Everyone loves a good comeback story, but in the tech industry, they’re less common.
Enter the Pebble Round 2. It’s the latest wrist-based wearable from founder Eric Migicovsky’s company, which got a shot at redemption at the beginning of last year when Google released Pebble’s source code from its intellectual prison.
It didn’t take the Pebble folks long to get things rolling again, because “no one has created a smartwatch that fits [their] specific set of needs.” You can read the manifesto here if you’re not familiar with the origins of the modern smartwatch.
Pebble Round 2 comes full circle
As you might’ve gleamed from the name, this new Pebble features a circular 1.3in colour e-paper touchscreen that doesn’t appear to have the same large bezels as the previous model. It’s called the Pebble Time Round, obviously. Its viewing angles have also been reworked — to make glancing at your wrist to check the time possible — as have reflectivity and glare.
Like the other new Pebble models, the Round 2 also features decent battery life, supposedly lasting more than two weeks on a charge. And that’s despite retaining the original’s 8.1mm thickness. Other smartwatch staples like step and sleep tracking are also present.
What’s more impressive is that the company has managed to reduce the price. The original launched for $250 in 2015 (around R4,000 at the time). The Pebble Round 2 is now available for pre-order for $200, with shipping meant to begin in May 2026.
Put a Pebble Index 01 on it
If the rest of your hand feels left out, Pebble has another entirely new device that will adorn a finger and capture the sweet nothings you whisper. The Pebble Index 01 is billed as “external memory for your brain” and does exactly that. Press the button, speak your latest great idea, or a reminder for future you, and it will be saved to your phone as a note, a reminder, or saved for later perusal.
The best bit is that it doesn’t require any subscription service. It uses the open-source Pebble app and the connection is encrypted, so your private thoughts remain secure. Unless you let others access your phone, in which case all bets are off.
It does come with a catch, however. It is a single-use item, meaning you can’t recharge the battery. That said, Migicovsky reckons it should still last a few years, with roughly 12 to 15 hours of recording. It isn’t meant to capture meetings or your dictated autobiography. But maybe you won’t forget to get milk on the way home quite so often and phone your mom more.
Some people can remember things; others need help. That’s where the Index 01 comes in. It’s available for pre-order for $75 (about R1,200) and should start shipping in March. After that, it’ll increase to $100 (about R1,600).
