Pebble smartwatches are back with impressive upgrades
Both models are powered by the now open-source PebbleOS.
When Eric Migicovsky announced earlier this year that he was reviving the much beloved Pebble smartwatches, the geek in me was pretty pumped about it. Those devices carried a nice balance between style and functionality, which led to a sizable community for both users and watchface designers. Fitbit would ultimately acquire the struggling Pebble brand in 2016, but the watches lived on thanks to the volunteers behind the Rebble community.
Fast forward to January 2025, Google, which owns Pebble’s IP by way of Fitbit, agreed to open-source PebbleOS, which allowed Migicovsky to make the surprise announcement on the same day. (It does help to have several “ex-Pebblers turned Googlers” over there.)
Today, Migicovsky and his new company, Core Devices, finally unveiled two new PebbleOS watches: the $225 Core Time 2 with a 1.5-inch colour e-paper screen, and the $149 Core 2 Duo (ah, an Intel classic) with a 1.26-inch black-and-white e-paper screen. Pebble fans will be pleased to know that the Core 2 Duo has repurposed the Pebble 2’s classic design, whereas the premium Core Time 2 is essentially an enlarged version of the same design, but metallic — “most likely CNC milled aluminum.” Naturally, both devices will be compatible with over 10,000 Pebble apps and watchfaces, except for those that are tied to expired web services.
Much like its predecessor, the Core 2 Duo features IPX8 water resistance, microphone, step tracking, sleep tracking, and standard 22mm watchstrap. What’s new is the 30-day battery life (up from seven, thanks to the new Nordic nRF52840 BLE chip), along with a speaker, linear resonance actuator, barometer sensor, and compass sensor. Some of these goodies will undoubtedly enable new practical apps. The improved buttons have a 30% longer lifetime as well, apparently.
Alas, heart rate monitoring is absent on the Core 2 Duo. Migicovsky told me that it was simply for the sake of development speed. “We wanted to get Core 2 Duo out fast — had to keep it simple,” the Canadian entrepreneur responded. Good thing that his team “found a supplier who still had inventory of some Pebble 2 components.” If all goes well, this model will start shipping in July, which is four months from now.
The more advanced Core Time 2, aka Migicovsky’s “dream watch,” won’t start shipping until December, but it does offer heart rate monitoring, along with the new touch input on its larger colour display (though it’ll still have buttons, which are metallic to match the frame). The rest of this timepiece is otherwise identical to the Core 2 Duo.
Just like in the olden days, Migicovsky painstakingly details each feature in his post. It’s a nice personal touch, amplified by all the nostalgia from twelve years ago. This guy is so Canadian that he even lists out reasons for why you shouldn’t buy his new watches. Go ahead and read for your amusement, regardless of whether you’re ordering one or not.