Although it shut down operations back in 2016, smartwatch brand Pebble announced its resurrecting and revamping its two wearables.
Pebble’s founder Eric Migicovsky announced the Pebble 2 Duo and Pebble Time 2 earlier this year, but what’s really different with the timepieces? Plus, why should anyone even consider investing in a Pebble smartwatch – especially as Pebble itself disclaims “these watches aren’t made for everyone”.
We explain what’s the difference between the Pebble 2 Duo and Pebble Time 2 below, and what’s new from the original 2010s devices.
Want a more tried and tested wearable? Our best smartwatch guide includes most of our favourite devices.
Price and Availability
The Pebble 2 Duo is the cheaper of the two, with a $149.99 price tag. However, it’s worth noting the device sold out extremely quickly after its initial release, with a recent update from the brand stating that while the white iteration should be shipping now, the black version is taking slightly longer to fulfill.
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At the time of writing, while the Pebble Time 2 is available to order from Pebble’s direct website, with an RRP of $225, it does disclaim shipping isn’t expected to take place until February 2026.
Pebble Time 2 has a colour display
Although both the Pebble 2 Duo and Pebble Time 2 are fitted with an e-paper, always-on display, the Time 2 benefits from the inclusion of 64-colour whereas the 2 Duo is black and white. Even so, Pebble still states that the 2 Duo offers an “ultra crisp” viewing experience, regardless of the lack of colour.
Not only that but the Time 2 is also larger at 1.5-inches compared to 1.26-inches, offering more screen real estate to play with.
Pebble 2 Duo and Pebble Time 2. Image Credit (Pebble)
Pebble Time 2 has a touchscreen
Another difference between the respective Pebble displays is that the Time 2 is a touchscreen whereas the 2 Duo can only be operated via the four on-device buttons.
In fact, the Pebble Time 2 is the first PebbleOS watch to boast a touchscreen, which the brand has explained it developed to add “complications” to watchfaces and widgets. Pebble explains that these complications will show glanceable information including weather, upcoming calendar events and more, while the touch screen enables users to tap and directly open the associated app.
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Sure, this isn’t necessarily a groundbreaking concept but it’s noteworthy for any previous Pebble users who couldn’t do this.
Pebble Time 2. Image Credit (Pebble)
Pebble Time 2 has a heart rate monitor
Although Pebble itself says the Time 2 can’t replace the likes of a Garmin smartwatch when it comes to fitness tracking, it still benefits from a built-in heart rate monitor. While Pebble hasn’t offered a particular deep dive into the ins and outs of the sensor, nor does it make any claims of anything too premium such as afib detection, it’s still a nice-to-have addition.
Otherwise, both the Pebble 2 Duo and Time 2 are fitted with step and sleep tracking too, although again Pebble hasn’t divulged much on what we can expect from such tools.
Both promise up to one month of battery life
Battery life is a controversial topic on smartwatches, with the likes of Garmin devices and Whoop straps offering weeks of life on a single charge whereas the Apple Watch Ultra 3 only offers up to 42 hours with everyday use.
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With this in mind, it’s seriously impressive that the Pebble 2 Duo and Time 2 are promised to offer up to a whopping 30 days of battery life on a single charge. This is up from just seven days found in the original Pebble 2.
Both run on PebbleOS
One of the biggest reasons to opt for a Pebble smartwatch in the first place is thanks to PebbleOS.
PebbleOS is open source which enables all the baseline Pebble features including receiving notifications, enabling alarms and timers, basic fitness tracking and more. Not only that but if you have fond memories of a certain PebbleOS watchface or app from your original smartwatch, then it’s likely still available on the app store too.
Pebble 2 Duo. Image Credit (Pebble)
Early Verdict
With Pebble itself stating that neither the 2 Duo nor the Time 2 will likely measure up alongside the best smartwatches, you might be left wondering why you’d even consider opting for either.
However, with the promise of up to 30 days battery, an e-paper display that’s easy on the eyes and basic fitness tracking, all housed in that nostalgic early 2010s style, then it’s easy to see the appeal.
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