Pal strap brings GPS to Pebble Time and Time Steel

When the original Pebble came out, it really kickstarted the smartwatch/wearables market. While their current generation of watches doesn't have all of the bells and whistles that you'll find on the Apple Watch and other competitors, they do have a trick up their sleeve. They included a special port that 3rd-party straps can use to add additional features to the devices.

We've seen a variety of different straps take advantage of this feature, some to track your heart rate, and others that let you charge your watch wirelessly. Today we're seeing the first such strap that can let your watch keep track of your location by integrating GPS functionality into it.

If you want to take your Pebble Time or Time Steel out on a hike and not worry about connecting your smartphone, the new Pal band can help you out. It can track speed, distance, elevation and route for up to 24 hours without needing a smartphone to help it out. It does this by integrating Qualcomm's SiRF GPS technology into the band. You'll be able to access this information by syncing your phone up with the band and opening the Pal companion app.

The Pebble line has always been great on battery life. My original Pebble rarely needed recharged more than once per week. However, with the Pal band, it will now extend the life of your Time or Time Steel by an additional 7 days.

The Pal is currently a Kickstarter project, and is well on its way to reaching its goal of $80,000. At the time of writing, it has already passed the $30,000 mark. You'll need to pledge at least $79 to get your hands on one, with an estimated ship date of October of this year.