Google recently open sourced Pebble and today, Repebble has put some of the watches up for preorder.
Wearing a Pebble Time steel right now, and I’m cautiously optimistic for this.
The Pebble Has Been Brought Back
Submitted 1 year ago by pineapplelover@lemm.ee to technology@lemmy.world
Comments
miguel@lemmy.sdf.org 1 year ago
TheBampster@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Just got this to talk to my phone, gadget wraps carbon and clear screen protector. All I need now is to find out how to change the watch face.
miguel@lemmy.sdf.org 1 year ago
The app has a nice selection of faces, and you can also make your own (I made a few, though tbh I most use “blue futuristic” on mine
phx@lemmy.ca 1 year ago
I still have my circa-2016 email confirming my pledge for the Time 2 Silver, which ultimately got cancelled just before the fulfillment date due to Pebble selling out to Fitbit.
While I loved my original Pebble back then, I would really want something similar to look and function of the T2S so will watch this project in hopes it too is resurrected
JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz 1 year ago
due to Pebble selling out to Fitbit.
Due to Pebble going bankrupt, and managing to sell its software assets to Fitbit to gain just enough money to refund the kickstarter pledges and pay off it’s biggest debts.
buddascrayon@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Subscriber paywalled. I am so unbelievably sick of these.
steal_your_face@lemmy.ml 1 year ago
I backed the original pebble on kickstarter and it’s what got me into smart watches. Happy they’re coming back and that they’re open source.
JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz 1 year ago
Pebble still works thanks to the Rebble project. Everything else is free, but the dictation and weather services require a monthly $3 subscription to use as those are the parts that have rather hefty API call costs.
Though the experience is miserable on iOS thanks to Apple.
ITGuyLevi@programming.dev 1 year ago
I recently did out my old 401B after the screen fell off my Galaxy Active2. It charged right up and still lasts about a week.
Finding a new band was a PITA because of the weird segmented hinge bit but one person was selling diver bands for it on Amazon (I think it was Amazon)… Really not bad for a watch from a decade ago.
BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Is there any company that let’s you export your health tracking data in a non proprietary format and doesn’t charge you a monthly subscription to use your smartwatch’s health tracking features?
Lizardking13@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Garmin allows you to export data to a csv file. I’m not sure if it’s all data because I haven’t used it, but I know it’s simple.
BackgrndNoize@lemmy.world 1 year ago
That’s good to know, I liked the MIP display watches I saw from Garmin, but the only model with that display seems to be their most expensive watch
SufferingSteve@feddit.nu 1 year ago
Withings
rmuk@feddit.uk 1 year ago
One pro of Withings is that they’re French, so their policies on data in general are pretty great.
One con of Withings is that they’re French, so it’s not actually pronounced how you think.
orize@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 year ago
Fuck I want that so bad.
grrgyle@slrpnk.net 1 year ago
If only there was a company out there that did it. Alas…
SufferingSteve@feddit.nu 1 year ago
Withings
geography082@lemm.ee 1 year ago
No NFC ??? Whyyyyyyyyyy
cortex7979@lemm.ee 1 year ago
Basic payment options would be sick
AI_toothbrush@lemmy.zip 1 year ago
Pebble sounds cool but i really dont like square watches(except the retro casios and gshocks) and now its owned by google so thats shit as well.
JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz 1 year ago
Pretty much the only thing Pebble that Google owns any more is the trademark itself, which is why these aren’t called Pebbles, they are Cores.
The watches have nothing to do with Google whatsoever, with the exception that Google is the who open sourced the old Pebble software so it could be used again.synestine@sh.itjust.works 1 year ago
Google dumped the Pebble OS code on GitHub when this whole “rePebble” thing (not Rebble) started. Now there’s a new phone app coming out soon (or out now, depending on your platform and abilities) that handles old and new Pebbles and modern phone platforms.
None of this is from Google.
CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee 1 year ago
I think Google just owns the software because the product page for these watches say the guy invested his own money to get these produced.
qaz@lemmy.world 1 year ago
…and now its owned by google so thats shit as well.
Google acquired it back in 2021, this move to open source it is a good thing.
Ulrich@feddit.org 1 year ago
Made another post but it was removed for…reasons. Migi says you shouldn’t expect your Pebble to last >5 years.!
ricecake@sh.itjust.works 1 year ago
It reads to me like he’s saying that if you expect 5+ years without maintenance if it’s more than $100, you should look at a different product.
The top comments are someone saying that after five years they needed to repair it due to battery failure, and the founder saying the repair process is the same.Five years is longer than the average lifespan of a liIon battery. Expecting to be able to skip repairs that long is unreasonable for a $150 product.
It reads like the founder actually giving realistic expectations. A $150 product will likely need repairs to last longer than five years, and you’ll be disappointed if you expect otherwise.
Can you point to a similar product that costs about as much that fits your criteria?
Ulrich@feddit.org 1 year ago
It doesn’t read to me like you shouldn’t have to replace the battery, it reads to me like he’s saying don’t expect the device itself to last >5 years.
JimVanDeventer@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Where’s my round?
AnAmericanPotato@programming.dev 1 year ago
How’s navigation with Pebbles? If I start bike navigation in Google Maps on my phone, can I get turn-by-turn directions on the watch, and does it not suck?
zovits@lemmy.world 1 year ago
There is an Android and a companion Pebble app (“Nav me”) that reads the Google maps notifications (“In 300 meters turn left onto Jefferson Street”) and displays them on the watch. The remaining distance until the next navigation instruction decreases real time. Nothing fancy like minimap view, but can be useful in some situations.
JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz 1 year ago
There was/is a companion app called PebbleNav/NavMe that worked okay-ish, as long as you could survive with “Turn left in 100 metres” type instructions with no map view (not really something you can do with 144x168 pixels).
nihilomaster@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Isn’t there any way to pre-order without a credit card? I guess I’ll have to wait until other payment options are available…
TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I’ve pre-ordered the Core Time 2.
Pre-orders are something I never usually do, but given this is essentially just an improved version of an existing product, as opposed to a Kickstarter, I feel more confident. And I can cancel the preorder at any time (plus I’ll see reviews of the cheaper model before the Core Time 2 ships).
The price made me wince, though. It’s very expensive for the functionality. Technically cheaper than the original watches adjusted for inflation, but that ignores the current-day smartwatch market. Still, I loved the Pebble.
Omega_Jimes@lemmy.ca 1 year ago
I pre ordered, and I’m usually annoyingly loud about not pre-ordering. That being said, i love my pebble time. I Kickstarted it back in the day, and it still works but the battery is weak. I could replace the battery, but i want more devices like this, so I’ll put some money in and eat Ramen for a few weeks.
rmuk@feddit.uk 1 year ago
Preordered here too, for all the same reasons. I went for the Time2, even though it’s not due to ship until later. I’ve waited nearly ten years, I can wait another six months…
pycorax@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Pre-ordered one immediately. I miss my old Pebble Time Steel so much. Part of me wishes there’s one with that design but I’ll take what I can get.
anonvurr@lemmy.zip 1 year ago
Eh. I prefer the PineTime watch. It was like 25€+shipping and customs and it does everything I need, is fully open-source – it displays weather info, time, date, heart rate (although not very well), and has timer, stopper, etc.
Ulrich@feddit.org 1 year ago
I’m still very confused about why we needed PebbleOS for this. It’s been like 10 years and no one could come up with any comparable software? They whipped up the hardware design in a few months.
TiggerYumYum@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 year ago
To anyone reading - this person is intentionally obtuse.
