Get your new PebbleOS watch

30-day battery life
open source OS

🫨

Does it use just standard watch bands? It looks like it, but I didn't see it mentioned.

One of the things I find ridiculous about other smart watches is that they use proprietary bands. When I found out that people are paying $60+ for a silicon band for an Apple watch, it blew my mind. Also that people put screen protectors or cases on their Apple watches because their $500+ watch doesn't even have a crystal lens, and is prone to scratching.
- Yes, the announcement blog post states they use standard 22mm watch bands, as the original Pebbles did.
- Is that typical? I guess Apple sells watch bands at that price, but I’ve never bought a $60 Apple branded watch band. With the ubiquity of Apple Watches it’s not hard to find inexpensive Apple Watch bands even if they are proprietary. I don’t think that’s the case for other smartwatches, though.
The Bangle.js is around too.
Open Source “OS” ? Did they intentionally forget a statement or two around someone else’s IP ?

Anyone of the github contributors care to explain what their repo’s content will exactly be? https://github.com/pebble-dev/pebble-nonfree
- Likely binary blobs from vendors like Debian's non-free-firmware.

I'm pretty excited about this; my Pebble Time was the best watch I've even owned - smart or otherwise.

That said, I don't think I'm going to be preordering this given how badly the last Pebble Kickstarter went. For those who weren't around at the time, Pebble (whose CEO is behind this venture) built his whole business around Kickstarter. The first 2 generations were wildly successful, but for the third generation they massively overextended themselves trying to get hardware into mainstream retailers, prioritised building stock for retail channels (because contracts) and ran out of cash before shipping for the majority of backers who had bankrolled this whole thing. Eventually everyone who hadn't had their orders fulfilled got a refund, but that was only because FitBit decided to buy them. Eric seems like a nice guy and great at the technology - and I'm not saying that I could run a business any better - but I think I'll wait until there is stock on hand for me to buy outright before I hand over my cash

From their FAQ, emphasis mine:

You shouldn’t get one if…

You need a perfectly polished smartwatch. This project is a labour of love rather than a startup trying to sell millions of watches. There may be some rough edges (literally). Things will get delayed. Some features will not be ready at launch. Things could break. Things could not last as long as you’d like. The only thing we can guarantee is that it will be awesome and a lot of fun! Every time you look down at your watch, you will smile

So yeah, I’d say your take is pretty accurate. At least they’re honest lol
- My concern isn't that things will get delayed, it's that I'll give them my money and get nothing in return
He also screwed a lot of the employees on the way out from Pebble, and he also bailed on Beeper the minute it got complicated. Sold it to Matt Mullenweg a year or two after getting pimp-slapped by Apple because he had no real plan for what to do if Apple started banning the devices he was using as Matrix bridges. He gave up after like three days, it was honestly genuinely pathetic. This was a paid service and he fucked it all up for anyone using iMessage on it.

I have personal experiences with Beeper that make me less than trust Eric Migicovsky, and I really don't think he seems like a "nice guy." He actively sucks, doesn't have plans for sustainability and then sells it all off to someone else at a personal profit while the people doing the actual work get fucked out of a job.
- What's the gist of your "personal experiences with Beeper"?
- Beeper is an instant messenger software that enables using a variety of chat services and protocols all from the same application. It was created in 2020 by Eric Migicovsky, Brad Murray and Tulir Asokan
  
  On December 5, 2023, the company released Beeper Mini, an Android app that can send messages through Apple's iMessage instant messaging service.
  
  Beeper Mini was downloaded more than 100,000 times within two days of launch. After the release, Apple repeatedly blocked Beeper Mini from sending messages through iMessage, and Beeper updated the app multiple times to circumvent Apple's blocks.[18] On December 21, 2023, Beeper issued its last update to Beeper Mini, which requires users to access an iOS or macOS device to enable the app to send messages through iMessage.[20]
  
  That timeline is crazy. It's a chat app for years. It breaks into iMessage and gets crazy downloads. Then 16 days later they've given up. Four months later he sells the whole thing.
Yep im also going to wait til its out to make a judgement call.
- Ditto, even though I’m in the market to replace my smartwatch since the buttons fell off.
I always feel nervous preordering anything. I got a new Fitbit so I think I have some time before it fails so I can see how this rePebble works out. If it is as good as it looks I might just get it. 30 day estimated battery life is amazing

I am wearing my OG Kickstarter Pebble right now, 12 years and still getting 8 days battery out of it.

I think I will be getting a new Core Time 2

Edit: added picture

Wow, mine died years ago.
- It has the screen tearing issue, which can't be fixed because it is one of the original ones which are glued together.
  
