Pebble has been given an update to turn the ubiquitous smartwatch into a fully-fledged activity and sleep tracker.
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The software tweak will enable users to track their stats in the background, as they continue to use the watch normally, for notifications and running apps.
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The software update will enable the device's built in sensors to collect step and distance information, as well as track the quality of sleep, as well.
However, Pebble is not opting to create its own health ecosystem, as we've seen from the likes of Apple, Google and even smaller brands like Runtastic. Instead, Pebble is happy for its sensor tech to be used in the background, while the collation and analysis is left to the likes of Misfit, Jawbone and Swim.com.
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The existing Misfit for Pebble app has been updated to allow continuous data tracking and sleep monitoring and Jawbone has launched its UP app for Pebble, much like the iOS version, which was recently revealed.
Swim.com is also launching an app, which will enable the Pebble to track distance, pace, strokes, and efficiency while in the pool.
Price cut
Myriam Joire, evangelist for Pebble, said: “At Pebble we believe that providing customers with a world-class experience means working with app partners…that take full advantage of this new functionality, and Pebble's class-leading multiday battery life."
Pebble is also cutting the price of the Pebble across the world, with the original version costing £99/$99/€129 and the Pebble Steel £179/$199/€229.
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Aside from Pebble's desire to add more health tracking data to the Pebble – a symbolic move on the day the Basis Peak activity tracker was announced – the move also shows the industry beginning to open up.
With less emphasis on specific hardware, new battle lines are being drawn about which company you choose to track your data with, and perhaps a more agnostic wearable future with more emphasis on individual design preferences lies ahead.
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How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.