Nearly 10 years after the iconic Pebble-SmartWatch was disconnected, the iconic watch with two new “pebble-like” smartwatch models that low-power sporting screens and packs a 30-day battery-life-designed by Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky.
The limited run smartwatches will be available from July, running Open Source Pebble OS.
Core 2 Duo
The first of the two watches is the Core 2 Duo, a device that is very similar to the old ceased Pebble 2, with some improvements.
With four buttons and an ‘ultra-crisp’ 1.26-inch e-paper mip screen equal to some of Best Garmin -WatchThis low -power screen allows Core 2 Duo to maintain long battery life of impressive 30+ days.
Smartwatch that comes in white or black polycarbonate frames and matching synthetic straps also has a speaker and microphonarray, step tracking and sleep tracking.
Interestingly, the Sleep Tracking feature does not use a heart rate monitor (Core 2 Duo does not have one) but an accelerometer that analyzes movement during sleep. A barometer and compass ends the hardware features.
“This is my dream watch,” Migicovsky told Techradar in an exclusive interview. “It looks like Pebble Time 2, which we announced in 2016, but never sent, much to discomfort in many people who emailed or texted me for the past eight years.
“The main reason we are doing these is that the market does not meet the needs of people who want exactly this function set. There are plenty of options in the amolated space … but no one is doing anything like it.”
Softwarevis is both Pebble OS and its accompanying phone app completely open source, making the clock very hackable. Migicovsky told us that there are already 10,000 apps available to the device thanks to the old Pebble OS infrastructure, and 12,000 developers have signed up potentially new since the initial message.
The new hardware allows developers to use the clock in new ways, such as Basic Chatgpt integration using Watch’s speaker and microphone.
“Smartwatch is a good form factor for people who can make a quick chatgpt query,” says Migicovsky. “I just put it out there, so developers know that we’ve got a talk for something … We keep our options open here.”
Core 2 Duo costs $ 149 (about £ 115 / AU $ 235) and will be sent in July, which is only available from Pebble’s Online Store.
Core Time 2
As well as Core 2 Duo, Migicovsky and his two-seater Core Devices Company also debuts core time 2, a premium version with a color screen and heartbeat monitor.
Slightly larger, the core Time 2 has a 64-color 1.5-inch e-paper screen that includes 88% more pixels than the Core 2 Duo display. The display is also a touch screen, mainly because Migicovsky would add complications reminiscent of Best Apple Watches.
“We are holding all our buttons and they will be the primary interface, but I would add a touch screen – again, mostly to keep our options open – but a key use case is complications,” says Migicovsky. “Otherwise on Pebble, dig through a menu to get to an app, and at that time I might as well pull out my phone.
“I love complications on Apple Watch, where you can have a little widget that shows little information, then you tap that widget for a bigger screen.”
The core time 2 still packs all the features listed above on the core 2 duo, including 30 days estimated battery life, but has a metal frame instead of the polycarbonate. The watch will sell for $ 225 (approximately £ 175 / AU $ 355) and is also shipping in July.
Both watches are available for pre -order now Store.repebble.com
