Pebble Round 2 Smartwatch: The Cult Classic Returns [2025]

There's something nostalgic about holding a Pebble smartwatch again. For years, tech enthusiasts mourned the loss of a device that actually understood what users wanted: simplicity, longevity, and a design that didn't scream "I'm a tech bro." Now, more than a decade after the original Pebble Time Round shipped, the legendary wearable is making a comeback.

Enter the Pebble Round 2, the latest reboot from Core Devices, the company founded by original Pebble creator Eric Migicovsky. This isn't just a nostalgia play. The Round 2 addresses the core frustrations people had with the original Time Round while staying true to what made Pebble special in the first place.

In a smartwatch market dominated by Apple Watch and Samsung, where battery life is measured in days and prices creep toward $500, the Pebble Round 2 offers something genuinely different. It's built for people who want a watch to actually work like a watch, not a miniature iPhone strapped to their wrist.

Let's break down what's new, why it matters, and whether this reboot actually solves the problems that plagued its predecessor.

TL; DR

• Larger display: 1.3-inch e-ink screen, up from the original's 1-inch, with twice as many pixels
• Two-week battery: A massive jump from the two days the Time Round offered
• AI-powered input: Dual microphones enable voice commands and messaging
• Starting price: $199 with shipping expected in May 2026
• Design philosophy: Circular face in black, silver, and rose gold, staying true to Pebble's minimalist aesthetic

The Pebble Round 2 offers a significantly improved battery life of up to 14 days, compared to just 2 days for the original Pebble Time Round.

The History That Made Pebble Worth Rebooting

To understand why people still care about Pebble in 2025, you need to know the story. Pebble launched in 2012 as a Kickstarter darling that raised over $10 million, an astronomical amount at the time for a hardware startup. The original Pebble smartwatch was radical because it didn't try to be a small phone. It was a notification hub with an e-ink display that could run for a week on battery.

Then came the Pebble Time Round in 2015, the product that tried to make smartwatches look like actual watches instead of computer attachments. It had a circular face. It looked timeless. It worked for days without charging. For a certain type of user, it was perfect.

But Pebble had a problem: it existed in an ecosystem controlled by Apple and Google. After Fitbit acquired Pebble in 2016 and eventually shut down the platform, loyal users watched their beloved watches become paperweights when the cloud services went offline. It was a gut punch that taught the tech industry an important lesson: people are willing to pay for hardware that respects their time and doesn't demand constant software updates.

When Migicovsky recovered the Pebble trademark and relaunched the brand through Core Devices in 2024, it wasn't just about the nostalgia. It was about reviving a philosophy that the mainstream smartwatch industry had abandoned.

The Design: Thinner Bezels, Circular Perfection

The most noticeable upgrade on the Pebble Round 2 is its display. The original Time Round had a chunky bezel surrounding a 1-inch screen. It looked dated within a year, and you spent half the watch's surface area looking at plastic instead of information.

The Round 2 fixes this immediately. The new 1.3-inch e-paper display covers nearly the entire watch face, eliminating that wasted bezel space. This gives you more room for watch faces, notifications, and information without making the watch any larger. The screen still uses the same color e-ink technology, which is crucial for three reasons: it's readable in bright sunlight (unlike OLED), it uses almost no power when static, and it doesn't cause eye fatigue like backlit screens do.

The resolution jump is significant. The Round 2's 260 x 260 pixel display delivers twice the pixel density of the Time Round, meaning text is sharper and watch faces can display more detail. For an e-ink display, this matters more than you'd think. Your watch face can now show complex information like weather icons or calendar events without looking blurry.

The physical design is where Pebble shows restraint. Available in black, silver, and rose gold, the Round 2 uses a stainless steel frame that feels substantial without being heavy. This is a watch designed to blend in at a business meeting or a weekend hike. It doesn't announce itself.

