If you’ve been tempted to pick up a smartwatch but don’t feel like dropping $350+ for the Apple Watch when it comes out in 2015, you can take the plunge without getting soaked if you act quickly. Right now, Best Buy is selling the Pebble smartwatch for just $99, a discount of $50 over the list price. Hey, if you’re in the mood to experiment, this is a cool opportunity.
The Pebble has been around longer than most of the current crop of smartwatches, having been launched by a spectacularly successful Kickstarter campaign more than a year ago. It’s not the most stylish wearable device on the market, but it does all the fun stuff that you want a smartwatch to do, like giving notifications when you get messages or calls and gives you a choice of many, many apps.
Sure, you love that classy Swiss timepiece for business meetings or anytime you’re dressed to impress, but there’s nothing wrong with having another watch that’s strictly for fun, and that’s what the Pebble is all about. It’s water resistant up to 5ATM and has up to a week of battery life, making it ideal for a vacation at the beach. Hey, if you drop it into the sea, you’ve only lost $99.
One of the reasons that the Pebble is so popular is that it works with both iOS and Android smartphones rather than being limited to one format, and there’s a wide choice of apps available so users can easily personalize their Pebble for their own needs. Want to track your fitness workouts? There’s an app (or several) for that. Want to play games? Pick your favorite. Just want to keep in touch while playing 18 holes? The Pebble can do that, too. Not bad for just $150—or $99 if you buy one at Best Buy while they have it on sale.
The smartwatch industry is booming right now, with traditional watchmakers as well as tech companies rushing to get in on the action. There seems to be a smartwatch for every taste and any budget—if there isn’t, there will be pretty soon. At the moment, everyone is waiting to see what kind of reception the Apple Watch will receive when it finally hits stores some time next year. Well-heeled techies and watch snobs are likely to be the early adaptors for Apple’s latest gadget, but by coming so late to this particular game, the Cupertino-based giant with a reputation for innovation is behind the pack for once.
Meanwhile, if you’ve been curious about this thing called a smartwatch but not curious enough to actually buy one, you can pick up a Pebble of your own in your choice of red, white or black at Best Buy for $99 as long as this sale lasts. The deal is good at Best Buy stores or BestBuy.com and shipping is free.
