The smartwatch has become the next necessity for tech-lovers. They are easy to use, look sleek, and make day-to-day tasks simple. Instead of fumbling around with your phone (which has now become a two-handed task), the smartwatch is always easily accessible. You can now see who that message was from or what alarm is going off hands-free.
While the big brands have been focused on how to make their smartwatch better, consumers noticed something was being treated as a secondary component: the watch strap.
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All of that has now changed with Pal. Pal is a new strap being produced for the Pebble Time and Pebble Time Steel. The Pebble just needs to be simply snapped into place and you’re good to go. The band contains its own GPS and can extend the battery life of your Pebble up to seven days.
The individual GPS makes your fitness tracking (i.e. speed, distance, elevation and route) available up to 24 hours without needing to bring your phone along for the ride. Once you are finished with your workout, the results can then be uploaded to your phone. The extended battery life is more of a back-up supply in case your Pebble starts running low. This means that the extra juice will start charging your Pebble once you either tell it to or Pal reads it on its own.
According to the tech specs on their website, the Pebble Time Steel already has a battery life up to 10 days, so partnered up with the Pal will give it up to a 17 day battery life. With this being said, this product seems particularly useful for those who work out via lengthy outdoor treks and do not want to have their phone clunking around in their pockets.
In addition, the Pal is water resistant and weighs 65 grams (2.3 ounces) when paired with the Pebble Time, which the company says is less than most GPS-equipped watches. It is also available in six colors.
Currently, the Pal strap is on Kickstarter in hopes of reaching its $80,000 goal, which covers mass production tooling, acquiring electronic components, first lot production and testing certification. They were able to reach 50% in a little over 48 hours and still have 26 days remaining. There are seven different pledge options available, starting at $3.