Quick-release band compatibility is a smart move. You get 14mm bands with rose gold, 20mm with black, and both 14mm and 20mm options with silver. Core Devices is manufacturing additional band options including leather, which means you can actually customize the watch to match your style instead of being stuck with whatever rubber band came in the box.

Estimated data shows Pebble Round 2 excels in design and price, while Garmin Epix Gen 2 leads in sports features. Apple/Galaxy Watches offer maximum integration but require frequent charging.

Battery Life: Where the Original Failed, the Round 2 Wins

Let's talk about the elephant in the room: the original Pebble Time Round had a battery problem. Despite being a relatively simple device with an e-ink screen, it only lasted two days on a charge. This was a critical weakness that undermined its entire philosophy. A watch should be something you wear and forget about for weeks at a time.

The Pebble Round 2 fixes this with a two-week battery life specification. This is roughly seven times longer than the Time Round, and it's not a coincidence. Core Devices spent serious engineering effort on power management, using a combination of efficient processors, optimized software, and a larger battery capacity to hit this target.

What's remarkable is that they achieved this without compromising the watch's responsiveness or feature set. The display still updates instantly when you tap it. Notifications arrive in real-time. The watch still runs AI voice features. Yet somehow it sips power like a digital watch from 2005.

To put this in perspective, consider how this compares to mainstream smartwatch competitors. An Apple Watch Ultra lasts about two days on a charge. A Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 might stretch to three days if you're careful with the display brightness. Most Wear OS watches peak out around three days. The Pebble Round 2's two-week claim puts it in a completely different category.

How is this possible? The answer is the e-ink display. E-ink doesn't require constant power to maintain an image. Once a pixel is set to a color, it stays that way indefinitely without any power draw. This is the opposite of OLED or LCD, where every pixel consumes power all the time. For a device designed to show static information most of the day, e-ink is fundamentally more efficient.

The Display Technology: Why E-Ink Still Wins

There's been a massive shift in the smartwatch industry toward OLED and AMOLED displays, and companies love to brag about their "always-on" screens with millions of colors. It's technically impressive, but practically? It's a battery killer and not necessary for most use cases.

Pebble's return to e-ink is a contrarian choice that actually makes sense. Here's the thing about e-ink: once you get used to it, backlit screens feel exhausting. E-ink doesn't make your eyes work harder. It reflects ambient light like paper, so it's actually easier to read in sunlight than any OLED display on the market.

The Round 2's 260 x 260 pixel display is high enough resolution that text is sharp and watch faces can show detailed graphics. The color palette isn't as vibrant as OLED, sure, but for the information a smartwatch needs to display, that's fine. You're checking the time, reading notifications, and seeing basic status information. You don't need a million colors for any of that.

There's also a philosophical argument here. E-ink treats the display as information architecture. Designers have to be intentional about what they show because they don't have unlimited screen real estate. This forces better UX. Meanwhile, OLED smartwatches often devolve into tiny versions of phone interfaces, cramming too much information into a space that's too small.

AI Features: Voice Input and Smart Replies

Here's where the Round 2 gets interesting. It's not just a retro device. Core Devices has integrated AI-powered voice features that actually make sense for a smartwatch, unlike the gimmicky voice assistant implementations you see everywhere else.

The Pebble Round 2 has dual microphones for noise cancellation and voice input. This enables two key features: chatting with AI agents directly on the watch, and voice replies to messages. Think about that for a second. You get a text message, tap reply, and instead of typing on a tiny screen, you just speak your response. The watch transcribes it and sends it.

On Android, this works right now. On iOS, you're looking at support "coming to the EU soon," which is probably referring to EU regulatory requirements around voice data processing. The feature isn't a gimmick either. If you've ever tried to type anything on a smartwatch, you know how painful it is. Voice input changes the entire calculus of smartwatch usability.

The "AI agents" feature is less clearly defined in the launch materials, but the implication is that you can use voice to interact with conversational AI directly on the watch. This could be useful for quick information lookups, setting reminders, or having context-aware conversations without pulling out your phone.

