2026 might not end up having very much in common with 2008, but one surprising similarity is that Pebble is back. With CES 2026 kicking off, the company wants to prove it still can make meaningful products in an increasingly crowded smartwatch market. After Pebble previewed its new Pebble Round 2 and Pebble Index 01 at CES Unveiled, I was able to have a conversation with the company’s CEO Eric Migicovsky about his return.
He walked me through how he managed to make Pebble watches again, years after selling the company, and why he still sees himself as Pebble’s main customer. While Apple, Samsung, and other smartwatch makers keep adding more health sensors, improved AI capabilities, and deeper integration with our phones, tablets, and computers, Migicovsky has a completely different take on the concept, where less is more.
“Pebble Round 2 is really good to tell the time,” Pebble’s CEO tells me. It sounded like a joke, at least until I saw how excited he got showing off the watch faces the community has built, and how unique the new Pebble Round 2 can look. Thanks to its bezel-less 1.3-inch color e-paper display, not only is it easier to see the time from any angle, but a two-week battery life is a lot longer than my Apple Watch lasts.
Pebble wants to be good at what matters
Long-time Pebble fans will also appreciate the four analog buttons available on the Pebble Round 2. Migicovsky explains that while the smartwatch features a touchscreen display, users find it more convenient to use analog buttons. Having physical buttons makes it easier to dismiss a notification or a call and quickly interact with the device without even having to look at the screen.
The Pebble Round 2 tells the time, tracks steps and your sleep, features an accelerometer and magnetometer, and is water resistant. It works with both iOS and Android smartphones, and once iOS 26.3 rolls out, users in the EU will be able to reply to notifications right from the watch. Still, something tells me that owning a Pebble is not about having the latest and greatest smartwatch features, but about having fun wearing a watch.
As a matter of fact, I’ve been trying to reduce my Apple Watch usage by switching to analog watches, and I think Pebble’s devices offer a great balance between a smartwatch and a stylish old-school watch. The new Round 2 model is currently available to pre-order for $199 on rePebble.com, with shipments set to begin in May 2026.
Pebble has more than watches
Eric Migicovsky also showed me his recently-announced Index 01. This smart ring, which has the sole function of recording voice notes and transcribing them to an app, is the CEO’s latest personally essential technology. “I don’t know if it’s the same for you, but it’s so hard to add new gadgets into my routine, and the Index 01 has broken this barrier for me,” he told me. Of course he wouldn’t tell me he doesn’t like wearing his yet-to-be released product, but the simplicity of the ring is what caught my attention.
Migicovsky tells me that cycling is one of his passions, and sometimes he has a good idea while out and about. With the Index 01, he can quickly press the record button, say what he’s thinking out loud, and then go back to that recording later. “It’s that simple. The battery lasts for two years, and when it’s about to die, a notification will ask users if they want a new one or not,” he says.
With Pebble Index 01, the company isn’t trying to track your sleep, record interviews, or change your workout routine. Instead, it wants this accessory to become part of your muscle memory, so every time you have something you need to remember, to just lift up your ring and start talking. The Pebble Index 01 is available to preorder for $75, and shipments begins in March 2026.
