Pebble unveils its first circular smartwatch: Pebble Time Round

Pebble is adding a new design to its smartwatch lineup, in a bid to win over potential smartwatch users in search of a more classic-looking watch.

Dubbed the Pebble Time Round, the new smartwatch is the first round-faced smartwatch the company has ever made and the thinnest – measuring just at just 7.5 mm thick.

The watch features much of the same abilities and tech specs as the square-faced Pebble Time, including a colour e-paper screen, a built-in microphone for voice activated commands and Pebble’s newest operating system which holds more apps than the previous version.

Similar to the Apple Watch, the Pebble Time Round is available in two sizes and a variety of colour and band options to choose from.

But it’s clear Pebble is aiming to win over users who aren’t yet sold on the options offered by tech giants like Apple, Samsung and Motorola.

“We think Pebble Time Round will attract a whole new group of people to our community,” Pebble CEO and Canadian entrepreneur Eric Migicovsky said in a promotional video.

“Maybe you know someone who is interested in smartwatches but prefers a more classic watch look.”

The device is also priced at US$249.

READ MORE: Pebble Time reaches over $10M on Kickstarter in 48 hours

Pebble has seen success with its smartwatches so far. The Pebble Time garnered over $500,000 in fundraising on Kickstarter when it was launched in February. It also became the fastest project ever to raise $1 million on the crowd funding site.

The original Pebble smartwatch – which Migicovsky, a former University of Waterloo student, released in 2012 – set a record on Kickstarter after raising over $10 million in funding. It remains one of the most successful Kickstarter projects in history.

But the company is now facing a wildly different smartwatch market. More and more big names continue to release new, trendier-looking devices in a bid to win over consumers.

Just this month, Samsung showed off its new circular Gear S2 smartwatch and Apple’s first smartwatch continues to dominate in sales. According to IDC, Apple was the No. 2 maker of wearable devices in the April-June quarter, with a 20 per cent worldwide market share, behind the Fitbit and its fitness trackers at 24 per cent.

The Pebble Time Round is now available for pre-order and will be available at Canadian retailers sometime in November.