For fitness tracking, don't expect miracles. Core Devices is transparent about this: the Round 2 includes an accelerometer for step counting and sleep tracking, and a magnetometer for compass functionality. But it's not designed as a sports watch. If you need advanced running metrics, training zones, or workout-specific features, you'll need something from Garmin or Apple.

Pebble Round 2 shows significant improvements over the original, especially in battery life and AI features. Estimated data based on qualitative descriptions.

Health and Activity Tracking: Honest About Limitations

This is where the Pebble Round 2 deserves credit for honesty. Most smartwatch makers claim their device is a "fitness companion" while quietly admitting that their accelerometer-based step counting is roughly as accurate as guessing. Core Devices just comes out and says it: the Round 2 does basic health tracking, and that's fine.

What you get is step counting and sleep tracking. The watch can monitor when you're asleep, wake up, and estimate how much deep vs. light sleep you're getting. Is it as sophisticated as what Oura Ring or WHOOP bands do? No. But it's better than nothing, and it's good enough for people who just want a rough sense of their activity level.

The accelerometer is the limiting factor here. It can detect motion and changes in elevation, so it knows when you're moving and can estimate how many steps you've taken. But it can't detect things like heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, or detailed workout metrics without additional sensors. The Round 2 doesn't have these sensors because they would drain the battery and complicate the design.

This is actually a strength if you think about it differently. You have two options as a smartwatch manufacturer: build a device that tries to do everything and needs charging every night, or build a device that does a few things well and lasts for weeks. Pebble chose the latter. If you want comprehensive fitness tracking, pair it with your phone's native health app or a dedicated fitness tracker. The watch is just there to show you the summary.

Ecosystem and Software Philosophy

One of the biggest questions people had about the Pebble reboot was simple: will the apps work after the original cloud services shut down? This time, Core Devices is handling it differently. The Pebble watch OS is designed to work offline. Apps are locally installed on the watch. When you unpair it from your phone, it still works as a watch. Your notifications might stop, but the watch itself doesn't become a brick.

This is the opposite of how modern smartwatches work. Your Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch is essentially useless without an internet connection and cloud services. If Apple decided to kill the Watch platform tomorrow, millions of devices would become worthless. Pebble's approach is more respectful to the user.

The Round 2 works with both iOS and Android through a companion app. The app handles notifications, app installation, and configuration, but the watch itself remains independent. This is how connected devices should work.

Core Devices hasn't announced the full app ecosystem yet, but the expectation is that the developer community will drive third-party apps. The original Pebble had a thriving developer community that created everything from fitness trackers to weather apps to games. The Round 2 hopes to revive that.

Price and Value Proposition

At $199, the Pebble Round 2 sits at an interesting price point. It's not cheap, but it's in the ballpark of mid-range smartwatches. For context:

• Apple Watch SE starts at $249
• Samsung Galaxy Watch FE is around $199
• Garmin Epix Gen 2 is $400+
• Fossil hybrid watches are
  $150-$
  300

What you're paying for with the Round 2 isn't cutting-edge technology. You're paying for a philosophy. You're paying for a device that respects your time by lasting two weeks between charges. You're paying for a design that looks like a watch instead of a gadget. You're paying for a company that survived being acquired and killed by Fitbit and chose to revive the brand rather than let it die.

From a pure specs perspective, a $199 smartwatch might seem overpriced. OLED-based smartwatches at this price point often have better displays, more apps, and more features. But from a practical perspective, a watch that lasts two weeks versus three days is worth a premium. That's 14 days where you don't think about charging. That's huge.

The real question is whether you're the person who cares about this. If you want a smartwatch that's a smartphone replacement with NFC payments and thousands of apps, the Pebble isn't for you. If you want a watch that gets out of the way and just works, it might be exactly what you've been looking for.

The Pebble Round 2 boasts a remarkable two-week battery life, significantly outlasting competitors like the Apple Watch Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Watch7, which last only 2-3 days. Estimated data.

