Looks great! The very first Pebble was actually instrumental in building digitalocean - I met them at MLH hackathon at CalTech and forced one of the founders to sell me a demo unit- all I used it for was notifications on the digitalocean twitter, I tried to reply to every single tweet at us immediately. A little memento of when I hired Mikeal Rogers: https://s.h4x.club/4guEJN95
Funny, now in 2025, 10 years later, I'm not a fan of smart watches due to their enabling bad habits, think I'll pick up this pebble and leave notifications turned off this time. :)
deanc · 1h ago
What is the use-case now in 2025 for an e-ink watch? I have a Garmin Epix pro gen 2 which gets about a month of battery life and has a gorgeous AMOLED, has profiles for pretty much every sport ever invented, incredibly accurate GPS tracking, all day HR-tracking, ECG etc.
I understand it's about 4x the price, but there's also lower-end Garmin's that are about 2x the price with the same screen, slightly less features and similar battery life
saltcured · 2m ago
This is off topic, as the Pebble doesn't really aim at a use case I care about. Navigation and tracking of hikes and other daytime outdoor activity is my use case.
Automatic illumination has never worked well for me on any watch. It seems I just don't roll my wrist to view the screen the way other people do, so this heuristic fails badly for me. I often read my watches via ambient light and the light hasn't triggered or comes later after I've already seen what I want. And on the other hand, I get annoyed by false-positives where it just lights up randomly in my peripheral vision. So I often disable the automatic light feature.
So, I enjoy the always-on but passive aspect of a transflective LCD display. It is practical like a conventional watch with physical hands. It works well in bright sunlight, well enough in other decently lit environments, and at least copes with dark via the backlight. I wish it was even more reflective for low light, but the recent LCDs are not bad.
I vastly prefer my Garmin FR255 which seems like the last of its breed. Garmin may have lost me as a repeat buyer with the changing products. I think I'd like their Enduro line, but not at those prices. I don't like many of the compromises of the Instinct line either, but it seems the only option left.
KetoManx64 · 57m ago
4x the price to start off with, 51x51x15mm size, Only 11 days battery life if you use the always on display according to their site, completely locked down OS and ecosystem that puts you at 100% their mercy when it comes to EOL and updates, no idea what their privacy policy is, but you probably have to accept it if you want to use it and just put up with the fact that all your data, location, heart rate, and everything else is sent and stored and most likely used for training different AI models, and probably getting sold to different companies.
jsbisviewtiful · 38m ago
Garmins are incredibly expensive and not everyone wants a fitness tracker. Garmin's UX is also very disjointed between devices for how expensive they are. Plus, battery life tends to be garbage for smartwatches. I just sold my Apple Watch for a Coros because I was tired of trading battery life for features I didn't want/use and Garmins also require yet another subscription for some features. As someone who just spent the last month deciding on a new fitness wearable, much of the market is full of bloated devices that don't do everything right, but instead do a handful of things right with a laundry list of caveats.
There's still a strong market for dumb watches too, so a long-lasting "smart" device that does some things but not as much as an Apple Watch, Garmin, Coros, etc while still serving as a general information displaying wearable sounded enticing. Unfortunately Apple's lockdown of the iPhone for the previous Pebbles (which I think might still be a thing) and my need for fitness tracking are what prevented me from buying a Pebble.
neogodless · 19m ago
Agree with sibling comments, but I think it's a bad choice of comparison.
I'm a Garmin Venu fan, but... apparently it was a $350 watch[0], and now there's a $450 version[1] and an $800 version[2]. There's still an older one[3] available for $250 (or ~$185 on Amazon). Though I got my original Venu "refurbished" for under $100 (and it still had all the plastic wrap, etc. so was truly "like new.")
10-11 day battery when new (mine gets 6-7 days after several years of use, but I have never used always-on-display.)
If I can get a Venu 2/2S/2S Plus/3/3S as a refurbished watch for ~$200-250, then I would go that route over an inexpensive Pebble 2 Time. Love that OLED screen. But I totally get the hacker ethos favoring the Pebble OS over Garmin. (Garmin does have a pretty good watch OS, and most things work without a subscription, which was a major factor in my purchase.) For $450 (or more...) it is not comparable to Pebble's offering.
As to "why": I'm not interested at all in Garmin's sports and health features and their cloud stuff. Pebbles work well, get out of the way and have a nice, friendly and slightly quirky interface. There are many apps and watchfaces out there. As of the new ones, the OS is open source. Reasons enough for me. ;)
Karawebnetwork · 12m ago
Personally, I try not to use screens for a few hours before going to bed. Before bedtime, I limit myself to my e-ink book reader.
The idea of having a screen on my wrist doesn't particularly appeal to me.
My partner has one and when they turn over in bed, I am sometimes blinded by the screen which still glows brightly even at the lowest setting in complete darkness.
