'Pebble Steel' Smartwatch to Sport Gorilla Glass, Available for Pre-Order

The Pebble smartwatch is getting a tougher finish.  A new version of the Pebble smartwatch, called the Pebble Steel, is debuting at CES 2014 and will have the same functionality as its plastic predecessor but sport a new metal finish.  According to reports, the Pebble Steel will work the same as the original but have a stainless steel casing and Gorilla Glass display with anti-fingerprint coating.   The tougher version is likely to attract buyers that wanted a more austere looking smartwatch rather a sportier plastic version.

The Pebble Steel debuts one year after the company unveiled its original Pebble smartwatch.  The Steel will retail at $249, about $100 more than the original, and come in either natural steel gray or black.  The new version will have the same e-paper display, 5 to 7 day battery life, water proof design and include leather straps.

The decision to incorporate higher end materials came after feedback from customers who wanted something they could wear to a dinner party and on the ski slopes.  Customers also complained that the Pebble was too tall, so the new variant has a much shorter lug-to-lug distance, according to reports.

There are also new partner apps for the Pebble, including a car stats monitoring app for Mercedes, a playback control app for Pandora, and sports stats and box scores through ESPN.

The Pebble Steel, which will begin shipping January 28, is available for pre-order now.