Availability and Shipping Timeline

The Pebble Round 2 is available to preorder right now for $199, with shipping expected to begin in May 2026. This is a classic Pebble move: take preorders, use the capital to fund manufacturing, ship months later. It's also a bit of a reality check. This isn't some massive operation with factories running 24/7. This is a small company reviving an old brand.

The wait time is significant, but it's been pretty standard for Core Devices launches. The Pebble Time 2 also took months to ship after preordering. If you're the type of person who needs a smartwatch immediately, the Round 2 isn't for you. If you can wait until May and you want something genuinely different, it's worth the patience.

One thing to watch: supply constraints. If demand exceeds expectations (which it might, given the cult following Pebble still has), shipping could slip further. This happened with previous Pebble reboots, and there's no reason to think it won't happen again.

Color Options and Customization

Core Devices is offering three color variants for the Pebble Round 2 launch:

Black is the classic choice. It's professional, it disappears on your wrist, and it matches everything. This is the version most people will probably order.

Silver is for people who want their watch to stand out just slightly. It's still subtle, but you can actually tell you're wearing a watch instead of looking down and seeing a void on your wrist. The silver model comes with both 14mm and 20mm band options.

Rose Gold is the statement choice. It's undeniably trendy right now, and it pairs beautifully with leather bands. The rose gold variant comes with 14mm bands standard.

The band options are crucial here. The 14mm bands are slimmer, better for smaller wrists or anyone who prefers a delicate look. The 20mm bands are standard sizing, thicker, and better for larger wrists. Most importantly, Core Devices is manufacturing third-party band options, including leather, which means you're not stuck with whatever silicone or metal band comes standard.

Comparison to the Original Pebble Time Round

Let's get specific about what changed from the Time Round to the Round 2, because for longtime Pebble fans, this is what matters.

Display Size: 1-inch to 1.3-inch. This is the jump that defines the upgrade. A 30% increase in diagonal screen size, but twice as many pixels. More information, sharper text.

Battery Life: Two days to two weeks. This is not a minor improvement. This fundamentally changes how you interact with the watch. You forget about charging.

Design: Chunky bezel to near-bezel-less. The original Time Round looked dated within a year because of that thick black border. The Round 2 looks modern.

Display Technology: Still e-ink, but higher resolution and faster refresh rates. The original could feel sluggish when swiping through screens. The Round 2 is snappier.

AI Features: Nothing in the original. Voice input and AI agents in the Round 2. This is new functionality, not just incremental improvement.

Processor: The original used a 7 year old processor. The Round 2 uses something more modern. Real-world difference? Probably not huge for basic watch operations, but noticeable when you're using voice features.

The Pebble Round 2 offers superior battery life and design simplicity at a lower price point compared to Apple and Samsung watches. Estimated data.

The Smartwatch Market in 2025: Why Pebble's Return Matters

Smartwatch market is currently dominated by three players: Apple with its watch ecosystem, Samsung with Wear OS, and Garmin with its sports focus. The market has consolidated around the idea that a smartwatch should be a smartphone extension. Notifications, payments, apps, third-party integrations.

But there's a growing segment of users who don't want this. They want a watch that's a watch. Something that doesn't require constant attention, doesn't demand daily charging, and doesn't try to turn your wrist into a second screen.

This is where Pebble's return becomes significant. It's not competing on specs with Apple Watch. It's competing on philosophy. It's saying: what if a smartwatch was designed around the idea of a device that you wear and forget about?

There's data suggesting this is a real market. Hybrid smartwatches (watches with small e-ink displays that sync with phones) have been gaining market share. Garmin's simpler, non-connected watches continue to outsell their smart models. And there's been a quiet trend of people ditching their smartwatches entirely because they'd rather just wear a regular watch.

Pebble's bet is that there are enough people in this category to support a real business. Not a niche product, but a mainstream alternative to the Apple Watch.