That's why I'm considering a e-ink watch. The reason I didn't commit yet is that I fear that notifications and such before bedtime could be just as harmful to my nightline peacefulness.
blacksmith_tb · 56m ago
Hmm, looks like your Garmin has somewhere between 30h (with everything turned on) to 11d of battery life, which is not bad for needing to power a bright screen. I wear a Skagen Jorn hybrid, which has physical hands over a round e-ink display, which lasts ~3w on a charge for me. I also like e-ink better in daylight, AMOLED has gotten pretty good, but it's still harder to read in bright conditions (though obviously easier in dark ones!)
Demiurge · 32m ago
Just for context, your watch seems to cost $1,099.99 USD
roflmaostc · 25m ago
my Garmin Fenix 6 used to survive with 21 days of display always one but lowest brightness, if I didn't use any GPS.
Now, after 3 years it is somehow down to 10 days. No chance of debugging where it comes from as I haven't changed anything on my side.
ncruces · 16m ago
Is the color pixel arrangement still the same as the older pebbles?
I was working on a subpixel rendering algorithm for it at the time, but then it was killed, and I shelved it.
numpad0 · 1h ago
For those confused like I was:
- Pebble 2 Duo: $149, B&W, original Pebble look
- Pebble Time 2: $225, color, new round square look
* both with intended IPX8, 30-day battery, "e-paper" aka gameboy style LCD, suite of sensors, Pebble app compatibility
steve_adams_86 · 1h ago
> new round square look
I really like the term "squircle"
"The new pebble time 2 sports the chic squircle aesthetic"
bowsamic · 18m ago
That sounds way too American
mikepurvis · 1h ago
I’m shocked they think they can get such long battery life with a heart rate monitor running all the time.
swiftcoder · 41m ago
There are a bunch of weird smartwatches that get pretty close to this - for example, the Amazfit Bip S Lite claims 30 days of battery with a similar transflective screen (albeit I think the heart rate monitor drops to once every measuring 5 minutes in battery saver mode).
Similarly, the Withings Scanwatch claims the same, although as a hybrid smartwatch, it is not driving such a power-hungry screen.
user_7832 · 31m ago
I had the OG Bip and got extremely close to 3 months at one point. Unfortunately I don't remember if I had the HR set to 5 minute intervals but if it was on, I think that was the setting.
Even with 1 minute intervals though, battery life was absolutely stellar. I'd often lose my charger, and in few days after I saw the battery dropping/low battery alerts, I'd find it too (before the watch died)!
tills13 · 12m ago
it'll probably pulse on / off. The main draw would be the display but since it's e-ink it only draws when changing.
yellingdog · 48m ago
I would expect an extremely infrequent heart rate sample rate at idle. I believe the current-gen watches only sample every 10 minutes unless activity is detected.
criddell · 1h ago
I love that it doesn't say Pebble on the bezel! I never wanted one before, but now I do. My only issue is that I have pretty small wrists and this watch would likely be too large for me.
modeless · 1h ago
I have one on order and can't wait, but I'm also hoping that they are successful enough to justify developing a successor to the smallest smartwatch ever made (to this day, which is wild), the excellent Pebble Time Round. Which, of course, should be named the Second Time 'Round.
wlesieutre · 59m ago
I ordered one (the screen just fell off my Apple Watch anyway) and if they do another Time Round I'd be tempted to get one of those too.
Had a Pebble Time back when those were new and after using Apple Watch for a while I think it's time to try a return to that minimalism.
kiddico · 1h ago
I absolutely agree on that naming convention lol
user_7832 · 37m ago
(My personal perspective or views below.)
To misquote Bernie, I am once again ~~asking~~ requesting for a single watch to have both heart rate/health tracking, as well as compass and barometer in a single watch.
I had an Amazfit Bip which, just like a Pebble, also had a transflective screen and between 1 to 2.5 months of battery life. However, it did have a compass along with a barometer, alongside HR/activity/sleep tracking.
I was (and still am) sad when my watch broke (screen pops out, known failure mode).
Since then I got a basic Band (7), and very recently, the Amazfit Active 2.
The latter is amazing on many aspects. Every sensor mentioned above of course, but a few nice add ons like continuous barometer readings for storm warnings, a thermometer, and so on.
What it notably does not have, s nither the transflective screen, nor the week to month(s) long battery life.
I searched a good bit for transflective watches, and it seems garmin is the only half-decent brand in town, and they appear to paywall nicer features to their expensive products.
