Pebble’s revival has stirred plenty of enthusiasm, especially among smartwatch fans looking for a retro-minimalist wearable that can get the basics right without a digital overload. The company, now operating as RePebble, is bringing back another hot favorite from a decade ago — the Pebble Time Round. Say hello to the Pebble Round 2.
Ooh, this one’s a looker
The latest from the Pebble lineup goes for a round dial with a stunningly thin profile at just 8.1mm, while the chassis is made out of stainless steel. It will be available in Matte Black, Brushed Silver, and Polished Rose Gold colors with a choice between 14mm and 20mm band options.
Over at the front is a 1.3-inch color e-paper display (260 x 260 pixels at 283 DPI). It’s a touch-sensitive display, but you can skip touch interactions entirely and navigate the entire UI using the four physical buttons.
Also, this an an always-on panel, so you won’t be burdened by any raise-to-wake or button-press hassle. Talking about UI, the Pebble Round 2 works just fine with Android and iPhone pairing, thanks to an open-source software that already has over 15,000 apps and watch faces to pick from.
Now, this is not your typical smartwatch kitted out with an advanced biosensing hub. On the contrary, it’s more like a companion device for your phone that can do step and sleep tracking at best. The watch is actually focused on convenience, and to that end, it supports voice-based messaging and even interaction with AI assistants.
A cool reward for fans
The Pebble Round 2 is claimed to last two weeks on a single charge, and the company is also targeting water resistance at a maximum depth of up to 30 meters. Clearly, it’s not going to tackle the likes of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 at resilience, but that’s not the target for this watch, either.
The company says it is currently at the design verification test (DVT) phase for Round 2, but has already started taking pre-orders for the Pebble Round 2 at $199 a pop. The shipping estimate, on the other hand, has been set for May.
If you’ve already pre-ordered a Pebble Time 2, but feel enamored by the Pebble Round 2, you can switch the orders and get the new model. The line-up will also be showcased at CES 2025, so stay tuned for a deeper hands-on dive, too.