Pebble Time 2 Design Reveal [video] • Hacker News Board

Re: Pebble Time 2 Design Reveal [video]

#41

Post by JaggerJo » Wed, Aug 13, 2025, 5:18 PM UTC

apparent wrote: post #24

> We’re planning to release 4 different Pebble Time 2 colourways. These haven’t been finalized yet. No names yet, we still need to pick them! Would be great if we could vote. I am excited that there's a metallic option, but IMO the silver is too light. A dark gunmetal, or even medium-darkness silver, would be better in my book. The silver comes across as a bit flashy (which is perhaps good for the company), and I'd r…

I really like the silver.

Red and Blue are IMO not needed as you can always add an accent using the band. Probably just makes everything more complicated.

Re: Pebble Time 2 Design Reveal [video]

#42

Post by maxglute » Wed, Aug 13, 2025, 5:19 PM UTC

NGL, kind of looks bad compared to blocky P2D. Doesn't feel charming at all, and there's budget Chinese smart watches with smaller bezels.

Re: Pebble Time 2 Design Reveal [video]

#43

Post by platelminto » Wed, Aug 13, 2025, 5:20 PM UTC

bronlund wrote: post #35

potatolicious wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a bit lost here, and to be fair my memory from that long ago is a bit hazy... but I was a initial Pebble kickstarter and also got whatever the metal one was called. They were totally fine products, I enjoyed using them. I am no longer using them, but such is the nature of consumer gadgetry. I don't recall getting rogered at any point in that process?

I too was part of the initial Kickstarter and I had both the first and the second version. When FitBit bought Pebble in 2016, some may argue that this was a good thing, the development of the watch and the OS just stopped - it was dead. FitBit had no intention of keeping the Pebble and just wanted to implement the software into it's own ecosystem. Google bought FitBit in 2019 and released the source code for PebbleOS…

> some may argue that this was a good thing

I don't think anyone was arguing this - Pebble simply went bankrupt. FitBit just bought some of their IP/assets I think. There was no expectation of them buying it and continuing support or development.

Re: Pebble Time 2 Design Reveal [video]

#44

Post by criddell » Wed, Aug 13, 2025, 5:22 PM UTC

I love that it doesn't say Pebble on the bezel! I never wanted one before, but now I do. My only issue is that I have pretty small wrists and this watch would likely be too large for me.

Re: Pebble Time 2 Design Reveal [video]

#45

Post by jadbox » Wed, Aug 13, 2025, 5:27 PM UTC

hyperbolablabla wrote: post #19

Lack of GPS is the dealbreaker for me. Otherwise this would be an insta purchase -- I bought the Time in 2014, and was hoping for a "smartstrap" with GPS back then, but when it never came I slightly lost interest.

Does it at least have heart rate?

Re: Pebble Time 2 Design Reveal [video]

#46

Post by FirmwareBurner » Wed, Aug 13, 2025, 5:27 PM UTC

aidenn0 wrote: post #32

My concern with the Pebble Time 2 is the lower contrast that color e-ink has compared to grayscale. I don't know how bad it is in person, but next to the Pebble 2 Duo in the video it looks much worse. If it were B&W I would have bought it immediately.

>My concern with the Pebble Time 2 is the lower contrast that color e-ink has compared to grayscale

That's not eink technology, it's most likely Sharp Memory-in-Pixel (MIP) LCD display, where the difference between BW and color isn't as bad as in eink technology which uses actual pigment particles inside the pixel cells that "cloud" the contrast.

Re: Pebble Time 2 Design Reveal [video]

#47

Post by bronlund » Wed, Aug 13, 2025, 5:27 PM UTC

platelminto wrote: post #43

bronlund wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I too was part of the initial Kickstarter and I had both the first and the second version. When FitBit bought Pebble in 2016, some may argue that this was a good thing, the development of the watch and the OS just stopped - it was dead. FitBit had no intention of keeping the Pebble and just wanted to implement the software into it's own ecosystem. Google bought FitBit in 2019 and released the source code for PebbleOS…

> some may argue that this was a good thing I don't think anyone was arguing this - Pebble simply went bankrupt. FitBit just bought some of their IP/assets I think. There was no expectation of them buying it and continuing support or development.

Some say that if FitBit hadn't bought them, the Kickstarter supporters that still hadn't received their devices, wouldn't gotten their money refunded from Pebble.

If this is true or not, I have no idea.

Re: Pebble Time 2 Design Reveal [video]

#48

Post by apparent » Wed, Aug 13, 2025, 5:27 PM UTC

JaggerJo wrote: post #41

apparent wrote: post #24

> We’re planning to release 4 different Pebble Time 2 colourways. These haven’t been finalized yet. No names yet, we still need to pick them! Would be great if we could vote. I am excited that there's a metallic option, but IMO the silver is too light. A dark gunmetal, or even medium-darkness silver, would be better in my book. The silver comes across as a bit flashy (which is perhaps good for the company), and I'd r…

I really like the silver. Red and Blue are IMO not needed as you can always add an accent using the band. Probably just makes everything more complicated.

Would you use the silver with a contrasting band, as shown? Or would you try to get a band that roughly matches it?

It sounds like the colors don't add much complexity because it's just a polycarbonate piece that's sandwiched between the metal front and back. It does add complexity and and there are surely some fixed costs associated with making these and the matching bands. But it's kind of a neat innovation to have a pop of color on the side, matching the band. I think the red one could actually look nice with a plain black band.

Re: Pebble Time 2 Design Reveal [video]

#49

Post by numpad0 » Wed, Aug 13, 2025, 5:31 PM UTC

For those confused like I was:

  - Pebble 2 Duo: $149, B&W, original Pebble look
  - Pebble Time 2: $225, color, new round square look
  * both with intended IPX8, 30-day battery, "e-paper" aka gameboy style LCD, suite of sensors, Pebble app compatibility

Re: Pebble Time 2 Design Reveal [video]

#50

Post by potatolicious » Wed, Aug 13, 2025, 5:34 PM UTC

bronlund wrote: post #35

potatolicious wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm a bit lost here, and to be fair my memory from that long ago is a bit hazy... but I was a initial Pebble kickstarter and also got whatever the metal one was called. They were totally fine products, I enjoyed using them. I am no longer using them, but such is the nature of consumer gadgetry. I don't recall getting rogered at any point in that process?

I too was part of the initial Kickstarter and I had both the first and the second version. When FitBit bought Pebble in 2016, some may argue that this was a good thing, the development of the watch and the OS just stopped - it was dead. FitBit had no intention of keeping the Pebble and just wanted to implement the software into it's own ecosystem. Google bought FitBit in 2019 and released the source code for PebbleOS…

I remember that part too, I just don't feel like any of it was particularly egregious. Disappointing sure, but I suppose I disagree that anything about it was untoward.

I'm generally pretty hostile to companies being acquired and breaking their past customers' products. Shutting down various required cloud services, making software undownloadable, etc.

But I don't think that happened? The roadmap simply ended, but every watch that was out there kept working as-advertised for a good long while?