Pebble is preparing to launch a new product called the Pebble Round 2. As the name suggests, this latest device is another version of the Pebble smartwatch, but it features a rounded screen for a more upscale look. Like other Pebble devices, the new watch remains an affordable purchase at $199.
Pebble keeps its smartwatches’ cost down by limiting their capabilities. The new Pebble Round 2 offers basic health and activity tracking, such as step and sleep monitoring, but it does not include a heart rate monitor or other features that would position it as a fitness or sports watch alternative. The tradeoff for this simplicity is longer battery life, with the Pebble Round 2 expected to last 10 to 14 days on a single charge.
The Pebble Round 2 is the company’s reboot of an older smartwatch. Back in 2015, Pebble launched its first rounded watch, the Pebble Time Round, which it called the industry’s thinnest smartwatch at the time. The newer version maintains that slim look, coming in at just 8.1mm thick compared to the original’s 7.5mm.
Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky noted that the original Pebble Time Round was one of his favorite devices but had room for improvement, most notably its large bezel. To create the original rounded watch face, the team used an octagonal piece of glass with rounded edges hidden by that bezel, resulting in a relatively small screen. Advances in technology now allow the new device to feature a larger screen, showing more text and benefiting from an updated, improved design.
The touchscreen is now a 1.3-inch color e-paper display with 260 by 260 pixels at 283 DPI, offering twice as many pixels as the original Pebble Time Round. The screen includes a backlight for visibility at night. Internally, the Round 2 runs the open-source Pebble OS.
The watch features dual microphones for speech input and replying to messages. This is currently an Android-only feature due to Apple’s restrictions, though iOS support is planned for the EU in the near future. Physical side buttons let users perform actions like silencing incoming calls, playing and pausing music, navigating menus, going back, and scrolling.
Migicovsky highlighted an advantage of buttons, explaining they allow you to use the watch without looking at it. For example, you can cancel an incoming call during a meeting by pressing the bottom button, or pause music with the center button without needing to look at your phone or earbuds.
The watch has a stainless steel frame, an accelerometer, and a magnetometer. It includes a silicone watch band and a Pebble charge dongle, with leather bands available separately. There are three color options, each supporting different band sizes. The matte black version has a 20mm quick-release band, the silver supports either a 14mm or 20mm band, and the polished rose gold supports only a 14mm band.
The Pebble Round 2 can run thousands of apps and watch faces from the Pebble Appstore, though developers will need to update their apps to support the rounded screen using a provided SDK. Accessible apps include AI assistants that support Claude and other popular assistants.
Pebble is also working on AI features for its devices. The company recently launched an AI smart ring that can record and transcribe audio. Migicovsky confirmed that similar functionality will eventually come to Pebble watches as well.
The new Pebble Round 2 will be available for pre-order on January 2 from Pebble’s website, with shipping expected to begin in May. Customers who previously ordered the Pebble Time 2 will have the option to switch their order to the Pebble Round 2.