Do you love your Pebble Time or Pebble Time Steel with its voice dictation, auto tracking and smart alarms, greater notification control, data at a glance, and a health hub, but would like to have GPS and even longer battery life? Well, a new smart strap just might be what you're looking for. Pal, a new smart strap launched by a Hong Kong-based company called Powerstrap, is designed to bring two additions to the Pebble smartwatch experience that some customers have been craving for some time.
Powerstrap is able to make their Pal smart strap for Pebble Time and Pebble Time Steel due to the accessory port located on the back of Pebble smartwatches. When using the Pal smart strap, you can simply take out the watch display and snap it into the Pal smart strap. It makes for an easy change from the typical Pebble strap when going on a long extended run or fitness day out where you'll likely need GPS more than normal.
From there, you can extend the capabilities of its smartwatches. The Pal smart strap can provide GPS based on Qualcomm's SiRF GPS platform which helps runners on their trails (provides pace, speed, distance, altitude, lap, and compass) and can last up to 7 days due to the 250mAh battery that's built into the Pal smart strap that can also charge the in-built Pebble battery. If you're thinking you'll need an additional charger for the Pal smart strap, have no fear: you won't. Powerstrap says that the new Pal smart strap can charge by way of the same Pebble charger used to charge the watch itself. Oh, and we can't forget to mention that it's water-resistant for those in-the-rain jogs and walks.
Powerstrap says that you can get 24 hours of additional battery life with the Pal smart strap's in-built GPS, but you can extend it to an extra week if you choose not to use GPS. A mixture of GPS and no GPS at times will get you an in-between time amount (say 3.5 days instead of 7 extra).
The Pal smart strap is retailing for $79 but is only available for pre-order at Kickstarter. Pebble is throwing its full weight of support behind Powerstrap's Pal smart strap in the smart strap Kickstarter video, so customers can have the confidence that Pebble has in this new watch strap.
With easy changing between straps, compatibility with the same charger as the Pebble Time and Pebble Time Steel, water resistance, GPS, and even better battery life whether heavy using GPS or not, what's not to like?
Pebble owners, what do you think?
