(Credit: Pebble)
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Pebble was one of the most innovative early wearable tech companies between 2012 and 2016, when it shut down following a sale to Fitbit. Now, almost a decade later, it's back with two new devices, and the latest step is Pebble's relaunch of its companion app for smartphones.
The Pebble app is now available on Android and iOS through Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store. It will allow you to download 2,000 apps and over 10,000 watch faces. Many of these are from the original Pebble, but some are new.
Earlier this year, Pebble co-founder Eric Migicovsky announced new "Pebble-like devices" called the Core 2 Duo and the Core Time 2. A few months later, he confirmed that his project had regained the trademark for the Pebble branding, meaning the devices would be called the Pebble 2 Duo and the Pebble Time 2.
The Pebble 2 Duo's production process has been underway over the last few months, and some customers who preordered earlier this year are beginning to receive new smartwatches.
In early October, the brand announced that it had produced 2,960 units of its Pebble 2 Duo and would begin shipping them to customers. That’s for a white version; the black version's production process is taking longer.
The newly launched app store has been available for a few weeks, but this is the first time it has been easily downloadable from Apple and Google’s app storefronts.
With older apps and watch faces available through the Pebble app, the brand has found a way to upscale the existing software to the size of the screens for its newer hardware. It means that rather than having black bars around the sides, the watch will now be able to display the apps and watch faces across its full screen. However, this is optional, and if you prefer the original look, you'll be able to use the devices like that.
Pebble's business first closed in late 2016, with its tech soon sold to Fitbit. Support for devices from the brand ended in June 2018, which also saw the shutdown of the Pebble app store.