In the absence of much of a budget, my choice was easy. But I really hope Pebble makes something in a single package that makes my next watch purchase a real dilemma if not an outright purchase :)
fullstop · 30m ago
> I had an Amazfit Bip
I still have mine. The front fell off, but I glued it back on. The battery life is not as good as it was when I got it in 2019, but it still keeps a charge for over three weeks. I keep looking for replacements, but haven't found anything that can match that lifespan while also not being huge. Maybe this Pebble is the ticket.
klooney · 8m ago
What do you use the barometer for?
zevon · 25m ago
I was also initially disappointed by this but if I'm reading the announcement right, both models will now have a compass, at least.
tmchu · 57m ago
Not sure if this will be answered here. But how is the repair-ability of these new pebble? I have the original pebble time steel and although it still run fine, the battery have degraded a lot without an easy way to replace them. Part of the appeal of traditional watches is that you can open them up yourself and fix them if needed. I don't see why Pebble have go glue everything together and make it so hard to repair.
modeless · 51m ago
In the podcast Eric said that in the current design the back is fastened with screws and no adhesive. They may end up having to add some adhesive (presumably for water resistance) but hopefully not.
__jonas · 39m ago
I wish I could get the specs of the time 2 in the design of the 2 duo, this just looks very generic to me design wise.
The 2 duo is at least a little bit fun aesthetically, but I would like a heart rate monitor if I’m gonna be wearing a smart watch.
apparent · 3h ago
> We’re planning to release 4 different Pebble Time 2 colourways. These haven’t been finalized yet. No names yet, we still need to pick them!
Would be great if we could vote. I am excited that there's a metallic option, but IMO the silver is too light. A dark gunmetal, or even medium-darkness silver, would be better in my book. The silver comes across as a bit flashy (which is perhaps good for the company), and I'd rather something that fades into the background a bit more.
The color-accented ones are nice, especially with matching bands. But for my taste (and the ability to wear it in more formal/dressy settings), black or metallic options will win out.
JaggerJo · 1h ago
I really like the silver.
Red and Blue are IMO not needed as you can always add an accent using the band. Probably just makes everything more complicated.
apparent · 1h ago
Would you use the silver with a contrasting band, as shown? Or would you try to get a band that roughly matches it?
It sounds like the colors don't add much complexity because it's just a polycarbonate piece that's sandwiched between the metal front and back. It does add complexity and and there are surely some fixed costs associated with making these and the matching bands. But it's kind of a neat innovation to have a pop of color on the side, matching the band. I think the red one could actually look nice with a plain black band.
JaggerJo · 1m ago
Yea, I’d pair it with a contrasting band. Or maybe with one that adds another accent.
True. It might be just me but I think the color makes it look cheap.
amirhirsch · 1h ago
This is awesome Eric! I'd want to give something like this to my kids, any way to add a tracker?
officeplant · 1h ago
Why do they never show the back of the watch? They are tempting but I'm concerned they went with the usual intrusive heart rate monitor sensor package that jabs into your wrist.
svl7 · 1h ago
It's visible at ca 6:47 in the video.
officeplant · 58m ago
Thanks, I went straight to the ordering page hoping for more product photos and didn't watch the video.
kevinwang · 58m ago
Oooo, that looks a lot better than the initial designs!
cyberax · 22m ago
Is there a possibility to add NFC payments, like on Apple/Android devices? Is it even feasible?
This is really a killer feature for me. GPS tracking would be nice to track runs, but I can live without it.
rvz · 20m ago
Yeah, I would wait a while for the Pebble to gain those sensors. But there is a need for a watch with a color e-ink screen.
Funny, now in 2025, 10 years later, I'm not a fan of smart watches due to their enabling bad habits, think I'll pick up this pebble and leave notifications turned off this time. :)
I understand it's about 4x the price, but there's also lower-end Garmin's that are about 2x the price with the same screen, slightly less features and similar battery life
Automatic illumination has never worked well for me on any watch. It seems I just don't roll my wrist to view the screen the way other people do, so this heuristic fails badly for me. I often read my watches via ambient light and the light hasn't triggered or comes later after I've already seen what I want. And on the other hand, I get annoyed by false-positives where it just lights up randomly in my peripheral vision. So I often disable the automatic light feature.
So, I enjoy the always-on but passive aspect of a transflective LCD display. It is practical like a conventional watch with physical hands. It works well in bright sunlight, well enough in other decently lit environments, and at least copes with dark via the backlight. I wish it was even more reflective for low light, but the recent LCDs are not bad.
I vastly prefer my Garmin FR255 which seems like the last of its breed. Garmin may have lost me as a repeat buyer with the changing products. I think I'd like their Enduro line, but not at those prices. I don't like many of the compromises of the Instinct line either, but it seems the only option left.
There's still a strong market for dumb watches too, so a long-lasting "smart" device that does some things but not as much as an Apple Watch, Garmin, Coros, etc while still serving as a general information displaying wearable sounded enticing. Unfortunately Apple's lockdown of the iPhone for the previous Pebbles (which I think might still be a thing) and my need for fitness tracking are what prevented me from buying a Pebble.
