What you need to know
- Today (Mar. 18), Pebble’s original founder Eric Migicovsky announced two new smartwatches under their new company, Core Devices.
- The Time 2 is a larger 1.5-inch e-paper display (touch screen) with a (estimated) 30-day battery life and PebbleOS with access to over 10,000 apps and watch faces.
- The smaller Core 2 Duo offers a black and white e-paper display with similar battery life, lightweight casing, and upgraded sensors, and chips.
- The Time 2 is available to pre-order for $225 while the Core 2 Duo receives a $149 price tag.
The next generation of PebbleOS smartwatches is finally here as two new devices greet users today (Mar. 18).
Pebble’s original founder, Eric Migicovsky, published a new blog post to announce the arrival of what users have been waiting for: the Core 2 Duo and Time 2 smartwatches. These devices are launching under Migicovsky’s new company, Core Devices, as it looks to lead the way into the next generation of PebbleOS-ready wearables. Migicovsky states both watches are compatible with “thousands of your beloved Pebble apps.”
Leading the launch today is the Time 2 with a 1.5-inch e-paper display (also a touch screen). The post states this should give consumers “more room” for viewing text and other details on their wrists. Covering this soft display will be a piece of flat glass, which Core Devices states will deliver “less glare and reflections” than its older watches.
Surrounding this e-paper display will be a metal frame outfitted with physical buttons.
Overall, Core Devices says the Time 2 is slightly bigger to accommodate its 53% larger display with 88% more pixels.
The blog post claims the Time 2 will have an incredible 30-day battery life. The details state this is “estimated,” so it’s not presently clear if the watch will reach this number or not. The specs also do not make the battery capacity of the Time 2 either.
Underneath it all, the Time 2 contains a heart rate monitor, as well as step and sleep-tracking capabilities. Core Devices has provided the watch with water resistance at an IPX8 rating, too. The device also sports a microphone and speaker.
The announcement post teases a bit of its software, stating the Time 2 can run over 10,000 Pebble apps and watch faces. with PebbleOS. Users will have access to “notifications, timeline, watch faces, alarms, timers, calendar, music control, basic fitness tracking,” and more. Aesthetically, the Time 2 will feature a 22mm strap and will be available in black and white; however, Core Devices states there will be a third color option finalized at a later date.
The Time 2 is available for pre-orders today (Mar. 18) for $225 ahead of its shipping date in December. Migicovsky states pre-ordering is the only way to receive this device as it will not be sold in stores. Quantities are limited, so keep this in mind if you’re interested so you can act accordingly.
The Core 2 Duo
The second watch is the Core 2 Duo, a watch that Migicovsky claims is pretty identical to the Pebble 2 — but it’s been upgraded. On the surface, the Core 2 Duo features a smaller 1.2-inch black and white e-paper display. Encasing it will be a lightweight polycarbonate frame with a trio of physical buttons. Like the Time 2, Core Devices states it is “targeting” an IPX8 water-resistant rating.
A microphone, step, and sleep-tracking capabilities continue to remain on the Core 2 Duo like the older Pebble 2.
The upgrades Core Devices alluded to include a 30-day battery life, a speaker, a barometer, and a compass sensor.
As you’d expect, the Core 2 Duo rocks the open-source PebbleOS like its larger partner. This gives users looking to purchase this device access to a slew of similar features, as well as 10,000 Pebble apps and watch faces.
The Core 2 Duo is available for pre-order today, too, in white and black for $149. This watch will ship much earlier in July for consumers. The company urges speed again from consumers interested in this device due to its limited quantities like the Time 2. The post states this is due to a “limited supply of display inventory.”