Pebble smartwatches are making a comeback and they’re doing so in style. The Core Devices brand name is going away and the original Pebble name is being revived by founder Eric Migicovsky, who recently re-acquired the trademark once more after the original company shut down all the way back in 2016. We already knew the Pebble-based Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 were on their way, but the Pebble watch rebrand has heartened many fans who remember the original like they were strutting around with it slapped on their wrists just yesterday.
The core devices’ 2025 trademark updates don’t ultimately serve a larger purpose other than swathing old fans in nostalgia, but it’s a good enough reason for us to be excited. With their e-ink displays and updated Pebble app integrations, the new Pebble watches may still fail to be truly competitive with modern-day smartwatches, but there is an extensive community of users waiting for the products to drop, which should be enough to keep Pebble pride alive for a few more years at least.
The Pebble Watch Rebrand Comes with the Promise of Two New Devices
Before the era of Fitbits and Galaxy watches, we had brands like Casio, Seiko, and eventually Pebble innovating in previously unexplored ways. After failing to keep up with competitors, Eric Migicovsky, sold the brand to Fitbit. Fitbit eventually set the company’s legacy to rest after allowing the Rebble project to keep the watch running on their own time. Google eventually acquired Fitbit, but the Pebble brand was no longer anywhere to be seen on the market.
In January, Google agreed to open-source the Pebble software. Using the opportunity to revive the original to some degree, Migicovsky announced Core Devices, a brand that was set to cautiously optimize the PebbleOS and release new gadgets as a tribute to the original Pebble legacy.
Now, to sweeten the news even further, Migicovsky confirmed that the Pebble watch rebrand was now complete with a return to form with the brand’s original name. To be specific, the company is still labelled Core Devices, but the watches will switch from Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 to Pebble 2 Duo and Pebble Time 2*. Yes, the asterix may just be part of the name as the original Time 2 device never shipped back in the day.
Posted a big Pebble update! https://t.co/V7OpcQAqXe pic.twitter.com/iEZbFrFYeI
— Eric Migicovsky (@ericmigi) July 25, 2025
Pebble Core Devices Release Date
Playing it safe and scaling the production to sit firmly within their capabilities, the company announced that only 10,000 units of the Pebble 2 Duo and a marginally larger number of the Pebble Time 2* are expected to be released. The company is also working on releasing a new app for Android and iOS and the app will reportedly be compatible with your old Pebble watches if you’ve still managed to keep them running. Beta tests for the app are still ongoing.
The Pebble 2 Duo was expected to begin shipping first in July but new reports suggest that shipping has been delayed to the end of August due to additional testing to improve waterproofing ratings.
If you’re interested in purchasing the devices, they can both be pre-ordered right now. The Pebble 2 Duo is priced at $149, and the Pebble Time 2* is priced higher at $225. If you’re ordering from the US, it’s important to note that you’ll be charged an additional $10 on the Pebble Core 2 Duo due to tariffs.
The New Pebble Watches Are Another Win for the Rise of the “Boring” Device Trend
Recently, many users have expressed a preference for “dumbing” down their devices and getting rid of the unnecessarily distracting features to settle for gadgets that perform core functions without being flashy. Smartphones like the Boring Phone are gaining popularity for simplifying mobile technology down to the essentials. The Boox Palma tablet is gaining some prominence over more complex Kindles. Kids are burning mixtapes onto CDs and asking for music players again. The world appears to be healing.
As technology grows more complex and everything comes with a faulty AI assistant, many users are looking for devices that do exactly what their purpose demands and nothing more. The touchscreen-free new Pebble watch, with its e-ink display and its promise of a one-week battery life, could be just what the market needs in 2025.
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