$249 Pebble Steel Smartwatch, Pebble app store to be unveiled at CES 2014

re/code

As expected, Pebble has been working on a new smartwatch that will become official at CES 2014, the Pebble Steel (on the left in the image above, next to the first-gen Pebble,) a publication reports. Furthermore, the company will offer its customers a dedicated app store for more Pebble optimized apps.

The Pebble Steel is a smartwatch that targets consumers looking for better quality materials than the plastic offered by the original Pebble, re/code says, after having taken the device for a hands-on tour ahead of the show. On top of steel use, the new Pebble device will also pack Corning’s Gorilla Glass. The device will be available in two versions including brushed stainless and matte black, and will cost $249 when it ships at the end of January.

Each version will come with swappable metal and leather bands, and will be waterproof.

When it comes to its smarts, the Pebble Steel will offer 5-7 days battery life, connect to Android and iOS devices and offer the same features the first-gen Pebble has to offer.

Interestingly, Pebble has decided to launch its own smartwatch app store that will offer more optimized app for its devices. Some of the first apps that will be available from the app store include Yelp, Foursquare and GoPro.

The smartwatch battle is about to get hotter this year, as more products will hit stores, but Pebble is still one of the companies to watch when it comes to such devices. As for the first-generation model, the company told re/code that it sold over 300,000 Pebble units so far.