January 5, 2026
Bezelgate: fans clash over style vs power
Pebble Round 2
Slim, shiny, bezel-free glow-up — fans swoon while battery diehards stick with Time 2
TLDR: Pebble Round 2 is back with a thinner body, full-face display, and about two weeks of battery for $199. Fans are split between loving the stylish glow-up and sticking with Time 2 for more battery, while budget-conscious buyers praise the easy preorder switch.
Pebble just dropped Round 2, a super-thin, all-face, no-bezel comeback that has the old-school crowd buzzing. The community is split into two camps: the swooners and the stalwarts. On one side, fans are gushing that this is the stylish Pebble they’ve dreamed of—no chunky border, a classy stainless frame, and an estimated two-week battery. “It looks more classy and less like a smartwatch,” cheered one early pre-order, echoing the vibe across threads. On the other side, the battery-max crowd isn’t budging: some are keeping their Time 2 orders because they want even longer battery life, turning the comments into a polite turf war of style vs stamina.
The founder jumped in with a proud flex (“Proud of this one!”) and an open invite for questions, which only fueled the hype. Meanwhile, budget-savvy fans are switching from Time 2 to Round 2 because it’s $199 and ships in May, calling it a “customer-focused” move since you keep your spot in line. Devs are already itching to make sleek round watchfaces, asking if there’s an emulator, while others meme’d the return as the “Bezel Funeral” and the ultimate “glow-up” from 2015’s Pebble Time Round.
Context for the newbies: Pebble is the button-loving, open-source smartwatch with a battery measured in weeks and an always-on e-paper screen. Round 2 keeps the classic Pebble feel, drops the heart rate sensor and speaker, and adds dual mics for AI replies—because even minimalists want to chat. Pre-orders are live at rePebble.com.
Key Points
- •Pebble Round 2 introduces a bezel-less 1.3-inch color e-paper display and maintains an ultra-thin 8.1mm profile.
- •Estimated battery life is approximately two weeks, enabled by advances in Bluetooth chip technology.
- •Runs open-source PebbleOS; the open-source mobile app supports iOS and Android, with access to 15,000+ apps via the Pebble Appstore and an SDK for developers.
- •Specs include 260×260 resolution at 283 DPI, four buttons, optional touchscreen, 30m water resistance target, accelerometer, magnetometer, and dual microphones (Android replies now; iOS replies in EU soon).
- •Pre-orders are $199 on rePebble.com, shipping starts in May; the product is currently in the DVT phase with a demo video available.