I'm a Garmin Venu fan, but... apparently it was a $350 watch[0], and now there's a $450 version[1] and an $800 version[2]. There's still an older one[3] available for $250 (or ~$185 on Amazon). Though I got my original Venu "refurbished" for under $100 (and it still had all the plastic wrap, etc. so was truly "like new.")
10-11 day battery when new (mine gets 6-7 days after several years of use, but I have never used always-on-display.)
If I can get a Venu 2/2S/2S Plus/3/3S as a refurbished watch for ~$200-250, then I would go that route over an inexpensive Pebble 2 Time. Love that OLED screen. But I totally get the hacker ethos favoring the Pebble OS over Garmin. (Garmin does have a pretty good watch OS, and most things work without a subscription, which was a major factor in my purchase.) For $450 (or more...) it is not comparable to Pebble's offering.
[0] https://www.techradar.com/reviews/garmin-venu
[1] https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/873008/
[2] https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/1510465/
[3] https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/801643/pn/010-02701-00/
As to "why": I'm not interested at all in Garmin's sports and health features and their cloud stuff. Pebbles work well, get out of the way and have a nice, friendly and slightly quirky interface. There are many apps and watchfaces out there. As of the new ones, the OS is open source. Reasons enough for me. ;)
The idea of having a screen on my wrist doesn't particularly appeal to me.
My partner has one and when they turn over in bed, I am sometimes blinded by the screen which still glows brightly even at the lowest setting in complete darkness.
That's why I'm considering a e-ink watch. The reason I didn't commit yet is that I fear that notifications and such before bedtime could be just as harmful to my nightline peacefulness.
I was working on a subpixel rendering algorithm for it at the time, but then it was killed, and I shelved it.
I really like the term "squircle"
"The new pebble time 2 sports the chic squircle aesthetic"
Similarly, the Withings Scanwatch claims the same, although as a hybrid smartwatch, it is not driving such a power-hungry screen.
Even with 1 minute intervals though, battery life was absolutely stellar. I'd often lose my charger, and in few days after I saw the battery dropping/low battery alerts, I'd find it too (before the watch died)!
Had a Pebble Time back when those were new and after using Apple Watch for a while I think it's time to try a return to that minimalism.
To misquote Bernie, I am once again ~~asking~~ requesting for a single watch to have both heart rate/health tracking, as well as compass and barometer in a single watch.
I had an Amazfit Bip which, just like a Pebble, also had a transflective screen and between 1 to 2.5 months of battery life. However, it did have a compass along with a barometer, alongside HR/activity/sleep tracking.
I was (and still am) sad when my watch broke (screen pops out, known failure mode).
Since then I got a basic Band (7), and very recently, the Amazfit Active 2.
The latter is amazing on many aspects. Every sensor mentioned above of course, but a few nice add ons like continuous barometer readings for storm warnings, a thermometer, and so on.
What it notably does not have, s nither the transflective screen, nor the week to month(s) long battery life.
I searched a good bit for transflective watches, and it seems garmin is the only half-decent brand in town, and they appear to paywall nicer features to their expensive products.
In the absence of much of a budget, my choice was easy. But I really hope Pebble makes something in a single package that makes my next watch purchase a real dilemma if not an outright purchase :)
I still have mine. The front fell off, but I glued it back on. The battery life is not as good as it was when I got it in 2019, but it still keeps a charge for over three weeks. I keep looking for replacements, but haven't found anything that can match that lifespan while also not being huge. Maybe this Pebble is the ticket.
The 2 duo is at least a little bit fun aesthetically, but I would like a heart rate monitor if I’m gonna be wearing a smart watch.
Would be great if we could vote. I am excited that there's a metallic option, but IMO the silver is too light. A dark gunmetal, or even medium-darkness silver, would be better in my book. The silver comes across as a bit flashy (which is perhaps good for the company), and I'd rather something that fades into the background a bit more.
The color-accented ones are nice, especially with matching bands. But for my taste (and the ability to wear it in more formal/dressy settings), black or metallic options will win out.
Red and Blue are IMO not needed as you can always add an accent using the band. Probably just makes everything more complicated.
It sounds like the colors don't add much complexity because it's just a polycarbonate piece that's sandwiched between the metal front and back. It does add complexity and and there are surely some fixed costs associated with making these and the matching bands. But it's kind of a neat innovation to have a pop of color on the side, matching the band. I think the red one could actually look nice with a plain black band.
True. It might be just me but I think the color makes it look cheap.
This is really a killer feature for me. GPS tracking would be nice to track runs, but I can live without it.
Until then, I'm sticking with the Apple Watch.
Now I'll have 8.
There, Eric. Take my money..