Pebble Announces Round 2 Smartwatch

Pebble, the revived smartwatch maker, announced the Pebble Round 2 on Wednesday, a sleek circular reboot of its 2015 Time Round model that promises improved battery life and a refined design. Priced at $199, the device is available for preorder immediately and set to ship in May, targeting fans of minimalist wearables amid the company's ongoing resurgence.

The Pebble Round 2 measures just 8.1 millimeters thick, slightly thicker than the original's 7.5 millimeters but slimmer than many current competitors, such as the Apple Watch Series 11 at 9.7 millimeters. It features a 1.3-inch color e-paper touchscreen display with a 260-by-260-pixel resolution, doubling the pixel density of its predecessor and filling more of the face thanks to a reduced bezel. The always-on screen includes a backlight for low-light visibility and supports thousands of watch faces and apps from the Pebble Appstore, running on the open-source PebbleOS. Users can swap bands via quick-release lugs, with options for 14-millimeter or 20-millimeter sizes depending on the finish: matte black and brushed silver both support 20-millimeter bands, while silver and polished rose gold also accommodate 14-millimeter...