Pebble's newest product isn't a smartwatch; it's a display-free accessory called Core that has GPS, a 3G modem, and Spotify built in, for runners who don't want to carry a smartphone. The Verge's Lauren Goode takes a look at the latest gadget from Pebble.

EVERYWHERE you look people are engrossed in their phones, mesmerised by the little screen staring back up at them.

Much has been made about people’s incessant attachment to their internet-connected devices. People often report “feeling naked” without their phone on them.

But a new product by Californian company Pebble Technology aims to put an end to our smartphone obsession.

It’s called Pebble Core and the company announced this week that they will seek funding for the little computer device via crowd funding website, Kickstarter.

The company has previously released a range of smart watches and the Pebble Core is an attempt to alleviate our phone reliance by creating a bare essentials tech product for the times we want to leave the house without taking our phone with us.

According to the company; “It streams music from Spotify, tracks your pace, distance, and location with GPS, and can send an emergency SOS if needed.”

The small Android 5.0 computer can be clipped on to a set of keys, a waistband or thrown in your pocket.

The device has 4GB of storage and dedicated Spotify support to download music playlists. GPS to track your exercise efforts. It can record voice notes and has two surface buttons which can be programmed to do various tasks such as hailing an Uber or sending a text message with your location.

At its simplest, the device is designed to provide “the benefits of your phone with none of the inconvenience,” says the Kickstarter page.

“I’m not saying the Core is trying to replace the phone, but there’s a time and a place for leaving the house without your phone,” Eric Migicovsky, founder of Pebble, told The Huffington Post.

It might seem unnecessary but for those fighting the constant allure of Instagram and Twitter, the screenless device could prove to be the perfect remedy.

Judging by the reaction to the company’s fundraising attempts, plenty of people are keen for the nifty device.

Already the Pebble Core (along with a new range of smart watches) has attracted more than 29,000 financial backers and raised a staggering $US5.4 million ($7.5 million) and counting in less than 24 hours — more than five times the company’s stated target. Given the campaign still has 36 days to go, that figure is nothing short of amazing.



$4.8 Million raised in less than 12 hours. Congrats @Pebble https://t.co/Nn8HPbFEJ1 — Jeff Christiansen (@jefchristiansen) May 25, 2016

I never really grasped how powerful preorders had become till I watched this make a thousand dollars a second. https://t.co/MgOxgt55xA — Paul Graham (@paulg) May 24, 2016