Tag: smart watches

As the Apple Watch prepares to be shipped, other wearables brands such as Nike and Jawbone are being taken down.

Apple Stores are now starting to prepare for the addition of the brand’s own smartwatches and, as they do, they are taking wearables from the competition – such as Jawbone and Nike – down from their shelves.

According to reports, health oriented wristbands are among the wearables no longer available at the Apple Store.

The Apple Stores in certain major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Palo Alto are reported to have taken down smartwatches and fitness bands from other brands as they prep for the addition of the Apple Watch. The Spring Forward Event, last week, revealed that advance orders of the device will be available as of April 10, and the wearables will actually be available for immediate purchase starting on April 24.

These smartwatches will be available at a range of prices, starting as “low” as $349, for the entry-level device.

The Apple Watch was first unveiled at an event back in September 2014. The Sport version of this wearable technology starts at $349, but there is an Edition version that is plated in any of three types of gold and that will be available with a massive $10,000 price tag.

While it may make sense that other devices that present direct competition to this wearable technology have been taken down in favor of exclusively showcasing the Apple Watch, many are baffled by the decision to remove the Nike+ FuelBand and the Jawbone device. These are fitness trackers and don’t provide nearly the range of different features that will be offered by the smartwatch.

Moreover, Nike announced, last year, that it was going to be stepping out of its FuelBand focus and that it would be placing a greater level of attention on its software development. It should also be pointed out that Ben Shaffer, the design director from Nike+ FuelBand, was hired by Apple in 2013, as was the developer of that device, Jay Blahnik.

Whatever the reason, it does appear that the market for smartwatches is about to become much more fierce than it has been, until now.

Pebble’s classic wearable device is available in bright pink, green and blue.

Earlier this week, Pebble introduced new limited edition colors for its existing classic smartwatch, allowing consumers to choose from smartwatches in three colors that include Hot Pink, Fly Blue and Fresh Green.

These neon shades are a notable switch from the traditional colors of the company’s classic device.

Consumers looking for a change from the original Gray, Orange, Arctic White, Cherry Red and Jet Black watch colors, or who want a design that is a little more flashy, likely will not be disappointed in the vibrant and bold new color variations. The limited edition watches come complete with matching color bands, which are interchangeable.

However, in addition to the matching color bands, Pebble has provided users with the option of customizing their smartwatches. The company has announced that very soon users will be able to download two new watchfaces at the Pebble appstore. These include an animated Reading Rainbow watchface that features Levar Burton and a weather watchface from The Weather Channel.

According to Pebble’s blog, “Fresh, Hot, and Fly come with matching bands and—just like the rest of the Pebble lineup—are fully customizable with the skins and bands of your choice. We’re having lots of fun mixing and matching bands around between the different colors ourselves.”

Smartwatches from Pebble were first introduced back in 2012.

Pebble began as a Kickstarter project and was developed by Canadian inventor Eric Migicovsky. The project raised over $10 million from the pre-selling of 85,000 Pebble smart devices. In January 2013, mass production of the product began.

Last year, the company began to ship the watches worldwide. According to Pebble it has sold 190,000 globally and its consumers have downloaded 2 million watchfaces and apps. The watch has been well received and is equipped with several features. Aside from changeable watchfaces, it has an up to 7 day battery life, readable daylight display and is water resistant. Also, the company has a second generation Pebble Steel smartwatch that is slimmer, has a scratch-resistant face and has a stainless steel body.

The three limited edition color smartwatches are available for purchase from the company’s official website and cost $150.