The New Pebble Time Smartwatch

Forty nine minutes. That's all it took for the Pebble Time smartwatch to smash the $1 million mark on Kickstarter, setting a new crowd funding record and - if only momentarily - overshadowing the hype of the Apple Watch. 

The follow-up to the immensely practical Pebble smartwatch - which managed to bridge the seemingly tricky worlds of functionality and design - the new Time is a very welcome upgrade: the black and white e-paper display makes way for a full colour version, with a microphone squeezed into the face to allow voice response to notifications or messages. Despite thinning down and curving to fit the wrist, the impressive battery life has been maintained (seven days, which is a marathon compared to other smart timepiece offerings).

Compatible with both Android and iOS, the Pebble Time has access to some 6,500 apps for monitoring your health, keeping track of your calendar and getting bothered by your office email. There's also a range of leather straps, to add a twist of customisation to the watch's hardware (you can still pick from thousands of face designs).

Available in a black, white or red case, you can order your Pebble Time (they've already obliterated the funding target) for £116 from the Kickstarter page - with first shipments set to clock in this May. 

Your move, Apple.