Skip to main content

Pebble sinks: Smartwatch pioneer to shut down, sell core assets to Fitbit

Pebble is shutting down and will stop manufacturing its devices

best pebble smartwatch deals 2 review
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends
Pebble, the brand which introduced the concept of the modern smartwatch to many people, is shutting down, and will be selling its core assets to Fitbit.

Fitbit, known for its fitness trackers, has confirmed its acquisition of specific Pebble assets, “including key personnel and intellectual property related to software and firmware development. The acquisition excludes the company’s hardware products.”

The asset acquisition also excludes Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky who, according to Bloomberg, is said to be joining Y Combinator. Bloomberg reports the acquisition of Pebble assets cost Fitbit less than $40 million, and the company has sent job offers to 40 percent of Pebble’s staff.

Both companies know plenty about wearable technology. Fitbit has recently launched a smartwatch of its own, the love-it-or-hate-it Blaze. For its part, Pebble doesn’t, or didn’t, just make hardware. Its watches run PebbleOS, an operating system which is compatible with both iOS and Android, and it operated a packed app store featuring a massive choice of watch faces, apps, and games.

Both Pebble, which found initial success in its smartwatch Kickstarter campaign in 2012, and Fitbit have been struggling financially this year — but that extends to most smartwatch manufacturers. The market is seeing declining sales, according to the International Data Corporation’s latest estimates. Hardly any Android Wear smartwatches have been released this year, and sales of the Apple Watch are said to be down nearly 70 percent from this time last year. Apple CEO Tim Cook has disputed the estimates, saying the Watch is “on track for the best quarter ever.”

Fitbit hasn’t detailed its exact plans for its new assets from Pebble, but the company says the acquisition will help cement its leadership in the wearables market.

“With this acquisition, we’re well positioned to accelerate the expansion of our platform and ecosystem to make Fitbit a vital part of daily life for a wider set of consumers, as well as build the tools healthcare providers, insurers, and employers need to more meaningfully integrate wearable technology into preventative and chronic care,” said James Park, CEO and co-founder of Fitbit, in the announcement.

This deal isn’t good for Pebble fans, and is even worse news for backers of Pebble’s most recent Kickstarter campaign, due to the cancellation of the Pebble Time 2 and Pebble Core. The company already began shipping the new Pebble 2, but as “Pebble is no longer able to operate as an independent entity,” the company is shutting down production and will not manufacture the Pebble Time 2 or the Pebble Core.

Pebble owners’ devices will continue to work as normal, but the company does say “Pebble functionality or service quality may be reduced in the future.” Kickstarter backers will receive a full refund within four to eight weeks, and the same goes for any orders from Pebble’s website. Warranty support is also no longer available for Pebble watches.

Pebble laid off 25 percent of its staff back in March, signaling times were hard, but Fitbit hasn’t had the best of years either. In January, its stock price fell by 35 percent in a week.

Article originally published on 12-01-2016. Article updated on 07-12-2016 by Julian Chokkattu: Added in official confirmation of the acquisition.

Editors' Recommendations

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Fitbit Versa and Fitbit Ionic smartwatch prices get slashed for spring
fitbit versa review version 1522045407 full 33

Summertime is right around the corner, and now's the best time to start slimming down for beach season. One of the most important parts of losing weight is staying active, and a Fitbit is a great way of tracking just how active you are. The Fitbit Versa and Ionic are two of Fitbit's smartwatch models currently on sale at Rakuten, and you can get them even cheaper using the code 'SAVE15' at checkout with a quick email sign up to be a Rakuten member.The Fitbit Versa is on sale for $172, and the Ionic $195 on Rakuten.

Rakuten is a trusted site, owner and operator of Ebates and other ecommerce sites, and sells from third-party vendors. When you add the promo code savings in, the Versa drops to the lowest prices we've seen yet. In fact, the Versa is $8 cheaper than either the Fitbit official site or Amazon, and the Ionic is as much as $35 cheaper. While you'll have a choice of colors with the Versa -- either black, Gray/Silver, or Peach/Rosegold, the sale price is only good for the Charcoal/Smoke Gray version of the Ionic.
Fitbit Versa:

Read more
The best Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 screen protectors
Person holding skateboard while wearing the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.

A new, sleek design and digital bezel help the Galaxy Watch 4 stand out in the crowd and set it apart from the traditional style of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Whether you've picked up a 40mm model with a 1.2-inch Super AMOLED screen or opted for more screen real estate with the 44mm model, that stand-out design needs protecting from scratches and knocks. That means it's time for our picks of the best Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 screen protectors, with something to suit all budgets.

These screen protectors will all fit the 40mm or 44mm models of the Galaxy Watch 4. If you've got a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic, these won't fit.
Spigen Glas.tR EZ Fit Screen Protector

Read more
How to remove watch links from the strap on your new watch
how to remove watch links fossil q explorist

There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all smartwatch. If your wrists are on the smaller size, then you may find that your new smartwatch is dangling from your wrist and sliding up your forearm. No need to worry — it's a common problem. Chances are there are at least one too many chain links on the strap, but adjusting a metal-link smartwatch band isn't as difficult as you might think — and doesn't usually require a trip to the jewelers.

We'll take you through everything you need to know and the tools you'll need handy to remove links from your smartwatch so it fits snugly on your wrist.

Read more