Repebble: A Fresh Start for Pebble Smartwatches

Tue 28th Jan, 2025

The resurgence of Pebble smartwatches is on the horizon, as the founder of the original brand, Eric Migicovsky, has announced plans to introduce a new line of connected watches under the name Repebble. This initiative comes on the heels of Google's recent decision to release a significant portion of the PebbleOS source code as open source, providing a foundation for the new devices.

Between 2013 and 2016, Pebble Technology Corporation sold over two million smartwatches featuring ePaper displays. However, the company faced bankruptcy in late 2016. Following this, Fitbit acquired various intellectual properties from Pebble's liquidation, along with some of its employees. Eventually, Google purchased Fitbit, which resulted in PebbleOS coming under the control of the tech giant.

The original Pebble smartwatch gained considerable traction in 2012 through a highly successful crowdfunding campaign, surpassing its $100,000 goal by raising over $10 million in just 37 days. Despite the company's subsequent closure, a dedicated community has maintained support for existing Pebble devices through the Rebble Server, which includes an app store that continues to operate.

In his announcement, Migicovsky emphasized that the current landscape for manufacturing is far more favorable than it was a decade ago. He noted that advancements in technology have led to more capable factories and improved, cost-effective Bluetooth chips. He expressed gratitude to Google for making the source code available, as the new Repebble smartwatches will utilize the same operating system, ensuring compatibility with existing apps and watch faces.

Despite his enthusiasm, Migicovsky indicated that this effort was not initially planned. He had hoped that another entity would step in to create a successor to Pebble. However, with no such developments occurring, he has decided to lead a small team to re-enter the hardware market and revive the Pebble brand. He has explicitly stated that he is not seeking investors and intends to keep the team small, focusing on sustainability and long-term viability.

The forthcoming Pebble devices are expected to retain the core specifications and features of the original models, while also introducing some new functionalities. A release date for the new smartwatches has not yet been established. Additionally, to support both existing and future Pebble devices, a new Android application named Cobble is available, with an iOS version in development. Migicovsky's team is also encouraging developers worldwide to create their own devices compatible with PebbleOS.


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