Pebble’s founder wants to take on the iPhone Mini
Once upon a time, there was a little smartwatch that could… and it did, until it couldn’t anymore. The Pebble smartwatch, beloved by many for its simplicity and functionality, eventually succumbed to the fierce competition of the wearable market. But now, a new chapter in the Pebble saga is unfolding, and it’s not what you’d expect.
Many folks recall the original Pebble watches. In fact, many of us still use them. Estimates from last year placed the figure at over 24,000. This demonstrates just how popular the Pebble devices were.
The founder of Pebble has, in recent years, moved on to other things. Latest word is that Eric Migicovsky has now decided to spearhead a project to create a small Android phone that could rival the iPhone Mini. Yes, you read that right. The Pebble, once a tiny watch, is now aiming to become a compact phone.
The Pebble phone project is still in early stages
But don’t get too excited just yet. As Migicovsky revealed in an interview with The Verge, the project is still in its early stages, with a team of professionals working on designing and producing the handset. It’s not even a company yet, just a community-based effort to make a dream phone come true.
So, what do we know about this phone-in-the-making? Well, for starters, it doesn’t have a name yet, just a codename: Marvin. The team also has a few ideas, including Pico, Pip, Atlas, Howdy, and, of course, Pebble. We’re rooting for Pebble, personally.
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As for the specs, the team has some ambitious goals, but they’re also realistic. The phone’s camera should be excellent, but not necessarily a 100MP shooter. Instead, they’re looking into dependable 50MP lenses and camera software choices. They also want a capable processor, but not necessarily a top-tier one like last year’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 or a mid-tier chip.
And, of course, they’re looking for the perfect display, which has proven difficult. The aim is for something that will be sub 6 inches, matching size of iPhone 13 Mini.
The phone’s body is also up for discussion, with various choices including a metal frame covered in glass composite, ceramic-coated aluminum, forged carbon, bio-resin, or ceramic composites. Whatever material they choose, the finished product should fit nicely in a person’s pocket, be very light, be simple to use one-handed without dropping, and not fall out of a person’s pocket while cycling.
As for the price, it could be around $850, depending on production size and negotiations with manufacturers. Which is slightly more than what a iPhone 13 Mini costs.
If you’re intrigued by this oddball project and want to support it, you can sign up on the team’s website and fill out a short survey. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll be able to say you helped bring the Pebble phone to life.
You’ll notice that an update at the top of the survey page states the following – “The Small Android Phone project is officially moving forward.” So it appears that the tiny Android phone will become a reality.
Overall, the Pebble’s transition from smartwatch to smartphone is unexpected, to say the least. But maybe that’s just what makes it so intriguing. After all, who doesn’t love a good underdog story?
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