Pebble’s Core is a tiny Android computer that tracks runs and plays Spotify

(credit: Pebble)

As the wearable space becomes increasingly crowded, Pebble is holding strong amid stiff competition. Companies like Fitbit and Garmin are trying to turn fitness trackers into all-purpose smartwatches, but Pebble's CEO Eric Migicovsky is making sure that Pebble does "a couple things really really well." That's the premise behind Pebble's newest and most unique device, the Pebble Core smart running module. It's a tiny computer that tracks running and can sync with your Spotify account so you really don't have to take your phone with you on a workout anymore.

Run free

The Core is Pebble's first non-smartwatch product. It's a small square with rounded edges and two circular indents on its front. The larger is the main button for starting and stopping tracking, and the smaller one in the corner, in true Pebble fashion, can be hacked to perform a number of features. You could program it to send an emergency text to someone when you leave your phone at home, call an Uber when you find yourself in a pinch, or a number of other things. On the top side of the core is a hold slider and a headphone jack, and the device is Bluetooth ready so you can connect wired or wireless headphones to it.

Aside from Bluetooth, the Core is Wi-Fi ready, and it has a 3G modem, 4GB of storage, and a GPS to map runs. Migicovsky describes it as a "tiny computer running Android 5.0," so it could end up being much more than a clip-on running monitor. Migicovsky went so far as to say that you might be able to use the Core's smaller button to open your garage door or even find your keys if you leave the device attached to a key ring. Pebble's history of making its devices open to the developer community makes a device like the Core quite appealing since its small size lets it take on many functions depending on the features people develop for it.

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