  I have to have it on the analogue watch face so the screen refreshes every second. But it has outlasted the 4 other watches I tried.
I had to stop wearing my pebble 2 hr when the software became too flaky to tolerate. Notifications would just randomly Go through or not, media controls would sometimes not work, and so on. But can't wait to go back, as my alternatives are all fundamentally flawed.
- I asked my partner if she wanted a new pebble, she has a nice little Garmin, her response:
  
  I do like my Garmin in terms of a watch and the feel but the app is shit
  
  Funny how she lost her last one:
  
  Her strap broke on the pebble time, my (at the time) 15 month old saw it on the bench, and asked why she wasn't wearing it. She said it is broken, a few days later she was going to get a new strap and the watch was gone. The 15 month old, had thrown it in the bin.....rubbish day had already happened.
- I'm just using gadget bridge now, most of the original functionality is gone. I can't be arsed jumping through the hoops to install the original pebble app on my phone.
I have a few times I rotate through. can't wait for some new hw

too bad its a US based company

Why would they choose to name the watch "Core 2 Duo" when that's the name of an Intel processor? And why are both watches a "2" variant? They need a new marketing person.

And why are both watches a “2” variant?

Because this is the next generation of the original Pebble watches.

Core 2 Duo

I'll actually be surprised if this makes it to launch without Intel perhaps making a few legal calls and prompting a device name change.
- The most recent Intel Core 2 Duo was discontinued in 2008. I doubt Intel would be able to convince anyone that this is a competing product or would cause any customer confusion. No one is going to be looking for a low end processor from over a decade ago and accidentally buy a watch.
- Wouldn't this be the fourth generation? Pebble Time was the second generation and Pebble 2 was the third generation.
- That is not how trademarks work. They are purpose specific. I still have no idea why they would want to name it the same as an old processor, but I doubt it's actually an issue.
That was my first thought as well. "Intel gonna sue somebody."
when that’s the name of an Intel processor?

It's totally a reference to that, it has to pretty much... Why? Idk, nostalgia? Duo as in black and white maybe
- The two colours of the first Intel MacBook by Apple, which had Core 2 Duo processors…
  
  Quite an hommage indeed
Core 2 Duo is also a terrible name from Intel in the first place. I did place my repebble order, hopefully it will serve me well.

Wait, the basic version has a compas and barometer without a heart rate monitor, but the more expensive one has a heart rate monitor and no barometer or compass? Why?

He wasn't going to add compass because most people don't use it, but then he added it to the Core 2 Duo as a favor to a friend who helped on that version and wanted a compass in it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/pebble/comments/1jea5cc/ama_with_eric_migicovsky_lets_talk_about_the_new/migw1ct/

For anyone looking for a similar device in the interim (long battery, open source) the PineTime is a great device.

This is neat but the selling point for me with the Pebble is the e-ink display. If repebble fails though, my next watch will be a Pine. Hopefully my Versa 2 holds on for a bit longer 🤞
- it's an "e-paper" display, which annoyingly is nothing like an e-ink display. it's an LCD with a memory chip in it. the bangle.js also has one, which can do eight colors. so better than the black and white one, but worse than the 64-color one. also it's half the price of the cheaper pebble...
- You should just get one anyway. It's $30.
Got a PineTime for Christmas and so far been very pleased with it. I found the PineTimeStyle watchface and it's been a bit like coming home to Pebble, but I do miss the wide array of watchface choices and effortless customization.
- I missed out on the 1st gen pebble but had a buddy who loved his. Y'all may be talking me in to checking this new one out.
  
  And agreed on the pine faces. I've been of half a mind to learn how to make them so I could have more variety.

If it's open source, could someone potentially develop an app for it to control devices in home assistant? Would love to be able to control my room lights from my watch, and don't think it's possible on my Xiaomi watch fit 3 connected to gadgetbridge.

I recognize that there would also need to be work done in the app to support this as the watch only supports BLE

There are a couple already, e.g. https://github.com/Willow-Systems/pebble-home-assistant

What's even cooler is that the nRF52840 chip that they will use has ZigBee support, which theoretically means it can talk to your network directly if software supports it
- Lol, fml. Guess I'm buying a Repebble.
- No way! That's awesome, I will absolutely be checking that out
It's open source.

Price seems kinda steep for a device that doesn't have sleep/SpO2/Stress and HRV tracking capabilities

I am wondering/hoping if another company will step up and make a PebbleOS based watch with these capabilities.
As someone very excited for this watch, the battery life with an always on display is more important to me than a sp02 sensor (Btw it will do sleep tracking). That and the button navigation are the killer features. The watch shows me what I need to know when I need to know it, always has the time on, and I can navigate it and control media playback without having to look at it (since buttons are consistent). I want a smart watch to be a good watch first then being smart is the second priority, and the pebble is the only watch I've ever had that gets those priorities right for me. Every other smart watch I've used sacrifices something I value to fit more features that I dont value as much. The pebbles have just gotten it right for me.

