Following the original model, the Pebble Round is also set to return

The renaissance of the Pebble brand continues to surprise enthusiasts. Soon after the relaunch of its iconic square smartwatch and the debut of an innovative low-cost smart ring equipped with artificial intelligence, the company is preparing to bring back to life the Pebble Round.

The new device represents the evolution of the historic circular model, offering a more refined aesthetic and closer to traditional watchmaking. The company has aimed for an accessible market positioning with a price set at $199.

Pebble Round 2: A philosophy based on the essentials

Pebble’s strategy to keep costs competitive is based on a precise engineering choice, namely limiting features to what is necessary. In the case of the new Pebble Round 2, the device offers an essential health and fitness monitoring, focusing on metrics such as step counting and sleep analysis.

However, the company has deliberately chosen to not include a heart rate monitor or other advanced features that would turn the watch into a dedicated fitness alternative.

The advantage of this compromise lies in great autonomy, which remains one of the company’s hallmarks. The Pebble Round 2 thus promises a battery life ranging from 10 to 14 days before needing a recharge, a milestone difficult to achieve for most current smartwatches.

The return of circular design at Pebble

Similar to what happened with the recent Pebble Time 2, Round 2 represents the “reboot” of a classic from the past. In 2015, the company launched the Pebble Time Round, defining it at the time as the thinnest smartwatch in the industry.

The new version stays true to that promise of elegance with a thickness of only 8.1 mm, a value barely perceptibly higher than the 7.5 mm of the original, but justified by hardware improvements.

Eric Migicovsky, founder of Pebble, has admitted in an interview that the original model, though one of his favorites, was not perfect, citing in particular the “gigantic bezel” around the edge as the main flaw.

To create the round dial of the first model, the team had to use an octagonal panel with rounded edges hidden by a thick bezel, sacrificing visible area. Thanks to technological evolution, the new device now boasts a larger display that allows better readability of text and a more modern overall design.

The new touch display is a color e-paper display of 1.3 inches, with a resolution of 260 x 260 pixels and a density of 283 PPI, offering twice as many pixels as the original model. Additionally, the screen features backlighting to ensure nighttime visibility, while the operating system is the proven Pebble OS open source.

Physical controls and voice control

The interaction with the device is not limited to touch. The Pebble Round 2 is equipped with two microphones that enable voice input and responses to messages. Currently this feature is available primarily for Android users due to restrictions imposed by Apple, but iOS support is expected soon for users residing in the European Union.

A distinctive element of the user experience is the presence of side physical buttons, designed to manage calls, music and navigation.

Migicovsky emphasizes the importance of these controls, which allow using the watch without looking at it: the bottom button can discreetly reject a call during a meeting, while the center button can pause the music without having to interact with the phone or earbuds.

Customization, ecosystem and availability

Built with a stainless steel case and equipped with accelerometer and magnetometer, the Round 2 offers several aesthetic options. It is available in matte black with a 20mm quick-release strap, in silver compatible with straps of 14mm or 20mm, and in a refined glossy rose gold version, compatible exclusively with 14mm straps.

On the software side, the device can run thousands of apps and watch faces available on the Pebble Appstore, with updates from developers to adapt to the circular format via the new SDK.

The company is also placing heavy emphasis on artificial intelligence: in addition to access to assistants like Claude, Pebble plans to integrate into the watch features similar to those of its smart ring, such as the automatic transcription of audio conversations.

The Pebble Round 2 is available for pre-order starting today, January 2 directly from the company’s website, with shipments expected for May.

The company has also shown consideration for its community, offering customers who had already ordered the Pebble Time 2 the opportunity to convert their order to the new circular model.