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Pebble was the first proper smartwatch to make it to market. I have one of the original Kickstarter versions, and I loved using it. In fact, I’d still consider it one of the best smartwatches ever made. And for any other Pebble lovers like myself, there’s good news – the smartwatch is coming back with a true pang of nostalgia.
Eric Migicovsky, the original creator of Pebble, is now at the helm of Core Devices. The new brand is getting ready to ship two new smartwatches that hold all the charm and simplicity of the original Pebble devices. These watches will run the newly open-sourced Pebble operating system, keeping the spirit of the old Pebbles alive.
The first of these new watches, the Core 2 Duo, immediately caught my attention. This device offers a nostalgic throwback to the Pebble 2 with the same black-and-white E Ink display and durable frame. It’s actually built using leftover Pebble watch parts, which I think is a clever touch. It takes the essence of the Pebble 2 and makes it better.
Battery life, for example, has been massively improved. The new watch is supposed to last more than 30 days, which is miles ahead of the original Pebble 2’s 7 days. There’s even a speaker now, making it a more modern device. The Core 2 Duo feels like a device made by fans for fans. There will only be about 10,000 of them available, and I expect them to go fast.
Later this year, the Core Time 2 will be released. This is an update to the old Pebble Time 2, and I’m especially excited by the addition of a touchscreen. The Core Time 2 aims to bring a touch of modern convenience while staying true to Pebble’s roots. The touchscreen will let you tap on watch faces to open apps, which will make interacting with the device a lot more intuitive.
However, the watch will still have physical buttons, so it won’t be fully touchscreen-drive. And much like the Core 2 Duo, it comes with a solid 30-day battery life, which is a major plus. The speaker and new chips for improved tracking features make it an exciting update without straying too far from what made Pebble so great in the first place.
Even though I’m thrilled about these smartwatches, there are still a few challenges ahead. There are still hurdles with software integrations, particularly with iPhones. The connection process is now more complicated, making it harder for anything other than the Apple Watch to work with iPhones. That said, I’ll be making it work – come hell or high water.
The Core 2 Duo will be available in July for $149 (approx £119), and the Core Time 2 will ship in December for $225 (approx £179). You can pre-order the devices now directly from Core Devices. Don’t wait too long, as there are limited units.
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