# Pebble smartwatch 117 Hacker News commenters recommended Pebble smartwatch and 37 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 12 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 12 years (4 owners). It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** Recommended for week-plus battery life, an always-on readable screen, physical buttons and an open, hackable platform with a devoted community; critics cite hardware durability issues and the Rebble dispute. ## Why people recommend it - Long battery life (7 comments): "Pebble was sort of the first/only smartwatch that are common+open enough && uses simplistic lightweight OS such that it'll last couple weeks per charge." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47076717)) "They have very nice hardware, long battery life with always-on screen, open software, and an active developer community." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50300012)) "Battery life was great, upwards of a week between charges, because connectivity features were very limited." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45972729)) - Open source and hackable (10 comments): "The companion app is now completely open source, ensuring that the community can continue supporting the watches if Core goes under." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46038235)) "They have very nice hardware, long battery life with always-on screen, open software, and an active developer community." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50300012)) "They successfully open sourced a beloved platform and embraced the community ecosystem that sprung up around it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45920050)) - Passionate, resilient community (6 comments): "Lots of people still use their original Pebbles from 10 years ago and the community continued to release content for the platform." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47073999)) "They successfully open sourced a beloved platform and embraced the community ecosystem that sprung up around it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45920050)) "a company putting out products in 2025 in a way that embraces its community and works in the open is laudable" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45920351)) - Simple, focused, less distracting (5 comments): "I do use pebble for (something like) that. I find that setting it up so they certain people can get to my wrist makes me check my phone less." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45920956)) "a device that is clearly complementing a modern smartphone rather than trying to be a second phone on my wrist" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47075450)) "Pebble's capabilities are excellent b/c the UX of a ~1.5" screen is wildly different than that of an iPhone." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48951164)) ## What people warn about - Screen and hardware failures (4 comments): "I went through 3 pebbles with the screen corrupting, and sending it back for a refurb." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48944664)) "The original Pebbles had a zebra strip connector to the display which had problems" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46509184)) "Glue and seals weaken with exposure to temperature extremes in both directions." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47076380)) - Dispute with Rebble community (5 comments): "The idea that someone steps away for 10 years and then expects to take the work of others to use them and throw them away" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45975098)) "There goes any interest I had in the Pebble revival until this is sorted fairly." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45961202)) "They want the data from the original Pebble store, which is not owned by Rebble." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45970186)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [Apple Watch](https://hackerapproved.com/p/apple-watch.md): 246 recommend - [Apple Watch Ultra](https://hackerapproved.com/p/apple-watch-ultra.md): 33 recommend - [Bangle.js 2 smartwatch](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bangle-js-smartwatch.md): 13 recommend - [Garmin Vivoactive](https://hackerapproved.com/p/garmin-vivoactive.md): 9 recommend - [Amazfit smartwatch](https://hackerapproved.com/p/amazfit-smartwatch.md): 9 recommend ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://repebble.com/) ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Pebble smartwatch", https://hackerapproved.com/p/pebble-smartwatch/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).