【Nathan Cajucom Archives】

Remember Pebble?Nathan Cajucom Archives The company made cool, versatile, affordable smartwatches a decade ago, before shutting down in late 2016 and selling most of its assets to Fitbit (which itself was acquired by Google in 2021).

Now, Pebble is back — sort of. Eric Migicovsky, founder of the original Pebble, is restarting the brand with two PebbleOS watches, set to launch later this year. Given that Pebble's intellectual property was sold off, these aren't exactly Pebble watches; Migicovsky's new company is called Core Devices, and these watches are called Core, even though they run the open source PebbleOS.

SEE ALSO: Apple M4 MacBook Air review: A really good deal

First, there's the Core 2 Duo, a $149 watch which is very similar to the old Pebble 2, and has a 1.26-inch, black and white e-paper display, a polycarbonate frame that comes in white or black, water resistance (Migicovsky says he's "targeting" IPX8), step, and sleep tracking. Given that the Pebble 2 is eight years old now, you'd expect some improvements, and indeed, the Core 2 Duo has a 30-day battery life (up from 7 days), a speaker, barometer, compass, and more reliable buttons.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

The $149 Core 2 Duo has a black-and-white, e-paper display. Credit: Core Devices

Then there's the Core Time 2, which has a larger, 1.5-inch e-paper touchscreen display that supports 64 colors. The frame is made out of metal, and the watch will be available in black and white, though Migicovsky says there will "likely" be a third color option as well.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Other features include water resistance (again, targeting IPX8), sleep and step tracking, microphone and speaker, and a heart rate monitor. Both watches can run existing Pebble apps and watch faces.

Pre-orders for both devices are open now over at store.rePebble.com; the Core 2 Duo ships in July, while the Core TIme 2 ships in December.

The new PebbleOS watches are platform-agnostic, but there's a bit of bad news for iPhone owners. In a blog post, Migicovsky argued that Apple "restricts Pebble from being awesome with iPhones," and listed a number of limitations Apple imposes on third-party smartwatch makers. These include the inability for a third-party smartwatch to send text messages or iMessages, or reply to notifications. He also says it's "very difficult to enable other iOS apps to work with Pebble," among other issues. Check the blog post for a full list of limitations according to Migicovsky.

The short version of it is that the new Pebble watches will work with iPhones, but fairly poorly. Android users should have a much-better experience. Sorry, Apple-lovers who also want a smartwatch with an e-paper display.

Topics Smartwatches

• Tech
• Shopping
• Social Good
• Science
• Entertainment
• Deals
• Life
• Games

• Elon Musk says SpaceX will launch the Falcon Heavy 'in a week or so'
• Samsung kicks off its Note7 recall program in the UK
• Learn how your business can empower women in tech our next #BizChats
• Did the terror suspect NYC emergency alert fail the clarity test?
• The Beatles biopic casts all the internet's boyfriends in one movie
• Why pressure cookers make such deadly explosive devices
• Some iPhone 7 users report hissing sounds, others raise Home button questions
• Facebook hires top ex
• Amazon Big Spring Sale 2025: Best deals under $50
• The People's Report Cards hold the world's governments accountable

• Got VR? Must Have VR Games
• How to unblock ePorner for free
• The Oura Ring chronotype feature put me to sleep (in a good way)
• NYT Connections hints and answers for June 15: Tips to solve 'Connections' #735.
• Anatomy of a Mouse
• Google Drive Alternatives: Improving Privacy and Security
• Bayern Munich vs. Auckland City 2025 livestream: Watch Club World Cup for free
• Against All Odds: How Nintendo Made It
• How to unblock Pornhub for free in Kansas
• Wimbledon 2025 livestream: How to watch Wimbledon for free

• Bangladesh vs. New Zealand 2025 livestream: Watch ICC Champions Trophy for free
• Sarah Paulson wins Emmy for 'People v OJ Simpson'
• 'Give them back their childhood': Why education is crucial for refugee children
• 15 business ideas you can start today
• Trump administration to allow African elephant trophies back into U.S.
• The smokin' hot 'Game of Thrones' cast set the Emmys ablaze
• Here's the message Jimmy Kimmel's mom stuffed in those bagged Emmys snacks
• Leslie Jones had more fun than anyone else at the Emmys
• The Beatles biopic casts all the internet's boyfriends in one movie
• 'Game of Thrones' wins Emmy for Drama Series because of course it did

• 2025 Oscar winners: See the full list
• The highest rent in the U.S. belongs to venture capitalists in Silicon Valley
• Mo Farah and Rafael Nadal are the latest victims of medical data hack
• Apple aims to clean up its supply chain with new renewable energy goals
• Testing Windows 10 Performance Before and After the Meltdown Flaw Emergency Patch
• Model rocks up on a horse to fashion week like it's NBD
• Tom Brady's son dabbed when he caught a touchdown pass from dad
• How activists like Jazz Jennings, Ingrid Nilsen see LGBTQ media representation
• Norrie vs. Diallo 2025 livestream: Watch Madrid Open for free
• Woman shares face