Like the idea of a dumb phone? Then you need this smartwatch
Pebble's round smartwatch back with the Round 2. Only this watch doesn't have all the bells and whistles – which is its biggest selling point
Pebble was the first proper smartwatch to make it to market. I have one of the original Kickstarter versions, and I loved using it. I’d still consider it one of the best smartwatches ever made, which is why I was so pleased when Pebble announced it was coming back in 2025. Now that Pebble is back on people’s wrists, the brand decided to launch a revamped version of the Pebble Time Round.
The Pebble Time Round was genuinely ahead of its time in 2015 – ultra-thin, stylish, and not trying to squeeze in too many features. Of course, it also had the battery life of a caffeinated gnat and a bezel thick enough to land a plane on. But now we’ve got the Pebble Round 2, which the brand insists is better in every possible way.
- Read more: Why I’m excited about a new Pebble smartwatch – and what Apple could learn from Pebble’s rebirth
Pebble’s new watch is still thin at just 8.1mm, still has that always-on e-paper screen (now a full 1.3 inches across and covering the whole face), and ditches the huge bezels of the past. You also get battery life that’s good for two weeks, proper buttons, and no pressure to track every sweaty heartbeat. Though, you do still get basic step and sleep tracking.
This smartwatch actually looks like a watch, which is a big part of its charm. That doesn’t mean it comes without modern day smarts, though. The Round 2 packs dual mics for AI assistant chatting and message replies (though only Android users get that right now), alongside tactile controls that don’t require you to tap on a screen just to pause a podcast. It’s a smartwatch for people who don’t want to be smart all the time – a dumb smartwatch, if you will.
Running PebbleOS, the Round 2 keeps things fun, functional and gloriously open source. The app store still has thousands of watchfaces and tiny apps. Style-wise, it’s all brushed steel, with matte black, brushed silver, and shiny rose gold finishes. Band sizes come in 14mm and 20mm depending on the colour, and the silicone strap is swappable for whatever other band you fancy.
The Pebble Round 2 is up for pre-order now directly from the brand for $199/£160, with shipping starting in May. Pebble will show off the new watch alongside its smart ring at CES 2026.
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Connor Jewiss
