Reflecting on a Smartwatch Legacy: The Pebble’s Return
Without wanting to sound like a tech hipster, I wore smartwatches before they were… well, if not cool, then at least socially acceptable.
I can’t date it exactly, but it must have been late 2013 when I bought an original Pebble smartwatch from an early adopter on eBay. This was a time when wristwatches weren’t widely worn — at least not in the UK — and when they were, they certainly didn’t have Bluetooth.
In fact, my watch was so unusual that I remember having to explain to a colleague that I wasn’t rudely checking the time when I glanced at my wrist mid-conversation. I was, in fact, rudely reacting to a message notification, which I think is marginally better?
I loved my Pebble and it was a great glimpse into what the future would hold when Apple would make the smartwatch mainstream two years later. However, the initially underwhelming smartwatch gold rush coincided with my transition into technology journalism in 2015. For the first few years, I tested smartwatch after smartwatch, pondering how they managed to miss the secret sauce that made Pebble so appealing.
But — and this may be a depressing sentence for some — that was a decade ago, and the wearable landscape has matured considerably. Pebble may be back from the dead nine years after being stripped for parts by Fitbit (which, in turn, was gobbled up by Google), but with my most rose-tinted of pink spectacles, I can’t see it making a ripple in 2025, let alone a big splash like it did back in 2012 when it became the biggest Kickstarter campaign in history.
Pebble Reborn
Pebble
To be clear, the news that Pebble was returning made me very happy indeed. More competition in the smartwatch market is beneficial, especially with annual updates from brands like Samsung and Apple offering little in the way of innovation each year.
Pebble is essentially picking up from where it left off in 2016, with the Pebble 2 Duo continuing the legacy of the Pebble 2. It features a 1.26-inch black and white e-paper display nestled in a lightweight polycarbonate frame. But it’s had a glow-up too, now equipped with more reliable buttons, a speaker, a barometer, a compass, and a Nordic nRF52840 BLE chip for improved Bluetooth connectivity. Most impressively, the already impressive seven-day battery has ballooned to 30 days thanks to significant improvements in Bluetooth chip power efficiency over the last decade.
There’s also a sequel to the Pebble Time, which features a 1.5-inch color e-paper touchscreen and adds both a heart-rate monitor and a metal frame. Both watches will run the 10,000+ apps and watchfaces created by the community, as long as their web architecture remains operational.
While these advancements are commendable, and if it were 2016, I’d be sorely tempted to get my Pebble on again. Unfortunately, in the years since Pebble first left the scene, wearables have reached a new level of maturity that makes it hard for me to consider reverting back.
I’m sticking with the Apple Watch Series 7 Apple
My current daily driver is an Apple Watch 7, a device that, despite being four years old, boasts features Pebble hasn’t even attempted to match. The bright, colorful always-on OLED display is appealing, especially with engaging watchfaces. It syncs with Strava for monitoring my weekly runs and tracks my health via various discreet sensors. Sure, the battery lasts only 3% of Pebble’s estimated longevity, but that’s a minor inconvenience with a convenient charging dock on my desk.
You might argue that the Apple Watch is overloaded with features, advocating for something simpler. However, Pebble fails to win on simplicity in today’s market. Hybrid watches, such as the Withings ScanWatch 2 and Garmin Vivomove Trend, blend classic designs with Bluetooth connectivity, offering notifications via a small OLED screen without compromising aesthetic appeal.
Pebble also struggles on price; the Pebble 2 Duo is priced at $149, nearly double that of budget options like the Amazfit Bip 6, which retails for $79. Meanwhile, the Pebble Time 2 is set at $225, nearing the $329 price point of the OnePlus Watch 3. This leaves Pebble in a challenging position, as it isn’t the most advanced, the simplest, nor the cheapest option available.
Not for Everyone
Core Time 2 Core Devices
If you’re reading this and feeling a twinge of anger over my skepticism toward the new Pebble, let me clarify: this watch undoubtedly has its audience. Especially if you’re a tinkerer at heart.
In the announcement of Pebble’s resurgence, creator Eric Migicovsky emphasized that these watches are designed for a niche market rather than for world domination. “These watches are not made for everyone,” he stated.
According to Migicovsky, the Pebble offers five key selling points: an always-on e-paper screen, long battery life, a simple and beautiful design, physical buttons, and hackable options. “We want to be upfront with you about what to expect,” he added, cautioning early adopters that they might encounter “rough edges,” delays, and potentially broken features.
However, he guarantees a fun and enjoyable experience, concluding, “Every time you look down at your watch, you will smile.” If this appeals to you, and you relish the opportunity to interact with an open-source operating system, it might be worth placing an order promptly, as the production will likely be limited.
As for me, while I cherish the memories of my original Pebble, I’m content to reminisce rather than pursue a nostalgic revival. Thanks for everything, Pebble.
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Image Credit: www.digitaltrends.com