Software Updates and Longevity

One of the biggest risks with buying a Pebble device is software support. When Fitbit acquired Pebble and shut down the original platform, it became clear that depending on a company's ecosystem is dangerous. Your device becomes a brick when they decide to kill it.

Core Devices has learned from this history. The philosophy going forward is to keep devices functional even if cloud services are discontinued. The watch should work offline. It should be able to receive updates over Bluetooth. It should degrade gracefully if the company went bankrupt tomorrow.

But here's the hard truth: Core Devices is a small company. They have limited resources. They can't match Google or Apple's ability to push frequent updates or support devices for a decade. This is a known risk, and it's something potential buyers need to accept.

The upside is that the Round 2 is relatively simple. It doesn't need constant security updates to stay functional. It doesn't have biometric APIs that need patching. It's not connected to your banking information. The surface area for critical vulnerabilities is much smaller than modern smartwatches.

Fitness vs. Lifestyle: Who Should Actually Buy This

Here's the honest buyer's guide:

Buy the Pebble Round 2 if you:

• Hate charging your smartwatch every night
• Prefer simplicity over feature bloat
• Want a watch that looks like a watch
• Don't need advanced fitness metrics
• Value battery life over notification features
• Like the idea of supporting a boutique hardware company
• Want something that works independently of cloud services

Don't buy if you:

• Rely on advanced fitness tracking (running power zones, VO2 Max, training load)
• Want NFC payments and banking apps
• Need a massive app ecosystem
• Change watches frequently based on fashion trends
• Want the latest AI features and cutting-edge tech
• Prefer flat tire OLED displays and bright colors

That's the spectrum. It's honest, and it's important because too many product reboots oversell themselves. Pebble isn't pretending to be an Apple Watch killer. It's accepting that it's a specific product for specific users.

Pebble's journey shows significant milestones from its Kickstarter success in 2012 to its reboot in 2024. Estimated data illustrates the impact of each event.

The Developer Community and App Ecosystem

One thing Pebble always had was a passionate developer community. People loved hacking on Pebble watches and building apps that solved real problems. The original Pebble App Store had thousands of apps, ranging from practical (weather, transit directions) to weird and wonderful (random quote generators, marble games).

Core Devices has signaled that they'll allow third-party app development on the Round 2, but specifics are still light. The question is whether the developer community will return. Writing apps for a small market smartwatch is a labor of love. You're not going to make money. You're doing it because you care about the platform.

Given the nostalgia and cult following that Pebble has, there's reason to be optimistic. Some of the original Pebble developers have been waiting for an opportunity to build on the platform again. And the barrier to entry isn't impossibly high; the watch uses C for app development and JavaScript for watch faces, both accessible languages.

The wildcard is whether Core Devices provides good developer tools and documentation. If they do, the ecosystem will grow. If they don't, apps will be a weak point for the Round 2.

Accessories and Band Ecosystem

Core Devices has made a smart decision to support quick-release bands, which means the watch can accept standard 14mm and 20mm watch bands from any manufacturer. This is huge because it means you're not locked into whatever the company designs for you.

Silicone bands come standard, but the plan is to offer leather bands, steel bands, and probably fabric bands as well. At

This is what Apple Watch gets right. By using standard 20mm and 24mm bands, Apple created a massive aftermarket accessory ecosystem. Pebble is following that playbook, which is smart.

Real-World Performance: Responsiveness and Reliability

On paper, specs tell one story. In practice, how does the watch actually perform? Based on hands-on impressions from early reviewers, the Round 2 is snappy. Taps register immediately. Screen swipes are responsive. Notifications arrive quickly.

The e-ink display handles motion well. Unlike earlier e-ink smartwatches that would have ghosting or blur when swiping, the Round 2's refresh rate is fast enough that it feels smooth. You don't get the buttery 120fps of an OLED smartwatch, but you also don't get that awful e-ink lag that made older devices feel sluggish.

