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| The Pebble Time 2 and Round 2 are expected to ship in a few months |
Remember Pebble? The little smartwatch that could? Back in 2013, it was the first commercially successful smartwatch to grace our wrists, a cult classic with its monochrome display and plastic case that kickstarted a wearable revolution. After a period of quiet, the brand made a surprising and welcome comeback last year. Now, under the stewardship of a new company called Core Devices, Pebble is back with a vengeance, promising modern updates to its classic formula with the premium, color-display Pebble Time 2 and the sleek Pebble Round 2.
For fans who have been eagerly waiting, it’s been a journey of patience. The Pebble Time 2, originally slated for a December launch, was first pushed back to March. Now, in a detailed and candid update from the company, we have a new, more concrete timeline—and it looks like the wait is almost over.
A "Normal Amount" of Last-Minute Shenanigans
In a fascinating deep-dive on the manufacturing process, Core Devices has confirmed that mass production for the Pebble Time 2 is officially scheduled to kick off on March 9. The update, shared on the company’s blog, offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the chaos and precision of bringing a piece of hardware to life. "Building hardware is an exercise in balancing competing priorities of cost, quality and speed," the post explains, noting that the team is currently dealing with a "normal amount of last minute shenanigans."
The Pebble Time 2 has been going through its final quality checks, known as the Production Verification Test (PVT) phase. This involved manufacturing hundreds of test units to iron out any kinks. A major focus of January was perfecting the watch's waterproofing—a nod to challenges faced during the development of the Pebble 2 Duo. The good news? All tests have now been passed, and the Time 2 is on track to receive a solid 3ATM waterproof rating, meaning it's safe for swimming and splashes, just not for hot tubs or deep diving.
When Will Your Pebble Time 2 Arrive?
With the factory currently closed for the Lunar New Year holiday and set to reopen at the end of February, the assembly lines will fire up on March 9. Production will then ramp up to a target of 500 watches per day. But what does this mean for the eager customers who pre-ordered?
Here’s the best-case scenario based on the current schedule:
- Finished watches will ship from the factory in batches once a week.
- They’ll take about a week to reach the distribution center.
- After a few days for packing and processing, they'll be handed over to carriers.
- The final leg of the journey to customers will take another 7-10 days.
Putting it all together, the very first mass-produced Pebble Time 2 units should start arriving on wrists around the beginning of April. The company anticipates that all existing pre-orders will be fulfilled by early June. If your original pre-order estimate was December, you're likely in the April batch; if you had an April estimate, you're looking at June.
For those who have pre-ordered, a few weeks before your watch ships, you'll receive an email to confirm your shipping address, choose any optional accessories like extra straps, and pay any outstanding tariffs. For US customers, this is a flat $10 per watch.
What About the Pebble Round 2 and Beyond?
The news for fans of the round-faced variant is a little more cautious. Production for the Pebble Round 2 is expected to begin in late May, which puts first shipments potentially at the end of June. Core Devices notes that key steps, like final waterproof testing, are still pending, meaning this timeline carries a higher risk of further delays.
The update also shed light on another upcoming device, the Index 01, a smart ring that is also progressing through its final testing phases. The company is even considering offering larger sizes (14 and 15) for the ring, pending interest from the community.
A Software Renaissance
It’s not just about hardware. In a move that will delight long-time fans, the team has been quietly revolutionizing the software experience. The Pebble mobile app and PebbleOS have seen a flurry of updates. Weather is working again, WhatsApp calls now show up properly on Android, and a host of background crashes have been fixed.
Perhaps most impressively, the new Pebble mobile app can now intercept old network requests from watchfaces that relied on long-defunct weather APIs (like Yahoo Weather) and feed them fresh data from Open-Meteo. This means many classic watchfaces are springing back to life. The Pebble Appstore is also now integrated natively within the mobile app and has been updated on the web, with new features like the ability to filter for open-source apps.
The Pebble Time 2 and Pebble Round 2 are available for pre-order now, priced at $225 and $199 respectively. It’s been a long road back, but for the first time in years, the future of Pebble looks not just nostalgic, but genuinely bright.
Source : Core Devices
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| The current production schedule for the Pebble Time 2 |