Pebble unveils pair of new smartwatches

Smartwatch company Pebble unveiled its latest line of wearable devices Tuesday, including its first non-smartwatch created to break the connection with the smartphone.

The company announced the Pebble 2, a sleeker take on the original Pebble watch released four years ago, and the Pebble Time 2, which combines a color display and steel frame. Like its previous devices, Pebble will launch both watches on Kickstarter on Tuesday before releasing them later this year.

Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky says the company streamlined its priorities for its next smartwatches based on its customers' preferences.

"By far, the top two things that people do is check their notifications and track their fitness and health," says Migicovsky in an interview with USA TODAY.

Along with smaller frames, both watches include built-in heart rate monitors. Battery life on Pebble 2 lasts up to a week, while Pebble Time 2 can stretch as far as 10 days. Pebble 2 will start at $99 through Kickstarter, while Pebble Time 2 starts at $169. Both watches will launch this fall.

Meanwhile, the company is dipping into non-watch wearables with Pebble Core. The square-shaped device supports 3G, GPS and Bluetooth connections, and allows users to stream music or make emergency calls without their phones.

Most smartwatches on the market require users to tether the device via Bluetooth to a smartphone to receive notifications or perform other tasks. Migicovsky says Pebble initially considered adding these features directly to the watch, but opted to create the Core instead.

"The problem is it keeps making the watch bigger and bigger, and more expensive," says Migicovsky. Core will launch on Kickstarter before hitting retail in January.

Since Pebble was first introduced in 2012, the smartwatch market has exploded with a variety of big-name rivals including Apple with its Apple Watch, along with Google and Samsung.

Earlier this year, Pebble confirmed it was laying off 40 employees as funding from Silicon Valley began to dry up. However, Migicovsky sees a place for Pebble with a growing list of pricier alternatives.

"We’re focused on being the Swatch of the smartwatch world," he says. "It’s more colorful. It’s a bit more affordable (and) more fun."