The Revival of a Classic Smartwatch Brand

The Pebble Time 2 smartwatch, priced at $225, feels like a toy, and we mean that in the best sense of the word. This refreshed version of the indie smartwatch brand, rebooted by its original founder, Eric Migicovsky, feels casual, fun, and playful, — not like a mini-computer on your wrist. Its quirky watchfaces and simple apps and games give it a sort of hacker energy, while its physical buttons, e-paper screen, and long battery life provide its retro vibes.

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The Pebble Time 2 is a stark contrast to the Apple Watch. While the Apple Watch boasts an OLED touchscreen display, the Pebble Time 2 opts for a color e-paper screen. The watch’s design also deviates from the Apple Watch’s sleek and modern aesthetic, with a silicone watch band that gives it a more casual, laid-back feel. The Pebble Time 2 comes in a range of colors, including blue, red, silver, and black, which can be wrapped around its stainless steel frame.

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A Community-Driven Approach

One of the standout features of the Pebble Time 2 is its community-driven approach. The watch’s software and apps are created by a community of developers who are passionate about creating unique and useful features. This approach has been a key factor in the watch’s success, with over 2,120 watch faces and apps built by Pebble developers, including over 500 new ones from a spring developer contest.

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The Pebble companion mobile app allows users to customize their watch face, choose from a variety of apps, and even create their own watch faces using a range of tools and templates. The app store is full of creative and often niche applications across categories like health and fitness, games, tools and utilities, remotes, and others. There are many useful tools here — timers, Spotify controls, weather apps, to-do lists, calculators, navigation aids, stock trackers, Strava activity trackers, medication reminders, health apps, calendars, and many fun, often retro-inspired, games.

The Pebble Time 2’s buttons are intuitive to use. The watch comes with four buttons, more than you’ll find on the Apple Watch, but they make sense. The top button is the up button, the bottom one is down, and the middle is select. The button on the left side of the watch is back. What’s more, you can customize any button to launch a favorite app with a tap or long press. (By default, a long press on the back button launches Quiet Time, which silences your notifications.)

A Long-Lasting Battery and Water Resistance

The Pebble Time 2’s battery life is one of its standout features. With a battery life of up to 21 days on a single charge, this watch is perfect for those who don’t want to worry about constantly charging their device. The watch also features a 64-color e-paper screen that is always on, but can be backlit with a flick of your wrist or via taps. The display is more muted compared with an Apple Watch’s Retina display, but it’s easy to see in bright sunlight.

The Pebble Time 2 also features water resistance, with a rating of 30 m / 3 ATM. This means that the watch can handle everyday water exposure like rain or handwashing, but it’s not recommended for swimming or diving.

Conclusion

The Pebble Time 2 is a unique and refreshing take on the smartwatch market. Its community-driven approach, quirky watchfaces, and simple apps and games make it a standout feature. The watch’s long-lasting battery life and water resistance also make it a great option for those who want a hassle-free smartwatch experience. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or just looking for a fun and functional smartwatch, the Pebble Time 2 is definitely worth considering.