Pebble is back. On Monday, Google (which owns Pebble’s intellectual property through its purchase of Fitbit) opened up the software of the modern OG smartwatch to open source. While this paves the way for the creation of new Pebble-style devices (or custom firmware for older models), one high-profile figure has already raised his hand: Pebble creator Eric Migicovsky.
Google says that PebbleOS is open source and includes most of the software source code. The only exception is the proprietary code for the chipset and Bluetooth software. Google’s Matthieu Jeanson, Katharine Berry, and Liam McLoughlin wrote that developers face a “non-trivial amount of work” in finding replacements for the removed code. Migicovsky says he spurred the project by asking friends at Google if they would release the software as open source.
The Pebble founder, who later launched Beeper (the Android iMessage app that sparked a brief war with Apple), wrote in his blog that he wants his planned smartwatch to be a modern version of the original Pebble-a spiritual successor that won’t try to reinvent the wheel. “No one is making a smartwatch with the kind of features I want,” he wrote. “I was really, really, really hoping that someone else would come along and create a replacement for Pebble. But nobody did.”
His wish list for the as-yet-unnamed product includes a screen that is always on for e-paper, long battery life, a “simple and beautiful user interface,” physical buttons, and hackability (e.g., customized watch faces). These were indeed the distinctive features of the innovative and charming Pebble watch, which broke Kickstarter records and was several years ahead of Apple, Samsung and Google models.
“The new watch we’re building basically has the same features and functions as the Pebble, albeit with some interesting new features,” wrote the Pebble founder, adding that his team still needs to determine the exact specifications and timeline for the product. “It runs on the open-source PebbleOS and is compatible with all Pebble apps and watch faces.”
Developers can get the open-source Pebble OS from Google on GitHub. And if you’re interested in the yet-to-be-named spiritual successor to Migicovsky’s 2013 smartwatch, you can sign up for updates on his website.
