Pebble smartwatches resurrected as “Core”, coming to Malaysia?

Just less than two months ago, Eric Migicovsky announced his plans to bring Pebble smartwatches back. But I did not expect to find out about the news as soon as yesterday night that the Pebble founder has announced two new smartwatches under his new wearable company – Core Devices. The two smartwatches are known as the Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 and are now available for pre-order.

Eric Migicovsky picking up where he left off with Pebble a decade ago

Your eyes aren’t tricking you; these two Core smartwatches are indeed using a similar hardware design as the Pebble 2 that was launched back in 2016. In fact, you can consider the Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 as spiritual successors to the Pebble 2 and Pebble Time respectively. Migicovsky even calls the Core Time 2 his “dream watch” and what the Pebble Time 2 was supposed to be.

True to Migicovsky’s promise, these “resurrected” Pebble smartwatches also share many of the features introduced by past Pebble smartwatches. This includes e-paper displays, long battery life, and physical navigation buttons. Both watches also run on PebbleOS which Google open-sourced not too long ago.

If you aren’t familiar with Pebble’s history, the company was acquired by Fitbit in 2016, which was then bought over by Google in 2021. This is also part of the reason why Migicovsky wasn’t able to re-use the Pebble brand as the California-based company still owns the rights to the Pebble name.

Core 2 Duo: Very much like the Pebble 2, but better

Let’s start with the more affordable watch of the two first – the Core 2 Duo. Migicovsky describes this wearable as being highly similar to the Pebble 2 but has now been made better with extra capabilities. At its core, no pun intended, the Core 2 Duo features a polycarbonate frame that can be had in either Black or White.

At the face of the watch, you get a 1.26” black and white e-paper display that pushes out 144 x 168 pixels, resulting in a Dots Per Inch (DPI) count of 176. The watch, along with the Core Time 2 also comes with 22mm straps out of the box, although no specific type of strap has been mentioned. Based on the official images, both models will most probably come with silicone straps as standard.

Standard features offered by the Core watches will include step and sleep tracking, as well as a targeted IPX8 rating for water resistance. As mentioned, both smartwatches, including the Core 2 Duo will run on the open-sourced PebbleOS. But to all of you who are unfamiliar, the OS delivers baseline features such as notifications, Pebble’s timeline interface, watch faces, alarms, timers, calendar, music control, and basic fitness tracking.

So, what are some new features the Core 2 Duo has over the Pebble 2? This consists of features like a microphone and a speaker that are said to be built mainly for apps such as ChatGPT or other AI agent apps. Sadly, handling phone calls isn’t a priority feature here.

The Core 2 Duo will also sport a new linear actuator motor that’s said to be quieter and stronger than a vibrating motor, along with new compass and barometer sensors, and improved hardware navigation buttons that are said to offer up to 30% longer lifetime, at least based on Core Device’s testing.

Even more important here is improved battery life. If you think the Pebble 2 already offered a long enough battery life of up to 7 days, the Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 can do up to 4 times more. Yes, that’s up to 30 days of battery life. Migicovsky credits this to how Bluetooth chips’ power efficiency has improved over the last decade.

Core Time 2: All that the Pebble Time 2 was meant to be

Migicovsky calls the Core Time 2 his “dream watch”. It’s what the Pebble Time 2 was meant to be and more. By paying slightly more (more details below) over the Core 2 Duo, you get a larger and more colourful 1.5” 64-colour e-paper display, which is the same display panel seen on the Pebble Time 2.

The resolution for this display is rated at 200 x 228 pixels or 202 DPI. The Time 2 also shares the same design as the Core 2 Duo, albeit with a more premium metal case.

Another bonus you get on the Core Time 2 is the inclusion of a touch screen, which is currently there mainly for you to customise the complications on your watch faces and widgets, much like the full touchscreen smartwatches we have today. You also get a heart rate monitor by splurging for the Time 2.

Core 2 Duo VS Core Time 2 specs comparison table

Pricing, availability, shipment details for Malaysia

Now, price. The Core 2 Duo is retailed at USD 149 (~RM662), while the Core Time 2 is priced at USD 225 (~RM999). Both are currently available for pre-order, with shipments for the Core 2 Duo to begin as early as July 2025. As for the Core Time 2, the first batch of these watches is estimated to start shipping to customers in December 2025, so all of you who are looking at this one will have to be a little bit more patient.

As for colour options, both watches are offered in either Black or White, with a potential third colour option being teased to be made exclusively available for the Core Time 2 at a later date.

I’m happy to report that Core Devices is shipping these watches to Malaysia. But you do have to pay a shipping fee of USD 25 (~RM111), which will be added on top of your watch’s cost.

However, do note that these watches will only be made in limited quantities, mainly due to a limited supply of display inventory. Therefore, Core Devices recommends customers pre-order via its online store to secure their units.

You can build your own app or watch to work with PebbleOS

According to Migicovsky, PebbleOS will come out of the gate with over 10,000 existing watch faces and apps. Most of them will immediately work, though some may try to access web services that no longer exist. You can browse the Rebble website to check out the full list of apps available on the app store. However, existing apps and watch faces will show up with a border on the Core Time 2 due to its larger display, and will stay that way until developers update them.

Speaking of apps, Core Devices will be publishing a companion mobile app for Android and iOS. But due to the open-source nature of PebbleOS, you can create your own app for it if you choose to, or just use Rebble’s app instead. Alternatively, you can even build your own smartwatch and have it run on PebbleOS.

Core smartwatches are made out of labour of love rather than profit in mind, so do expect imperfections

In his blog, Eric Migicovsky states that the Core smartwatch project is a labour of love, rather than a startup attempting to sell millions of watches. Therefore, it’s safe to say that these wearables aren’t for those looking for a perfectly polished smartwatch. They may come with some rough edges and even delays. Some features might not be ready at launch, and things could break or not last as long as you’d like.

Also, these smartwatches aren’t made for those looking for a fitness-focused watch, or an Apple Watch replacement. Due to restrictions Apple has implemented towards third-party accessories, you won’t be able to use smartwatches like those from Core Devices to reply to notifications or take “actions” such as marking something as done.

It’s also impossible to send text messages or iMessage using the Core smartwatches. So to experience the full potential of the Core Duo 2 and Core Time 2, it’s best to connect them to an Android phone. If you decide at any point that the watch is not for you, Core Devices’ FAQ states that you can cancel your pre-order and get a full refund any time before your watch ships.

Anyway, are you getting one of these watches for yourself? I’ve been waiting for one of these for almost a decade, so I can’t wait to receive mine later this year.

[SOURCE, VIA]