This cult-classic smartwatch is getting a second chance

Almost a decade after it disappeared into obscurity, Pebble is set to stage a comeback.

Originally launched in 2013 following a successful Kickstarter campaign, the startup behind the cult-classic smartwatch was acquired by Fitbit in 2016 and then absorbed into Google in 2019.  Now, the former founder of Pebble Technologies Eric Migicovsky is looking to revive the e-ink smartwatch with a twist.

As per the blog post that broke the news, "PebbleOS took dozens of engineers working over 4 years to build, alongside our fantastic product and QA teams. Reproducing that for new hardware would take a long time."

Going forward, Migicovsky said that the source code that powers the Pebble will remain freely available to download, modify and improve on Github. 

As for the hardware, the future of Pebble sounds a lot like the past. According to Migicovsky, "the new watch we’re building basically has the same specs and features as Pebble, though with some fun new stuff as well."

Like its predecessor, the new Pebble is said to feature an e-ink screen, physical buttons, long battery life and an operating system that's simple, beautiful and hackable.

There are no other specs, images or pricing for the new Pebble available just yet but if you're sold on the concept, you can sign up for via the Repebble website for the latest updates on the project as it develops.