Pebble takes new smartwatches to Kickstarter, smashes fundraising goal

Pebble has launched three new smartwatches on Kickstarter and its campaign is one of the fastest to reach its $1 million goal.

On offer were the company's Pebble 2, which features a heart rate monitor and black and white e-paper display for $99, its $69 Pebble Core, which is a tiny Android computer the size of a key fob, and the $169 Time 2, featuring a coloured display and longer battery life than its predecessor.

The newest and probably most interesting product out of the three is the Pebble Core, which comes in two versions: one for runners, with integrated GPS for tracking your location, emergency SOS mode if you get into trouble, music streaming and 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. It connects to the Pebble Watch and is designed to clip onto your clothing to track your run.

If you have a moment of inspiration while you're hammering the pavement, you can make voice notes to jog your memory of your big idea later on. Best of all, it'll run for a week's worth of workouts without needing to charge.

The Pebble Core for hackers is an Android computer that can be turned into whatever you like. With a hardware expansion port for adding extra peripherals and an SDK, it also features two programmable buttons that can be tweaked to do whatever you like, whether that's ordering an Uber, controlling your connected lights or unlocking your car remotely.

The announcement also revealed Pebble will launch its own bespoke Health app, which will track certain health metrics to help you get fit.

The Pebble Core is due to launch in January, while the Pebble 2 is due to ship in September and Time 2 will be delivered in November this year.