PebbleOS was sold to Fitbit, Fitbit sold to Google, Google made PebbleOS open source this year. It couldn’t have been made before.
synestine@sh.itjust.works 1 year ago
Because good software is hard. The PebbleOS is a gem, and no, no one could in 9 years.
morrowind@lemmy.ml 1 year ago
It has the entire ecosystem of apps.
They didn’t need it, it was just the tipping point
something_random_tho@lemmy.world 1 year ago
PebbleOS was awesome, though. Such a well thought out system for end-users, and it already has tons of apps. Developing for it (in C!) is also super easy because it has an amazing SDK.
ObviouslyNotBanana@lemmy.world 1 year ago
From what I’ve read from Eric since this relaunch was announced, he just wants a new pebble and so do some of the userbase. This project isn’t really intended as a viable, polished product. Rather it’s a niche thing made for a Core audience of nerds.
Disclaimer: I’m one of the nerds this is intended for. I instantly pre-ordered a watch because it’s a pebble. I7
Ulrich@feddit.org 1 year ago
he just wants a new pebble
I’m sure that’s what he wants you to believe.
singletona@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I want one, but I don’t know what I’d do with it. It’s hackable, it pairs with a phone/tablet/etc.
I’m just trying to figure out what it can do for me. My lack of imagination annoys me.
unphazed@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I use my autopebble with tasker. Scripted a few things, like find my phone, load my audiobook, messages, etc. Used to have Google Home messages and lights and stuff, but I stopped using smarthome stuff for the most part. Mostly I use it for music control and weather and time though.
Kaloi@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I still can’t believe that no one else has made a smart watch with physical buttons and low energy use that has surpassed the pebble after all this time. I’m still cautious that this venture will pan out, but honestly there really hasn’t been a smart watch released that matches my use case. Sleep tracking makes no sense if I have to charge the watch daily, as I’d probably charge it over night. Media control with screen buttons is awful. Fossil came close with their hybrid smart watch, but the layout of the media controls made no sense and couldn’t easily be used without looking at the watch. Just let me check my calendar and texts and skip through ads in podcasts, and last over a week of battery and you will have my money.
AlfredoJohn@sh.itjust.works 1 year ago
Honestly daily charging isn’t the worst I just usually charge my watch when I’m in the shower and getting ready in the morning pop it back on when I’m done and I’m good to go.
hangonasecond@lemmy.world 1 year ago
A commute-by-car is a great time to charge a smart watch, too.
undone@lemm.ee 1 year ago
[deleted]turmacar@lemmy.world 1 year ago
The Garmin Instinct is what I switched to when my Pebble died. Recently upgraded to the Fenix.
You can absolutely skip ahead through ads with the music controls. Automating it would be the job of the app.
j4yt33@feddit.org 1 year ago
My Garmin Forerunner 245 Music does all that I’d say
guy_threepwood@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Garmin watches come close?
bassomitron@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Does this interface with your phone at all? Tried skimming thru their website but the fact it doesn’t list Bluetooth in the specs leaves me confused why you’d spend this much money on a quasi-smartwatch that doesn’t have that capability.
Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 1 year ago
It says they’re able to extend the battery life from 7 days to a month due to how efficient the new Bluetooth chips are.
You must have skimmed pretty fast.
bassomitron@lemmy.world 1 year ago
I did indeed skim pretty fast, but it doesn’t say that, it just says from 7 days to 30:
fauxerious@lemmy.world 1 year ago
Torn between this and a bangle.js 2, if I need a smarwatch at all
pineapplelover@lemm.ee 1 year ago
Genuinely considering it as I love e ink, lightweight, long battery life, and open source
zarenki@lemmy.ml 1 year ago
Of all possible names, they’re really using “Core 2 Duo”? I feel like anyone who has been following tech long enough would immediately think of the Intel processor when hearing that name.
pineapplelover@lemm.ee 1 year ago
It’s a play on words of core 2 do-over
Lifter@discuss.tchncs.de 1 year ago
Just waiting for an IP lawsuit to happen there