The Pebble watches are back and you can pre-order them as well right now. That said, this might not be technically the right way to describe the situation considering that Google is the current owner of the Pebble brand. Rather, the two smartwatches – Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 – belong to the company Core Devices which happens to be the latest venture of Eric Migicovksky who had originally launched the Pebble company back in 2012.
However, Migicovsky had sold the company to Fitbit in 2016 which in turn was acquired by Google in 2021. Now, with the Mountain View company announcing in January, that it is open-sourcing most of the PebbleOS software, Migicovsky is back in the game all over again and announced the new range of Core smartwatches running PebbleOS. This way, the new Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 are going to be the first new smartwatches running PebbleOS that are set to launch in around 9 years’ time.
Interestingly, the new range of Core devices shares a lot of similarity with the last set of smartwatches we have had from Pebble. In other words, the Core 2 Duo can be considered the next-gen version of the Pebble 2 while the Core Time 2 can be considered the latest and most up-to-date incarnation of the Pebble Time 2. It’s like Migicovsky is starting from where he had left off back in 2016.
Will the new Core smartwatches tick with the customers as the Pebble watches did? Well, that’s something that time can tell but the thing that can be said is that it has the specs to impress buyers. The Core 2 Duo is the more affordable model and comes with a 1.26-inch monochrome e-paper display having 144 x 168 pixels resolution and 176 DPI pixel density. It features a polycarbonate frame and includes 4 buttons for device interaction. The watch is capable of step and sleep tracking.
Among the other features of the Core 2 Duo include integrated speakers and microphone, linear resonance actuator (vibrator), and an IPX8 rating against water ingress. Sensors onboard include a 6-axis IMU, compass, and a barometer. There is a backlight present as well that makes the display visible even in the dark. Battery life is a commendable 30 days which is a huge improvement over the original Pebble 2. The watch is powered by the Nordic nRF52840 BLE chip.
The Core 2 Duo can be pre-ordered right now for $149 and is slated to ship around July 2025.
The Core Time 2 is understandably the more up-market version and comes with matching specs. That includes a larger 1.5-inch 64-color touchscreen display having 200 x 228 pixel resolution and 202 DPI pixel density. It boasts a metallic frame and comes with 4 buttons on the side for navigation. The sensors the watch comes with include a 6-axis IMU and a heart rate monitor.
The Core Time 2 is otherwise similar to the Core 2 Duo in that it too comes with a built-in mic and speaker, backlight, and linear resonance actuator. It comes with an IPX8 waterproof rating and can keep track of your heart beats steps, and sleep. The battery is rated to last around 30 days.
The Core Time 2 is up for pre-order for $225 and will ship starting December 2025.
Both the watches, as already stated, run the PebbleOS. This also makes them compatible with the around 10,000 Pebble apps and watch faces already in existence. More apps will likely make it to the collection if the platform can create enough excitement among the developer community. Plus, Core Devices also plans to launch new apps for iPhones and Android smartphones soon that will let users manage their watches.
Head over to store.repebble.com if you’d like to reserve one now.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.