Pebble, the e-ink smartwatch with a storied past, is poised to captivate DIY aficionados, who form the essence of its loyal following: its entire software ecosystem is now entirely open source, accompanied by vital hardware design files.
The announcement was made by Pebble creator Eric Migicovsky in a blog post and accompanying video, unveiling significant transformations undertaken by his revived Pebble watchmaking enterprise.
To provide context for those unfamiliar with Pebble’s narrative, these economically priced e-ink smartwatches, conceived by Migicovsky, made their grand debut in 2013.
While color variants surfaced subsequently, by 2016, Fitbit acquired the company, discontinuing hardware sales and effectively relegating the Pebble software ecosystem to obscurity.
Following the acquisition, support for existing devices waned, compelling independent enthusiasts, operating under the name Rebble, to assume responsibility for ongoing support.
Fitbit, in turn, was acquired by Google, which open-sourced Pebble’s operating system in January 2025. This paved the way for Migicovsky to establish a new venture, Core Devices, in March, with plans to unveil two new Pebble smartwatches.
Migicovsky clarified that ownership of the Pebble brand has reverted to him following the expiration of Google’s trademark.
Open Hardware and Software Initiatives
Significantly, all electrical and mechanical schematics for Pebble’s currently available model, the monochrome Pebble 2 Duo, are accessible on GitHub, enabling enthusiasts to build their own Pebble 2 Duo devices.
As for the schematics of Core Devices’ forthcoming Pebble Time 2, these files are understandably not available on GitHub at this stage. Migicovsky stated in his blog that shipping for this model is slated to commence early next year; however, the decision to release its schematics remains pending.
On the software front, the entire suite of PebbleOS and the mobile applications designed for notification management and device administration on both iOS and Android platforms have also been made available for public access on GitHub, alongside the Pebble SDK and other development tools.
Migicovsky expressed his aspiration that opening up PebbleOS will spark a resurgence of innovative products, extending beyond just watches.
“The prospect of individuals harnessing Pebble OS to create diverse products is exhilarating,” Migicovsky remarked.
A substantial motivator for this openness appears to stem from Migicovsky’s previous experiences during Pebble’s collapse, expressing a desire to prevent users from finding themselves without functionality should an unforeseen circumstance arise again.
“When the company dissolved, the community faced limitations in enhancing their devices,” Migicovsky elucidated in his video, emphasizing that the mobile app and OS were never made open-source following Fitbit’s takeover and subsequent shutdown of operations.
“The impetus for this relaunch was largely due to Google’s decision to open-source Pebble’s operating system,” Migicovsky stated, extending gratitude to Google for facilitating this transition.
Community Turmoil Amidst Expansion
Recently, the Pebble community has been embroiled in controversy, arising from tensions between Migicovsky and the Pebble team, who accused the Pebble founder of misappropriating their work.
“We previously agreed to license our database to Core for developing a recommendation engine,” Rebble commented in a blog post. “However, Eric later insisted on unrestricted access to our curated data for his own use.”
Despite requests for a meeting, Rebble accused Migicovsky of illicitly scraping their servers for information, a claim Migicovsky has refuted as miscommunication.
Following backlash, Pebble softened some assertions, particularly regarding their ownership of the content hosted on their app store, which has served as a repository for Pebble apps since the original service’s discontinuation.
Rebble clarified its position in an updated blog post, indicating that it only seeks to accurately reflect its involvement in the hosting and maintenance of the content.
The uproar largely stems from the origins of the apps and watch faces within the Rebble store, as Migicovsky explained on Monday.
“When Fitbit discontinued the original Pebble Appstore, the Rebble Foundation archived all available apps and watchfaces, establishing a new service enabling users of legacy Pebble devices to continue accessing their favorites,” Migicovsky wrote.
While Rebble’s access to this data is commendable, it remains clear that the ownership of the original content is not theirs, a reality that Rebble itself has, perhaps inadvertently, acknowledged with its recent updates.
However, such disputes may soon become ancillary, as users will soon be able to download apps on any Pebble device—new, old, or self-constructed using the newly available open-source components—through a mobile app featuring a system akin to open-source package management.
With anticipated approvals from Google and Apple, the Pebble mobile app will soon introduce multiple app feeds available for user subscription.
Moreover, developers will enjoy the capacity to curate their own feeds, Migicovsky disclosed. Additionally, Core will establish its own Pebble Appstore feed, with daily archives being uploaded to Archive.org.
“This structure alleviates reliance on our servers; should they become unavailable, users can download the feed and create their own Pebble app store,” asserted Migicovsky.
“We aspire to set a new standard for transparency, encouraging all app store feeds to maintain openly accessible archives for their applications.”
Migicovsky also highlighted forthcoming monetization features within the Pebble app, allowing developers the opportunity to profit from their innovations.
Whether this open approach will elevate Pebble from its current status as a minor player in the wearables market—dominated by titans like Apple and Samsung—remains uncertain.
However, for those seeking autonomy over their devices, this novel paradigm of fully open-source hardware and software offers an unparalleled opportunity.
Source link: Theregister.com.