Reliability is harder to assess with preorder units, but given that this is Core Devices' third Pebble reboot, they've probably worked out the manufacturing kinks. The original Pebble Time 2 had some quality control issues at launch, but subsequent improvements fixed those problems.

What you're unlikely to get: a device that has zero bugs or never crashes. It's a small company with limited resources. But you'll probably get a device that's reasonably solid and works well for most use cases.

Future Iterations and the Long Game

Core Devices hasn't announced a Pebble Round 3 or given hints about future hardware iterations. Right now, the focus is on getting the Round 2 to market and building the ecosystem around it.

If the Round 2 is successful, there will obviously be future hardware. What might that look like? Probably incremental improvements: slightly larger display, slightly longer battery life, maybe health sensors if they can figure out how to add them without blowing through the battery budget.

What's more interesting is the software roadmap. As the developer community builds apps and the AI voice features mature, the watch might get more capable without changing hardware. That's the Apple and Google model.

But here's the thing: Pebble has never been about chasing specs or features. The first Pebble didn't dominate because it had the best display or the most processing power. It dominated because it solved a real problem better than anyone else. If Core Devices stays focused on that, Pebble could have a long tail.

The Nostalgia Factor vs. Practical Value

It's fair to ask: is Pebble's appeal purely nostalgia, or is there real practical value? The honest answer is both.

Yes, there's nostalgia. Pebble was the watch that started the smartwatch revolution. It meant something to its community. People held onto their Pebbles years after the company died because they couldn't find a good replacement. That emotional connection is real.

But the practical value is also real. A smartwatch that lasts two weeks is legitimately better than one that lasts two days, full stop. A watch that looks like a watch instead of a gadget is better for people who don't want to announce their tech enthusiasm on their wrist. A device that works offline is better than one that becomes a brick when a company shuts down.

These aren't sentimental benefits. They're functional advantages. The nostalgia is just the cherry on top that makes people actually know about it.

So which is it? It's the intersection of both. The nostalgia gets people to pay attention. The practical benefits get them to actually buy it.

Market Competition and Alternatives

If you're considering the Pebble Round 2, what are your other options in the same philosophical space?

Garmin Epix Gen 2 is the closest competitor. It's a rugged smartwatch with an e-ink display, week-long battery life, and excellent offline functionality. It's $400+, but it's designed for people who actually use their watch for outdoor activities. If you're comparing to Pebble, you're probably choosing between style and features. Pebble wins on design and price. Garmin wins on sports capabilities.

Fossil Hybrid smartwatches use analog watch hands over an e-ink display. They're a middle ground between mechanical and digital. They have better battery life than traditional smartwatches but not as good as pure e-ink. They're cheaper than Pebble in some models, more expensive in others.

Analogue smartwatches like the Withings Scan Watch are mechanical watches that happen to track health metrics. They literally look like normal watches because they are. The trade-off is that information is limited to what can be shown on a small screen.

Apple Watch or Galaxy Watch if you want maximum integration and don't care about battery life. These are the mainstream choices, and they're really good at what they do. You just have to accept nightly charging.

Why This Reboot Could Actually Work

People are skeptical about reboots, and rightfully so. Most are cash grabs that capitalize on nostalgia without delivering actual value. But Pebble has a few things working in its favor.

First, the community never left. Ten years after Fitbit shut down the platform, people are still wearing original Pebbles, hacking on them, and wishing for a new version. This isn't a dormant audience you have to wake up. It's an active community that's been waiting for this.

Second, the market has shifted in ways that benefit Pebble's return. Battery anxiety is real now. The average smartphone user spends hours a day on charge anxiety. A watch that you only have to charge once a month feels luxurious by comparison. The market is ready for this philosophy.

Third, Core Devices has learned from past mistakes. They're not making wild promises about revolutionary features. They're making incremental improvements to a proven concept. That's a much safer bet.

Fourth, there's genuinely nothing else on the market right now that does what Pebble does. The smartwatch market is Apple, Samsung, and Garmin, and all three are focused on features and integration over simplicity and longevity. There's a void that Pebble could fill.

