The person behind the Pebble smartwatch, which arguably kickstarted the whole smartwatch craze when it launched in 2012, is returning to build the true successor to it. In a blog post on his personal site, Eric Migicovsky wrote, “A small team and I are diving back into the world of hardware to bring Pebble back!”
His announcement follows Google’s release of the original Pebble smartwatch software — PebbleOS — as open source, allowing keen Pebble owners to more easily adapt it for use with modern smartphones and systems. There is already a healthy fanbase dedicated to keeping Pebble smartwatches and software going, and the open source library will help speed up the process of making old Pebble smartwatches more usable today.
Migicovsky continued to explain what his plans are for the new smartwatch:
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“The new watch we’re building basically has the same specs and features as Pebble, though with some fun new stuff as well. It runs open source PebbleOS, and it’s compatible with all Pebble apps and watchfaces. If you had a Pebble and loved it, this is the smartwatch for you.”
He also talked about the “core set of features” he wants from a smartwatch, including an always-on, e-paper screen so it can be seen in sunlight and isn’t as power-intensive as an OLED or LCD, buttons on the case, and a simple user interface built on “hackable” software. He specifically mentions wanting to add the ability for developers to build their own watch faces for it. While these features are his wishlist, it’s likely all will make it to his new smartwatch.
Migicovsky calls the project a “Pebble replacement,” but it’s not certain the Pebble name will be used. Pebble was sold to Fitbit, which in turn was purchased by Google, and while the software is now open source, the name may prove more difficult to acquire. Apart from Google possibly owning it, there is another smartwatch company releasing smartwatches using the name Pebble too.
It’s still early days for the project, and Migicovsky wants to complete the product specification and timeline before discussing how you’ll be able to buy one. He ends by saying the new smartwatch will be exactly like the Pebble, “in almost every way,” which is bound to please the many fans of the original. While there will certainly be fans waiting for the new Pebble, smartwatches have moved on since Pebble shook things up between 2012 and 2016. Whether it’s a Casio G-Shock DW-H5600, a Withings ScanWatch 2, or an Apple Watch Series 10, the choice is far wider and more inclusive today.
Since Pebble’s demise, Migicovsky founded Beeper, a universal messaging app which found a way to put iMessage on Android and avoid the whole blue bubble/green bubble social nightmare, without any security problems either. Beeper was acquired by Automattic, which owns WordPress, in 2024.