Pebble Classic and Steel owners are in for a nice surprise, with an update to Firmware 3.0 available on their two-year-old smartwatch. In the Kickstarter for the Pebble Time, the company promised customers with older models that they would receive the upgrade, around the same time as it arrives on the Pebble Time, Time Steel, and Time Round.
Firmware 3.8 brings quite a few significant improvements to Classic and Steel owners, the most interesting being Timeline beta. The Timeline organizes all information into past, present, and future sections, letting users quickly scan important notifications. The interface has been improved, making it easier for Pebble users to navigate the smartwatch, though we aren’t sure how much of the update will arrive on the older models.
Android users will be able to download the Firmware 3.8 beta, where they can test the new features. iOS users will have to wait until Firmware 3.8 is official before checking out Timeline, since iOS doesn’t let smartwatch users join into private betas.
The update is available in English only for now, though Pebble intends to add French, German, and Spanish later this month. The smartphone app may remain English for longer than a month, and Chinese users will not receive future support past 3.0 on the Pebble Classic and Steel.
The company already has a page available to request Firmware 3.8 beta access. Pebble has not said when it plans to launch the full version, and is most likely testing for bugs, crashes, and other unfamiliarities for the next few months.
In the world of smartwatches, keeping older devices updated might allow firms to maintain a strong customer base for the future. Most phones on Android only receive updates for 18 months after release, so getting an update 24 months after launch is quite significant for Classic and Steel owners.