The Broader Trend: Backlash Against Over-Connected Devices

Pebble's return is part of a larger trend toward digital minimalism. People are realizing that more connected doesn't necessarily mean better. There's been a quiet revolution in wearables toward devices that are simpler, require less maintenance, and don't demand constant attention.

This shows up in multiple ways. The resurgence of mechanical watches. The popularity of "dumb" phones like the Light Phone and Punkt. The success of e-readers over tablets. And yes, the interest in smartwatches that are watches first and smart second.

Pebble is riding this wave, but it's also helping drive it. By offering a viable alternative to Apple Watch, it's validating the idea that some people don't need maximum features. They want simplicity and longevity.

Will this trend outweigh the Apple Watch's dominance? Probably not. But it might be enough to sustain a profitable niche business, which is all Core Devices needs.

Technical Specifications Summary

For reference, here's the complete spec sheet:

Display: 1.3-inch color e-ink, 260 x 260 pixels, always-on

Processor: Modern ARM-based (exact model not specified)

Battery: Two weeks rated battery life

Charging: USB charging (cable type not specified)

Sensors: Accelerometer, magnetometer (compass)

Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 to iOS and Android

Water Resistance: Not specified yet, but historically Pebble watches are splash resistant

Dimensions and Weight: Not fully specified, but described as "thin profile"

Materials: Stainless steel case with quick-release band lugs

Band Sizes: 14mm and 20mm quick-release options

Colors: Black, silver, rose gold

Price: $199

Availability: Preorder now, shipping May 2026

The Verdict: Is the Pebble Round 2 Worth It?

Here's the bottom line: the Pebble Round 2 is a legitimately good smartwatch that makes a real tradeoff proposal. You're trading cutting-edge features and maximum integration for longevity, simplicity, and a device that respects your time.

If that tradeoff appeals to you, it's worth buying. The price is reasonable for what you're getting. The design is beautiful. The battery life is a genuine upgrade over the original. The AI voice features are a nice bonus. And there's real value in supporting a company that's revived a beloved product.

If you need advanced fitness metrics, NFC payments, or a massive app ecosystem, it's not for you. There's no amount of nostalgia that will change the fact that the Round 2 isn't designed for that use case.

But if you're looking for a smartwatch that you can actually forget you're wearing, that doesn't demand daily charging, and that looks elegant on your wrist at a business meeting, the Round 2 deserves serious consideration. The cult following that Pebble has isn't misplaced. The company made genuinely good products. This reboot suggests they still can.

FAQ

What is the Pebble Round 2 and who makes it?

The Pebble Round 2 is a circular e-ink smartwatch created by Core Devices, the company founded by original Pebble creator Eric Migicovsky. After Fitbit acquired and shut down the original Pebble company in 2016, Migicovsky recovered the Pebble trademark and relaunched the brand with improved hardware. The Round 2 is a successor to the original Pebble Time Round from 2015, featuring a larger display and dramatically improved battery life.

How long does the Pebble Round 2 battery last?

The Pebble Round 2 has a rated battery life of up to two weeks on a single charge. This is a massive improvement over the original Pebble Time Round, which only lasted two days. The extended battery life comes from the efficient e-ink display technology and optimized software. This means you'll rarely have to think about charging, and you can wear the watch on trips without needing to bring a charger.

What is the display technology used in the Pebble Round 2?

The Pebble Round 2 uses a 1.3-inch color e-ink display with 260 x 260 pixel resolution. E-ink is the same technology used in Amazon Kindles. Unlike OLED or LCD screens, e-ink doesn't require constant power to maintain an image, which is why the battery lasts so long. The display is readable in direct sunlight and easy on the eyes compared to backlit screens.

How much does the Pebble Round 2 cost and when will it ship?

The Pebble Round 2 is priced at $199 and is available for preorder now. Shipping is expected to begin in May 2026. The price is competitive with mid-range smartwatches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE, though you'll want to note the extended shipping timeline when deciding whether to preorder.

