(Credit: Core Devices)
Pebble is back with two new products built on the original operating system.
The watches aren't technically Pebble-branded, but they are "Pebble-like," says the brand's cofounder, Eric Migicovsky. He's spearheading the relaunch under a new company, Core Devices, using the Pebble OS that Google made open source in January. (Migicovsky developed the new watches in just over a month.)
The Core 2 Duo ($149) and Core Time 2 ($225) resurrect the classic Pebble design and e-paper screen. They are available for preorder at store.rePebble.com. The Duo starts shipping in July, and the Time in December. Due to a low supply of e-paper displays, quantities are limited.
Duo is "short for 'do-over,'" Migicovsky says. It's "almost exactly a Pebble 2, upgraded with modern chips and new tricks." It's water resistant, has a microphone, and tracks your steps and sleep. The battery life lasts 30 days, up from just seven on the Pebble 2, with an upgraded Bluetooth chip and more durable physical buttons.
Migicovsky describes the Time as his "dream watch. It’s everything Pebble Time 2 was going to be and more!" It has a larger display and a touch screen and can track your heart rate in addition to the step and sleep tracking on the Duo. The metal frame brings a more industrial look.
Both watches are compatible with all Pebble apps and watch faces, thanks to that open-source OS. That's "the really fun part," Migicovsky says, but he warns, "Some may try to access web services that no longer exist." You can browse the full app store on apps.rebble.io.
Pebble had a dramatic rise and decline between 2012 and 2016. It all started with a $10 million Kickstarter, but as is often the case with crowdfunding success stories, making and distributing the hardware was harder than collecting Kickstarter cash. The Apple Watch also debuted in 2015 and came to dominate the smartwatch scene. Fitbit bought the Pebble brand in 2016 and shut it down. Google then bought Fitbit in 2019, so now it controls the tech.
In our review of the Pebble, we found that it delivered on its promise of wireless notifications right on your wrist. The big question was whether developers could get behind the platform.
Now, about a decade later, Migicovsky says people who are "comparing this to an Apple Watch" shouldn't buy it. "There is NO way for a 3rd party smartwatch to compete with Apple Watch. Apple restricts 3rd parties in major ways. For example, 3rd party watches on iOS cannot send replies to notifications."
At the same time, he likens some of the new watch features to Apple's: "Like on Apple Watch, [the Core Time 2] will show glanceable information like weather, next calendar event, step count, etc." He also acknowledges Garmin, stating his new watches are not intended to be a replacement for them when it comes to fitness and sports.
"These watches are not made for everyone," Migicovsky says. "We want to be upfront with you about what to expect."