The news comes as the Pebble Appstore also officially relaunches, serving both new and classic devices
The reboot of Pebble has taken another significant step forward, with founder Eric Migicovsky confirming in a blog post that the first batch of new smartwatches will ship to pre-order customers this month.
Production began at the end of September, Migicovsky says, with nearly 3,000 white Pebble 2 Duos produced and now en route to fulfillment centers. The black models will also follow, following a short production delay.
The hardware launch is accompanied by the official relaunch of the Pebble Appstore, which is now live and will serve both the new smartwatches and the thousands of classic devices kept alive by the brand’s dedicated community.
The revived Appstore is a testament to Pebble’s enduring community-first ethos; Rebble, a group of enthusiasts who have kept the platform and legacy devices running during the Fitbit/Google years, is now being officially compensated to maintain the store.
The Wareable take
The return of Pebble is a significant moment for the wearables world. As we wrote back in January, it could be just what the smartwatch market needs.
In an industry now dominated by health-focused smartwatches from Apple and Samsung, the reboot aims to recapture the original’s simple charm, focusing on a clear e-paper display, physical buttons, and a multi-day battery life.
As noted when founder Eric Migicovsky first announced the project, the goal is to create an uncluttered and intuitive device that prioritizes usability over an endless list of health sensors.
Now, after nearly a year of anticipation, that back-to-basics vision is finally on its way to the wrists of its first new customers.
We can’t wait to test the 2 Duo (and Pebble Time 2*) out and see how it holds up.