That said, the watch also isn't for everyone, and a lot of people are OK charging their watch every day if it means they also get every feature they want.
- Regarding charging - I charge my huawei watch fit 3 (that I got for like $150) every 2 weeks or so
  
  I probably will end up getting the pebble as it appears I can interact with it on home assistant. Rough that I may have to wait till December though, it looks like

Anyone remember the screen tearing issue that fucked basically 100% of screens from pebble? I remember.

Yes, had that problem, too.
- easy to fix with zebra strip replacement I'm still wearing pebble steel rn
I went through every single pebble that came out and never had this issue…maybe I got lucky?
- It was really only the OG Pebble and the Steel. It was resolved by using a different screen connector in the Pebble 2 and Time.
  
  I've had multiple OG's over the years and each have developed the tearing issue. It's a fairly easy fix if you're comfortable opening electronics, but obviously that's not going to work for every customer of a mass market product...

Are they going to support it with an app?

Ope!

We will publish a companion mobile app for Android and iOS. My friend and past Pebble colleague, Steve, recently joined us to lead this effort. He’s joining crc32, long-time Cobble developer, who has been working with me since last summer. We’ll also be working on an updated SDK for creating new PebbleOS watchfaces or apps.

Only thing missing is NFC. If it had it I would get it in a heart beat

This

as much as I loved the original Pebbles (and love the design of these too), I think basically the world has moved on... for this kind of money, I am buying a Garmin watch with GPS, HR, etc. but I hope there will be a group of enthusiasts and wish all the luck to the company with sales. more options are always better :)

I haven't moved on. Pebble Time Steel was the best watch I've ever had. I've been using Fitbit since the death of Pebble and they never got as good as Pebble was. If Repebble hadn't shown up, I'd probably be going Garmin after the inevitable death of Fitbit. But now that the choice is between Garmin and a hackable open source Pebble with 30 days of battery life... Repebble wins for me. ☺️
- Fitbit was pretty bad. My wife had it and after the 3rd rma she just didn't bother anymore.
  
  I have a PineTime now and she basically claimed it as her own so I'm back to wearing analog watches.
No moving on here. I still wear a OG Pebble daily, and I'm super excited about this. I just wish they hadn't chosen 'Core 2 Duo' like it hadn't been the name of another product...

This is a blast from the past

IDon'tNeedAPebbleIDon'tNeedAPebbleIDon'tNeedAPebbleIDon'tNeedAPebbleIDon'tNeedAPebbleIDon'tNeedAPebble

Aaand preordered. The Pebble Steel was one of the best smartwatches I've ever had. I loved that thing and I'm still pissed that I sold the steel a few years ago.

Absolute best. None of the Fitbits I've had were better. None of them detect when I've woken correctly in order to enable/disable notifications.

I've been procrastinating for weeks about setting up a dev environment to help contribute to the codebase, but I didn't procrastinate at all in preordering a Core-2. My Pebble Time might be the last piece of consumer tech that I was both excited for and a satisfied customer of.

I wish them the absolute best of luck and hope they stay firmly in their niche.

I'll be sticking with my mechanical and dumbquartz watches personally, got more than enough gadgets by now..

How are they allowed to give it the exact same name as an Intel CPU line?

I've got a Core 2 Duo around here somewhere...

Honestly, makes me want it more. Are our brains broken?

Man I might have to get one of these.....I don't mind my FitBit, but since being gobbled by Google, I don't need another data point for Google to feed off.

Did they add a heart rate monitor? I know the originals didn't have them. Otherwise Pebble was the perfect smartwatch.

Yes, on the more expensive version.

Ꝏꝏ love the white one . That watch faceeeeee 🤍🤍

My GearS3 finally kicked it, after 8 years, and my other watch is even older than that, so the more premium rePebble is actually quite appealing. If i decide to get an update, i'm still debating looking at something like the Garmin Vivoactive though

I have a Garmin Instinct and I can definitely recommend their hardware, but their mobile app to link for notifications and health stats is flaming hot garbage and never actually worked for me.
- Garmin watches rock.

I was really excited, but the price is steep compared to the Garmin watches. I currently own an instinct 2. That one gets me between 15 to 18 days of battery and that’s in winter time. In the summer it is longer due to the small solar panel in it. I guess I’ll wait for the reviews and take some nights of sleep on them

I really wanted a Pebble when they first came out, and then REALLY wanted one when they were selling for next to nothing when FitBit bought the company.

I love a smart watch, but hate the daily charging. Im currently wearing a fossil hybrid which has an eink screen under the hands, and I love that it lasts 30 days on a charge, but wish it did more.

So I ordered a Core 2 Duo. I might still cancel the order before December, but no other watch does what I want, and this is the closest.

I kinda wanted a Pebble for a while, might as well get one now