Pebble Time 2: $225 smartwatch brings back retro charm

Core Devices has released a new Pebble-branded smartwatch, the Pebble Time 2, priced at $225. Unlike most modern smartwatches, it uses a 64-color e-paper display instead of an OLED touchscreen, paired with a silicone band and a stainless steel case available in blue, red, silver or black.

The always-on display can be lit up with a wrist flick or a tap, and the battery lasts roughly 21 days per charge. The watch also has modest water resistance, rated 30 meters or 3 ATM, suitable for rain or handwashing but not swimming.

A community-driven ecosystem

The Pebble brand began as a Kickstarter project before being acquired by Fitbit and later ending up with Google. Before shutting down, the original company had sold 2 million watches worth $230 million in sales, but it couldn't sustain itself financially and was sold off. After Fitbit ended server support in 2018, the watch's user community kept it functioning on their own.

In 2025, founder Eric Migicovsky convinced Google to open-source the original Pebble operating system, allowing him to relaunch the product line through his new company, Core Devices. The Pebble Time 2 has since sold more than 25,000 units across 93 countries, with a new model, the Pebble Round 2, expected to ship in September.

One of the watch's biggest draws is its library of more than 2,120 community-built watch faces and apps, including over 500 new additions from a spring developer contest. The app store includes practical tools like timers, weather apps, calendars and fitness trackers, alongside games and quirky apps built by individual developers for niche personal needs.

The watch does have limitations, particularly around iOS compatibility, since Apple's restrictions prevent features like replying to texts directly from the watch. Still, some see this reduced connectivity as a benefit, since it lessens the pressure to constantly respond to notifications.