Pebble Time smartwatch to begin shipping on May 27

People will receive an email by the end of this month asking them to finalize their Pebble Time selection choices, according to the project's Kickstarter page.

Even though "production is now in full swing," Pebble reiterated that not everyone who contributed to the watch's crowdfunding campaign will receive the device immediately. Pebble made a similar point earlier this month when it provided information on the Time's software features and shipping details.

By mid-June, every contributor will be able to track their shipment with orders shipping "on a rolling basis as watches land at distribution centers," the company said Thursday.

Next week Pebble will also introduce new Android and iOS mobile apps that only work with the Time models. Called Pebble Time Watch, the app allows people to download and manage the apps and watch faces for their device. The apps used with Pebble's original smartwatches will still be available for download, the company said.

The Time models and accompanying mobile app do away with the cap on the number of apps and watch faces that can be stored on the device. While the original Pebble watch limits that number to eight, the Time models will hold as many apps locally as storage allows and download the others as needed from a person's phone.

Pebble says the Time model offers an improved way to arrange downloaded apps and watch faces. When people reorganize the order of their programs in the mobile app, those changes will be reflected in the watch's menu, the company said.

Fred O'Connor writes about IT careers and health IT for The IDG News Service. Follow Fred on Twitter at @fredjoconnor. Fred's e-mail address is fred_o'connor@idg.com