The first wave of Pebble smartwatches began shipping to excited Kickstarter customers last week. Although the smartwatch is not a new concept, consumer excitement about them is a recent change. The Pebble has been one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns ever, and its ability to generate over $10 million in sales might be enough to get the attention of some larger companies who have previously dismissed the gadget.

The Pebble is basically a Bluetooth secondary display and controller for a users’ smartphone. Unlike its closest competitor, the Sony Smartwatch, the pebble operates with both Android and iPhones. It has a high-resolution E-paper display so the image stays sharp even in direct sunlight. Pebble has a built-in accelerometer, vibrating motor, Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR, and an ARM microprocessor. It features caller ID, email, SMS, iMessage (iOS only), calendar alerts, Facebook and Twitter messages, weather alerts, and a vibrating alarm/timer. It also, has the ability to control music players like Pandora or iTunes. The battery will power the smartwatch for about seven days before needing to recharge. Pebble is the lightest and smallest smartwatch on the market weighing about 38 grams. Early reviews from CES state that the watch is extremely comfortable to wear. Sports enthusiasts will be excited about the various apps that display stats for running, golfing, biking, and even swimming.  That’s right, I said swimming. One of the more surprising things about the Pebble is its 5 ATM waterproof rating. It’s not ready for that scuba trip yet, but the wearer can shower, wash dishes, and go swimming in shallow water without concern.

The Pebble is being released at a slow trickle; with only 500 units shipped of the 85,000 ordered. The makers are still currently taking pre-orders on the website claiming that all units will be shipped by early 2013. Their hope is that the Pebble will be widely available by late March or early April.