The original Pebble smartwatch lineup that helped define the smartwatch category
Eight years after selling Pebble to Fitbit, founder Eric Migicovsky is bringing back the beloved smartwatch brand with a notable shift in strategy. The announcement comes alongside Google's decision to open-source PebbleOS, marking a new chapter for the device that helped pioneer the smartwatch category.
Learning From Past Mistakes
The revival comes with important lessons learned from Pebble's original run, which saw the company sell over 2 million watches and generate $230 million in sales before its eventual sale to Fitbit in 2016. "Lessons were learned last time," Migicovsky acknowledges, reflecting on the company's previous challenges.
In a 2021 retrospective, Migicovsky had identified several critical factors that led to Pebble's original downfall, including overaggressive growth, attempts to expand beyond their core user base, and lack of a clear long-term vision. Perhaps most crucially, the company had shifted "from making something we knew people wanted, to making an ill-defined product that we hoped people wanted."
A More Focused Approach
This time, Migicovsky is taking a markedly different approach. Rather than seeking venture capital and rapid expansion, the new Pebble will maintain a smaller scale with an emphasis on sustainability. "I'm building a small, narrowly focused company to make these watches," he explains. "I don't envision raising money from investors, or hiring a big team."
The new watch will retain Pebble's core features that earned it a dedicated following:
- Always-on e-paper display
- Extended battery life
- Physical buttons for music control
- Open platform supporting custom watchfaces
- Focus on essential features like notifications and activity tracking
Google's Critical Role
The newly released open-source PebbleOS repository on GitHub
The revival has been made possible through an unprecedented move by Google, which acquired Pebble's intellectual property through its purchase of Fitbit. After a year of preparation by a team including former Pebble employees, Google has open-sourced PebbleOS, providing the foundation for the new device.
Market Position
Unlike the original Pebble's attempts to compete broadly in the smartwatch market, the new iteration appears to embrace its niche. "If you had a Pebble and loved it...this is the smartwatch for you," Migicovsky states, suggesting a return to the company's roots of serving tech enthusiasts and hackers.
This positioning aligns with Migicovsky's retrospective observation that Pebble should have "stuck to what we knew best and continued to build quirky, fun smartwatches for hackers" rather than attempting to chase broader market appeal.
Looking Forward
While specific release dates haven't been announced, interested customers can sign up at rePebble.com to be first in line when the product launches. The new watch promises compatibility with existing Pebble apps and watchfaces, ensuring continuity with the platform's rich ecosystem that included over 16,000 watchfaces in its prime.
For the tech community, this revival represents more than just another smartwatch launch - it's a second chance for a beloved brand, now armed with the wisdom of past experience. As one of the original pioneers of the smartwatch category returns with a more focused approach, it may well demonstrate that sometimes less truly is more in the world of tech startups.