Subj : Pebble is back! The iconic smartwatch is returning with its OG fo
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Tue Jan 28 2025 11:15:06

Pebble is back! The iconic smartwatch is returning with its OG founder and 
'hackable' software

Date:
Tue, 28 Jan 2025 10:58:28 +0000

Description:
Return of the Pebble: Google open sourcing PebbleOS has paved the way for the 
iconic smartwatch's return.

FULL STORY
======================================================================Google 
is making the code for now-discontinued smartwatch Pebble available to 
download Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky claims to be working on a new 
smartwatch using PebbleOS The smartwatch is still in early development, but 
will adhere to Pebbles core tenets 

Before the Apple Watch, before the Samsung Galaxy Watch, and before the 
Google Pixel Watch, there was Pebble. The iconic smartwatch was eventually 
bought by Fitbit and discontinued in 2016 (and in a cruel twist, the same 
fate befell many of the best Fitbits after Fitbit was bought by Google), but 
many users still have fond memories of their Pebbles, and an active community 
of users are still maintaining functional Pebbles. 

Now, it seems like Pebble is ready for a comeback. Google, with no plans to 
disrupt sales of the Google Pixel Watch 3 and Fitbits best fitness trackers , 
dont seem to care to release an official Pebble, but they are throwing a bone 
to the community by preparing to make PebbleOS open source, according to a 
recent blog post . 

For the uninitiated, open source means that anyone will be able to download 
the source code for Pebble watches, make changes, and publish their versions 
to the internet for free. This will allow tech-savvy Pebble fans to keep 
their watches operational - and pave a way for the iconic smartwatchs return 
under a new name. 

Eric Migicovsky, Pebbles founder, told TechCrunch that hes devoted himself 
full time to creating a new third-party smartwatch. In a blog post on his own 
website , he writes; The company behind it failed but millions of Pebbles in 
the world kept going, many of them still to this day. (Image credit: Future / 
Lance Ulanoff) 

I wear my Pebble every day. It's been great (and I'm astounded its lasted 10 
years!), but the time has come for new hardware. 

Migicovsky is the projects only current full-time employee. Using PebbleOS, 
the future smartwatch, which will be released under a different name than 
Pebble, will (according to Migicovskys blog post) conform to the following 
tenets: Always-on e-paper screen Long battery life Simple "and beautiful" UX 
"around a core set of features [Migicovsky uses] regularly (telling time, 
notifications, music control, alarms, weather, calendar, sleep/step 
tracking)" Buttons Hackable 

You can sign up for information on the project at rePebble.com . Analysis: 
Migicovskys perfect watch 

Migicovskys ideal watch, on the surface, certainly sounds like one Id wear in 
rotation. I love the memory-in-pixel screen you can get on the best Garmin 
watches and other digital watch-style aesthetics, so the e-paper screen with 
minimal distractions, long battery life and physical buttons are music to my 
ears. 

With watches reaching a sort of inflection point, I believe weve already hit 
peak smartwatch and future models are going to look more and more similar 
from hereon out. A back-to-basics, open source approach sounds like the 
breath of fresh air this form factor needs. Whats old is new again. 

However, Im acutely aware the project isnt really off the ground yet, and may 
never come to fruition. The smartwatch industry has moved on from Pebble, and 
as much as some users might see it as a welcome change, theres every chance 
most users will be too comfortable with their pre-existing watches to give an 
upstart any time of day. Well continue reporting on the new Pebble as new 
information comes to light. You might also like... 50 best Apple Watch apps: 
from health apps to games and everything in between Best cheap fitness 
trackers 2025: track your steps, heart rate and workouts for less Fitbit 
issues battery overheating warning over two of its most popular watches



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/smartwatches/pebble-is-back-the-iconi
c-smartwatch-is-returning-with-its-og-founder-and-hackable-software


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