Pebble (Watch) Is Back from The Dead with 2 New Smartwatches (Pre Order, from US$149 / US$225)

scrimshaw on 20/03/2025 - 17:52
Last edited 20/03/2025 - 19:50

Some of you might remember the Pebble smartwatch, it was a simple and minimalistic smartwatch that initially had no color screen (but got a color transflective display with the Pebble Time), no heart rate monitor, no SPO2 monitoring, speaker or GPS. The only way you could interact with it were 4 hardware buttons positioned on the side. They did add voice input (with the second generation) that was half-baked and somewhat clunky to use.

The only thing going for it was the multi-day battery life (and depending on how you used it, it might last you anywhere from 1-2, maybe 3 weeks without needing a charge). So this was barely a smartwatch and more of an extension of your mobile phone, allowing you to catch up on notifications and control music playback on your wrist. The Pebble SDK allowed users to create their own watchfaces and some basic apps (my favourite was Authenticator for 2FA codes and Music Boss)

Pebble is back (sort of) and they've teamed up with Core Devices to re-release watches with basically the same functionality as Pebble 2 and Pebble Time. The Pebble OS is now also open source thanks to Google and all of the apps that you used to use, will also work since it's still the same OS underneath.

The basic version is called the Core 2 Duo, is priced at US $149 and features:

  • 1.2" black/white e-paper screen
  • Polycarbonate frame (black or white)
  • Barometer and compass
  • Like Pebble 2, but better

The nicer version with a color display is called the Core Time 2, priced at US $225 and features:

  • 1.5" 64 color e-paper screen
  • Touch screen
  • Metal frame (multiple color options)
  • Heart rate monitor
  • Like Pebble Time 2, but better

Both watches feature:

  • 30 day battery life
  • IPX8 water resistance
  • Step and sleep tracking
  • Microphone and speaker
  • Open Source OS
  • Runs all existing Pebble apps

Pre Orders are possible via https://store.repebble.com/

You can read about them on https://newatlas.com/wearables/pebble-core-2-duo-time-smartw…

Electrical & Electronics Smartwatch

Comments

  • Hybroid on 20/03/2025 - 17:57
    +1

    Link: https://store.repebble.com/

    There might be a few nostalgic folk around but I think the world has moved on since the Pebble. e-ink watches with limited functionality aren't going to cut it anymore.

    • McMaferMur on 20/03/2025 - 20:53
      +1

      I think we should have smart watch and health watch separated.
      I dont care or need all the health counting or sensor i want smart watch with weeks of battery.

      • ESEMCE on 21/03/2025 - 09:33
        +1

        ^This

        Being able to see who is calling and read basic messages is all I really want from a Smart Watch.
        Answering calls might be vaguely useful when I've left my phone on a bench and wont make it in time to answer normally.
        The rest of it is marketing fluff to bulk out the features list and it all comes at expense of the most important feature in any portable device, battery life.

        But the downside for the Pebble was/is the design. It was never pretty, and rolling out the same form factor in 2025 is solely relying on nostalgia. A PTR or Time Steel-like design would have been my preferred form factor.

        • McMaferMur on 21/03/2025 - 12:47

          And the nfc payment. D mybe ability to remote control tv? And better faster google assistant

          • ESEMCE on 21/03/2025 - 20:07

            @McMaferMur: Fair. But NFC payment NEEDS a big company behind it to be global.
            Even Amazfit only have NFC payment in Europe!
            It's Garmin, Apple, Samsung and Google (WearOS) otherwise.
            Great feature, just not realistic.

            • McMaferMur on 21/03/2025 - 22:12

              @ESEMCE: But thats what i call must have for smart watch, not just passing notifications. Oh well.. nothing perfect… :)

    • spackbace on 21/03/2025 - 11:46

      E-ink works very well on my Fossil hybrid, but it's the physical watch face that at least makes it look like a watch and something that should be on display. Battery lasts 1-2 weeks as well

      Shame they stopped making them

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 20/03/2025 - 18:25
    +2

    I've got one of the original Kickstarter Pebble watches. Still going but has the usual display break-up issues occasionally. Was a great bit of kit when it was launched. An online community has rescued enough resources to keep it functioning.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 20/03/2025 - 19:10
      +2

      Me too… nfi where it is now, probably trapped within my 65l box of collected cables and accessories that I’ve amassed over the last 15 years .. just in case. Was cool at the time, but kind of janky now looking back.

  • pegaxs on 20/03/2025 - 19:46
    +2

    Cool, I still have my old Pebble and Pebble 2 as well as an old InPulse…

    Might be a nice watch from a nostalgia point of view and I’m kind of over the whole “smart watch” thing. I don’t need to know my blood pressure, colour, ype, taste and viscosity. I just want a watch that lets me know I have a message…

    • McMaferMur on 20/03/2025 - 20:55

      Yep my point above. Who care about heart rate or sleep track, spo2, etc, those are far from accurate anyway.

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 20/03/2025 - 21:11

      Original Pebble was great in staff meetings when we had to have phones set to do not disturb and out of sight. Ability to subtly read a text or see who was trying to call was useful.

  • CheapandUsed on 20/03/2025 - 22:24

    Was reading somewhere that they found the case manufacturer of the unreleased watch and they still had the stock.. This will be used for the Core 2 Duo significantly reducing the time to market.

  • Guybrush57 on 21/03/2025 - 00:52

    I had the Pebble Steel which I loved until the display started corrupting.

    Anyone remember the digging game (Pixel Miner?) where you mined pixels and upgraded your tool/vehicle to mine faster? I loved it.

  • plmko on 21/03/2025 - 12:30

    Seems like a missed opportunity to be more hi-tech but without the fitness functions. I don't think there is a niche smartwatch that fulfills that description.

    • scrimshaw on 21/03/2025 - 12:47

      Yeah it's a shame it doesn't have NFC for contactless payments. I would gladly replace my Galaxy Watch6 for an updated Pebble with NFC and built in Voice Assistant (that's probably hard to implement since the Pebble OS is meant to be fairly basic and battery efficient)

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