Pebble Round 2 production starts in late July as Index 01 slips

Pebble Round 2 should enter mass production soon, with all 14,000 pre-orders expected to ship by the end of September. Index 01 has already entered mass production, with most orders now due to ship by the end of August.

Pebble has also released PebbleOS 4.23.0, adding simpler backlight modes, revised ambient-light behaviour and several smaller improvements.

Round 2 finally has a production window

Pebble outlined the new timelines in its July production and software update. The update gives Round 2 buyers a firmer date after several months of shifting estimates.

Mass production should begin during the final week of July. Pebble plans to increase output gradually and expects the complete pre-order run to take around two months.

That puts the final shipments at the end of September. Buyers should receive an email roughly two weeks before their watch is ready, asking them to confirm the delivery address, choose any accessories and pay additional taxes where required.

Our previous Round 2 update covered the cosmetic case issue that stopped Pebble from starting production in May. The factory has since produced a revised stainless steel bottom case, while another batch of beta watches went out at the beginning of July.

Pebble is also preparing custom leather straps for the circular watch. Brown and black versions should cost between $20 and $30. Every pre-order already includes a silicone strap and charger.

Index 01 starts shipping in small numbers

Index 01 has moved further along. Pebble says several thousand rings have been assembled and small quantities are now shipping as the factory increases production. Nearly all pre-orders should leave by the end of August. A few size and colour combinations may slip into September.

The software is also taking shape. Index 01 now works through the main Pebble mobile app, with support for Apple Reminders, Google Tasks, calendars and Obsidian. Users can send recordings or transcriptions to their own apps and servers through webhooks.

Optional cloud backup uses encryption keys controlled by the user. That is a sensible fit for a device built around voice capture, particularly for people who do not want every recording locked inside one service.

PebbleOS 4.23.0 focuses on the backlight

In separate news, the PebbleOS 4.23.0 changelog lists four simplified backlight modes. Max Brightness improves visibility but can increase battery drain by around 30%. Standard remains the default, while Battery Saver reduces power use. Advanced keeps the detailed controls for people who prefer to tune the behaviour manually.

Pebble has also revised the ambient-light algorithm. The company does not promise a dramatic change, but the automatic backlight has been one of the rougher parts of the Pebble Time 2 experience. More predictable behaviour would be a useful improvement.

The update adds alarm sound previews, built-in Polish support and better Arabic rendering with a new font. It also includes security fixes for Alloy, Pebble’s system for running native JavaScript apps.

Battery optimisation continues separately. Median battery life for Pebble 2 Duo has risen from 17 days last summer to more than 30 days, while Pebble Time 2 currently sits at around 21 days.

That gap remains worth noting. Our Pebble Time 2 versus Pebble 2 Duo comparison was based on an advertised target of up to 30 days for both watches. Time 2 is moving in the right direction, but it has not reached that figure yet.

Pebble has now built more than 23,000 Time 2 watches and fulfilled over 80% of pre-orders. Grey and blue units should ship by July 28, followed by black and red versions on July 31. Once those orders clear, Time 2 should briefly become available without a pre-order wait.