on Pebble’s infinitely hackable ultra-wearable when shipping begins in early 2017. The company claims to be bringing “Amazon’s acclaimed voice services to a fully-independent, 3G-connected wearable device for the first time ever.”
Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky stated, “Experiencing Amazon Alexa on-the-go right from Pebble Core is game-changing for wearable technology. We’re longtime fans of the powerful voice services Alexa delivers, and it only gets smarter and more useful over time. It’s an approach we embrace with our own products.”
The combination of Alexa and Pebble Core can play music, brief users with the latest news headlines, order food or shop on Amazon, get weather and traffic updates, set a time, control smart home decides, tell jokes and answer questions. It can review user’s Pebble Health summary for the day, like heart rate, step count, and calories burned. The Kickstarter campaign claims that this integration demonstrates the possibilities with an open platform like the Pebble ecosystem.
The Pebble Core is an accessory for the Pebble 2 and Time 2 smartwatches. It includes GPS, a built-in 3G modem, Wi-Fi connectivity, 4GB of internal storage and a microphone for recording voice notes. It runs Android 5.0 and includes hackable features like early SDK access, a hardware expansion port and two programmable buttons.
The internet connectivity on the Core allows the device to stream music from Spotify and output the audio through a headphone jack, but wireless headphones are supported via Bluetooth. The Core syncs with GPS data with Runkeeper, Strava or Under Armour Record as well as Pebble smartwatches. It’s also an IoT smart device that enables users to track their pets, hail a ride via Uber, unlock their car, and control home smart devices. The Core has 5.5 hours of battery life and supports optional Qi wireless charging.
The Pebble Core is available through Kickstarter. Early Bird pricing is $69 USD. It will retail for $99 USD when it launches in January 2017.
