Once the pioneer of smartwatches and a creator of crowdfunding myths, Pebble faded from the market after being acquired by Fitbit in 2016. Now, its founder Eric Migicovsky has made a comeback to launch a new product – the Pebble Index 01 smart ring. Positioned as an ultra-minimalist device with “no charging, no internet, no AI,” this product is priced at approximately 75 US dollars for pre-order (the price will rise to 99 US dollars upon official release). It focuses on meeting users’ “instant recording” needs and is expected to be shipped in March 2026, evoking memories of Pebble’s minimalist and practical style among many long-time users.
Minimalist Design: Ditching Redundant Features
Pebble Index 01 is more like a decorative ring, combining a sleek look with an industrial style. It comes in three color options: Polished Silver, Polished Gold, and Matte Black, along with eight sizes ranging from 6 to 13. Judging from its appearance alone, it can already meet daily matching needs. Unlike smart rings such as Oura Ring and Samsung Galaxy Ring that focus on health monitoring, it completely abandons functions like heart rate detection, sleep monitoring, and step counting. Its core positioning is to serve as an “external memory” for users’ brains, specifically addressing the pain point of “inspiration/urgent matters being forgotten in an instant.”
The hardware design of the product is extremely simple, with no screen or vibration motor – only a button, a small LED light, and a microphone are retained, and the operation logic is simplified accordingly. There is “only one way” to use it: when an inspiration flashes in the user’s mind, they remember an urgent matter, or want to record something interesting, there is no need to take out a mobile phone or call a smart assistant. They just need to lift their hand, press the button on the ring, and speak to complete the recording. In addition, it also supports issuing commands such as setting alarms, adding schedules, and creating to-do lists.
These commands will be synchronized to the mobile phone through the supporting APP. It has a built-in limited storage function, which can save recordings for up to 5 minutes when the connection is lost, and then transmit them after reconnection. As an open-source product, it can also be connected to and control Siri, with the only note being that the intelligence of Apple Intelligence is limited.
Battery Life and Privacy: Disposable Batteries and Offline Mode
In terms of battery life, the Pebble Index 01 breaks the common complaint of smart wearables requiring “frequent charging.” It has a built-in non-replaceable silver oxide hearing aid battery. With a usage intensity of 10-20 recordings per day, each lasting 5-10 seconds, the battery can last for two years. Moreover, it is waterproof and dustproof, so there is no need to take it off when washing, exercising, or taking a bath. However, when the battery runs out, users need to send the old ring back to Pebble for recycling and place a new order. From the perspective of usage logic, it is a “disposable product.” But for users who are tired of having to “charge devices before bed” like with Apple Watch and other gadgets, this design provides a more hassle-free battery life solution.
In terms of privacy protection, the Pebble Index 01 also has targeted designs: the microphone is only powered on when the button is pressed and cannot be activated in the background; all recordings are encrypted and transmitted to the mobile phone via Bluetooth, and rely on the local AI model of the supporting APP to complete text conversion and classification. The entire process requires no internet connection and no additional subscription fees, avoiding the risk of voice data leakage.
Of course, this product also faces obvious challenges: its function is too focused on “instant audio recording,” making it more like a solution developed by the founder based on his personal needs. For most users who are accustomed to the “multi-functional integration” of smartwatches, spending several hundred yuan to buy a “recording button” and having to develop a new habit of “pressing the ring to speak” sets a relatively high threshold for acceptance. In an era where smart assistants are widespread, whether its “offline experience” and “physical button feel” can impress enough consumers still needs to be tested by the market – a key discussion point in the latest electronics news. Nevertheless, Pebble’s return and this design concept of “daring to cut down on features” have brought new possibilities to the highly homogeneous smart wearable market.
