Best Buy selling Pebble smartwatch online now, in stores July 7
The Kickstarter-born Pebble smartwatch will go on sale in Best Buy stores Sunday, marking the device’s retail debut.
Pebble said the smartwatch will sell for $150. The device can be purchased now from Best Buy’s website.
The smartwatch can connect with iPhone and Android smartphones through Bluetooth to let users know when they have an incoming call. They’ll also be able to see a text message without having to pull their smartphones out of their pockets. Pebble can also control a smartphone’s music and run a variety of apps.
The device first surfaced in 2012 when it set the record for the most money raised through crowd-funding website Kickstarter. Pebble was funded for more than $10 million and continues to hold the record.
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Pebble began shipping to Kickstarter users in January, and then to more users in May when the company began selling through its online store, getpebble.com. Pebble said selling the devices through Best Buy will ease the demand that is being placed on its website.
Initially, Pebble will sell a jet-black version of its smartwatch at Best Buy, and come August, it will add a cherry-red version. It will be available in orange, gray and white online.
“We’ve learned that people want their Pebbles,†Pebble Technology Corp. Chief Executive Eric Migicovsky said in a statement. “Thanks to Best Buy, we’re giving folks more ways to make that happen.â€
Pebble’s in-store launch comes as rumors continue swirling that tech giants Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics Co. and Google Inc. are all preparing smartwatches of their own.
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