Pebble has unveiled the affordable Round 2 smartwatch
By ForGeeks
Shortly after the return of the Pebble smart watch and the release of a low-cost AI smart ring, the company is preparing another new product — the Pebble Round 2. As the name suggests, it’s another version of the Pebble smartwatch, but with a round display that gives the device a more premium look. At the same time, like the brand’s other products, the novelty remains affordable at — $199.
Pebble has traditionally kept the cost of its devices down through a limited feature set. In the case of the Pebble Round 2, the watch offers basic activity and health monitoring, including step counting and sleep tracking, but it doesn’t have a heart-rate sensor or other features typical of a sports or fitness watch.
The Pebble Round 2 offers a basic activity and health monitor, including step counting and sleep tracking, but it doesn’t have a heart-rate sensor or other features typical of a sports or fitness watch.
The trade-off is a noticeable advantage in battery life — the Pebble Round 2 can run from 10 to 14 days on a single charge.
Like the recently introduced Pebble Time 2, the Pebble Round 2 is a reimagining of an older model. In 2015, the company released the Pebble Time Round — its first watch with a round screen, which was called the thinnest smartwatch on the market at the time.
The Pebble Time Round 2 is the first Pebble Time Round smartwatch on the market.
The new version retains the minimalist and slim design — the case is 8.1mm thick versus the original’s 7.5mm.
The first model used octagonal glass with rounded edges hidden beneath a massive bezel, making the display itself relatively small. Since then, technology has advanced, and the Pebble Round 2 has a larger screen that holds more text and has a noticeably neater appearance.
The watch features a 1.3-inch color e-paper display with a resolution of 260 × 260 pixels and a density of 283 ppi — that’s twice as many pixels as the Pebble Time Round. The screen is backlit, making it easy to use in the dark. The operating system is the open source Pebble OS.
Two built-in microphones allow you to use voice input and respond to messages. The feature is currently only available on Android due to Apple’s restrictions, but iOS support in the EU will be coming soon.
The side buttons are responsible for disconnecting incoming calls, controlling music, navigation, going back and scrolling through the interface. According to Migikowski, the physical buttons allow you to control the watch without looking at it. For example, you can reject a call in a meeting or pause music without reaching for your phone or touching the earbuds.
The Pebble Round 2 has a stainless steel case. Inside, you’ll find an accelerometer and magnetometer. It comes with a silicone strap and Pebble’s proprietary charging adapter, and leather straps will be sold separately.
The Pebble Round 2 comes with a silicone strap and a Pebble branded charging adapter.
The watch is available in three colors, with each option supporting different strap sizes. Matte black uses a 20mm-wide strap with quick attachment, the silver variant supports 14mm and 20mm straps, and the polished rose gold — only 14mm.
Pebble Round 2 supports thousands of apps and watch faces from the Pebble Appstore. Developers will need to update their apps to work properly with the round screen using the SDK provided. Available apps include AI assistants, including solutions that support Claude and other popular assistants.
Pebble is also actively developing artificial intelligence-based features. The company recently released a smart ring with audio recording and conversation transcription capabilities. Migikowski says similar features will eventually appear in Pebble smartwatches.
Pebble Round 2 will open for pre-order on Jan. 2 on the company’s official website, with shipments starting in May. Customers who previously pre-ordered the Pebble Time 2 will be able to replace it with the Pebble Round 2 if they wish.
