Pebble Time 2 Review: The Most Joyful Smartwatch I’ve Ever Worn

The Pebble Time 2 is a small, relatively innocuous smartwatch. It doesn’t do that much beyond acting as a wearable smartphone companion. And yet the Pebble experience is like walking along a beach finding that one smooth stone that you fall in love with, despite there being billions of rocks strewn in every direction. There are many like it, but that one brings me joy.

There are few gadgets I can say have felt personal. It’s more than a simple statement like, “This works for me,” or, “It does the job.” You form an attachment to the object, the value feeling more intrinsic because of that connection. It normally takes time to develop that sense that the gadget fits into your life. I had to spend many hours with my Steam Deck , adding all my Epic Games Store titles and emulators to the device, before I came to define my gaming lifestyle by the handheld. For the $225 Pebble Time 2, that sense of endearment came like a blitzkrieg.

It's a low-key, relatively affordable smartwatch that doesn't do too much and is so much better for it.

It was only one day after wearing the Pebble Time 2, while I was perusing the Pebble app for new watch faces, that I stumbled upon an older face that included an 8-bit Mario character. Every minute, Mario jumps into a pair of blocks to add a minute to the clock. At night, the theme changes to the original Super Mario Bros. dungeon look. Finally, I had the watch I actually wanted to strap to my wrist day after day.

Every little joy, from the feel of the side buttons to the speedy animations, adds to a sense of personality. The Pebble Time 2 is not just an anti-Apple Watch. It’s carving out a space we’ve lacked in this category—something that’s genuinely useful but not overbearing. It doesn’t shower you with health metrics. It doesn’t demand you close your circles by taking more steps like some stern, digital parent.

I had the chance to talk with Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky last month. The creator’s design philosophy can be boiled down to “making a watch I want to wear.” So, yes, the Pebble Time 2 has incredible battery life that can last upwards of two weeks. It’s fast and snappy and doesn’t lock you into an ecosystem, all because Migicovsky prefers it. The strange thing is, I agree with him. I prefer not having to remember to charge my wearables every two days.

Is it perfect for me? No, but it is still the only watch I want to wear.

Pebble, as a brand, first came into its own in 2013 as a screen-based wearable that could display Android phone messages. Like many companies at the time, it took off on Kickstarter and soon ballooned into a cult brand identity. The company slowly expanded until it was making smart e-paper display watches before Apple finally debuted the Apple Watch in 2015. After a few blunders, Pebble eventually sold itself to Fitbit, which in turn was gobbled up by Google.

After Migicovsky came back to try and restart his original smartwatch company, now called Core Devices, he managed to reclaim the Pebble branding and even helped push Google to open-source PebbleOS. Now, these devices are supposed to be very reminiscent of those earlier wearables.