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Google open-sourced the defunct Pebble smartwatch’s operating system on January 27, 2025, handing its original creator, Eric Migicovsky, a chance to rebuild the beloved device with community support.
“This is part of an effort from Google to help and support the volunteers who have come together to maintain functionality for Pebble watches after the original company ceased operations in 2016,” Google wrote in a blog post.
The move aims to extend the lifespan of Pebble’s software while Migicovsky’s startup crafts a modern version of the watch. The new watch will bank on its iconic simplicity and hackability to carve a niche in a market dominated by Apple and Google.
“We’re restarting Pebble,” Migicovsky told TechCrunch during a Zoom call, grinning. “No one makes a smartwatch with the core set of features I want.”
The released code, hosted on GitHub, excludes code for Google’s proprietary chipsets and Bluetooth. Migicovsky’s team must replace these components to create functional firmware.
The new watch will retain Pebble’s hallmarks. “The new watch we’re building basically has the same specs and features as Pebble, though with some fun new stuff as well,” Migicovsky said.
Migicovsky also set some goals to be implemented: an always-on e-paper screen, long battery life, physical buttons, and compatibility with over 16,000 legacy apps and watch faces.
Pebble sold two million units before collapsing in 2016. Fitbit acquired its assets, which were later absorbed by Google in 2021. Migicovsky, now the sole employee of his stealth startup, plans to hire one more by March. He’s scouted factories in Shenzhen, where manufacturing costs and expertise have improved since Pebble’s early days.
“Turns out making hardware is much easier than it was 10 years ago,” he noted. “There were no smartwatches factories. We had to tell the factories what to do.”
The project is self-funded, avoiding venture capital or Kickstarter campaigns. Migicovsky’s blog outlines his vision: a “passion project” targeting users frustrated with complex, short-lived smartwatches. Fueling the demand for the successor is a still-active resale market for vintage Pebbles.
“There are at least dozens of us,” Migicovsky joked about Pebble loyalists.
Interested users can sign up for updates at RePebble.com. Migicovsky’s bet hinges on nostalgia and open-source collaboration—a gamble to prove that minimalist tech still has room to tick.