What health and fitness features does the Pebble Round 2 have?

The Pebble Round 2 includes basic health tracking features: step counting via the accelerometer and sleep tracking to monitor rest patterns. Core Devices is transparent that it's not designed as a sports watch, so you won't get advanced metrics like heart rate zones, VO2 Max, or detailed workout tracking. For serious fitness tracking, you'd want a Garmin sports watch instead. However, for casual activity awareness, the Round 2 is adequate.

Can I use voice commands on the Pebble Round 2?

Yes, the Pebble Round 2 has dual microphones for voice input. You can chat with AI agents directly on the watch and send voice replies to messages. On Android, this feature is available now. On iOS, voice reply support is "coming to the EU soon," likely referring to EU data processing regulations. Voice input makes the watch significantly more practical for communication without needing to type on a tiny screen.

What operating systems does the Pebble Round 2 work with?

The Pebble Round 2 is compatible with both iOS and Android. It connects via Bluetooth and requires a companion app on your phone for notifications and app management. However, the watch itself functions independently even without an active Bluetooth connection, so it works as a standalone device when disconnected from your phone.

How does the Pebble Round 2 compare to the original Pebble Time Round?

The main improvements are: the display increased from 1-inch to 1.3-inch with twice as many pixels, battery life jumped from two days to two weeks, and the chunky bezel was removed so the display covers more of the watch face. The Round 2 also adds AI voice features, including voice replies to messages and AI agent chat. The design philosophy remains the same: simplicity and longevity over features and integration.

What band sizes does the Pebble Round 2 support?

The Pebble Round 2 uses quick-release band lugs compatible with standard 14mm and 20mm watch bands. Rose gold comes with 14mm bands, black with 20mm, and silver with both sizes included. This means you can use any third-party watch band designed for these widths, giving you flexibility in customization. Core Devices is also manufacturing official leather band options.

What happens to my Pebble Round 2 if Core Devices goes out of business?

Unlike traditional smartwatches that become unusable when cloud services shut down, the Pebble Round 2 is designed to work offline. Your watch will continue to function as a watch even if Core Devices stops supporting the platform. Notifications from your phone will stop working, and you won't be able to install new apps, but the watch itself won't become a brick. This is a direct lesson from what happened when Fitbit shut down the original Pebble platform.

Is there an app ecosystem for the Pebble Round 2?

Core Devices has indicated that third-party app development will be supported on the Round 2, though specific details about the app store and development tools haven't been fully announced. The original Pebble had a vibrant developer community that created thousands of apps, and there's reason to believe that community might return given the nostalgia and excitement around the reboot. If you're a developer interested in building for the platform, keep an eye on Core Devices' announcements for SDK availability.

Key Takeaways

• Pebble Round 2 delivers 14-day battery life versus the original Time Round's 2-day lifespan, fundamentally changing how users interact with the device
• The 1.3-inch e-ink display with 260x260 resolution provides twice the pixel density while covering more of the watch face by eliminating the chunky bezel
• Dual microphones enable AI voice commands and message replies, bringing the smartwatch into the age of conversational AI while maintaining offline functionality
• At $199 with May 2026 shipping, Pebble positions itself as a philosophical alternative to Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch for users prioritizing simplicity over features
• Core Devices has learned from Fitbit's platform shutdown by designing the Round 2 to work offline and function independently if cloud services are discontinued

Related Articles

• Pebble Round 2 Review: Thinnest Smartwatch Returns [2025]
• Apple Watch Series 11 vs SE 3: Complete Buyer's Guide [2025]
• Google Pixel Watch 4 Review: The Smartwatch That Finally Gets It Right [2025]
• CES 2026 Guide: New Tech Launches & Trends to Watch [2026]
• Top Garmin Smartwatch Features to Expect in 2026 [2025]
• Apple Watch SE 3 vs Series 11: Complete Buying Guide [2025]