The Time of Our Lives
Anyone familiar with Team Pebble knows full well: keeping quiet isn’t our style.
We love sharing Pebble’s story with you—whether it’s a new product, fresh feature, or simply staying in touch online and in person. Aside from announcing Pebble’s 4.3 software updates, our silence over the past month was deafening and out-of-character—we’re sorry for that.
Today, we’re breaking that silence. Join us as we close one chapter and invite you along for what’s next. We hope to answer as many questions as possible here, in our formal announcement, and on our Support site.
Pebble is joining Fitbit
Fitbit has agreed to acquire key Pebble assets. Due to various factors, Pebble can no longer operate as an independent entity, and we have made the tough decision to shut down the company. The deal finalized today preserves as much of Pebble as possible.
Pebble is ceasing all hardware operations. We are no longer manufacturing, promoting, or selling any new products. Active Pebble models in the wild will continue to work.
Pebble’s expertise, philosophy, and culture will live on at Fitbit. Much of our team and resources will join Fitbit to deliver new “moments of awesome” in future Fitbit products, developer tools, and experiences. As our transition progresses, we’ll have exciting new stories to tell and milestones to celebrate.
It’s a bittersweet time, no doubt. We’ll miss what we’re leaving behind, but are excited for what the future holds. It will be important for Pebblers to extend a warm welcome to Fitbit—as fans and customers—sharing what they love about Pebble and what they’d like to see next.
Kickstarter Backers
Backers will get refunds for any unfulfilled rewards. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, we were excited to bring Pebble 2, Time 2, and Core to the world. We’ve since shipped every Pebble 2 possible, but can’t say the same for the remaining rewards. Pebble Time 2, Pebble Core, and Pebble Time Round Kickstarter Editions will not go into final production.
Kickstarter will refund eligible pledges by March 2017.
- No further action is needed. Eligible backers will automatically be refunded their pledges for any unfulfilled Pebble rewards (Time 2, Core, Time Round), plus any shipping, taxes, or duties paid.
- The small number of Pebble 2 backers who did not submit the information required to finalize their reward shipments will also be refunded.
- Successfully-received Pebble 2 rewards are the only item not eligible for a Kickstarter pledge refund.
- Backers who ordered add-on Pebble devices to their Pledge Portals after the campaign closed may have seen a temporary authorization charge, which reversed automatically a few days later.
- Refunds are automatically issued to the payment card the original Kickstarter pledge was placed with.
- If the original pledge payment method is no longer active, backers must contact the financial institution that issued the card to receive the returned funds.
- Backers outside of the United States will receive refunds equal to the $USD amount of their pledges at current exchange rates. There will be no adjustments to account for exchange rate fluctuations between the original pledge payment and the upcoming refund.
- Visit kickstarter.com/contact with any additional questions.
Current Pebble Users
Active Pebble watches will work normally for now. Functionality or service quality may be reduced down the road. We don’t expect to release regular software updates or new Pebble features. Our new mission will focus on bringing Pebble’s unique wearables expertise to future Fitbit products. We’re also working to reduce Pebble's reliance on cloud services, letting all Pebble models stay active long into the future.
One-to-one Pebble support is no longer available. Any Pebble currently out in the wild is no longer covered by or eligible for warranty exchange. Users looking to troubleshoot their Pebbles can still visit our Help Portal and community resources:
- help.pebble.com
- The Pebble Community Forum
- r/Pebble on Reddit
- If you have any other questions about Pebble’s wind-down of operations, please visit this page.
Those who ordered and received a Pebble from pebble.com are no longer eligible for return or exchange. That said, we are processing and refunding any pebble.com returns that were successfully completed with our Support team before December 7, 2016, in addition to refunding any items purchased from pebble.com which did not ship by this date.
Those who recently purchased a Pebble at retail may return their watches based on the retailer’s return policy.
Pebblers can still find replacement charging cables and other compatible accessories (bands, skins, etc.) from Amazon.com and third-party vendors like GadgetWraps and Clockwork Synergy.
Pebble Developers
Our developer community set Pebble’s wearable technology ecosystem apart from the rest. No other wearable platform was more open or gave developers more freedom to create, experiment, and delight the world with beautiful watchfaces, useful apps, and unique experiences. The Pebble Dev community set out to Make Awesome Happen, and they accomplished that beyond our wildest dreams.
Fitbit wants to Make Awesome Happen, too. Pebble’s successful approach to third-party wearable development is undeniable, and Fitbit is welcoming our expertise in this space wholeheartedly.
Developers have an exciting opportunity to reach and delight over 50 million users and counting. The Pebble talent joining Fitbit will help the company accelerate the launch of tools and resources devs need to enhance future Fitbit products with experiences that can take wearables to new heights of utility and appeal. If this opportunity excites you too, join us for the ride! The Pebble Developer Blog has more detail on how we're bringing Pebble's expertise in this realm to Fitbit.
Until Next Time <3
Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to each and every Pebbler for making awesome happen with us over the years. Our community is vibrant. Our community is passionate. You are what made Pebble special and worth fighting for, every second of every day.
We will always remember the love you showed Pebble, through thick and thin.
Until we meet again, share your thoughts and favorite Pebble moments on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit with #pebbleXfitbit ✌️
Martin Kristensen just now
Ah, didn't realize the VAT wasn't paid yet:
'An additional charge of $17.25 will be charged to your credit card ending in xxxx to cover any additional items, shipping, and/or applicable taxes. Your card will not be charged until we begin processing your shipment.'
oh well
Bruno Desclee 1 minute ago
Sad news...
It's definitely immunizing me against participating in further such technology projects on Kickstarter and also against buying any of these shit Fitbit products !!!
Beside these high considerations, why do we have to wait until March 2017 for the refund? It's insane!!!
Ozkan Altuner 1 minute ago
I want my refund, NOW
Simone B. 1 minute ago
Wow! What kind of "inculata"!
Victor Hew 1 minute ago
I can't help but to think that this kickstarter project has been an epic lie strategy to increase the valuation of Pebble!
Greg Weston
Superbacker
1 minute ago
"A smaller company that is only interested in Money and got a metric fuckton of it from Fitbit I bet."
Based on the news reports, it looks like Fitbit basically just bought Pebble for the price of their debt.
Juan Rial 1 minute ago
Instead of reducing functionality etc, how about open sourcing the app and let the community take over?
Mingming Wang 1 minute ago
what watch should I wear now?
Excited to see an update.
Disappointed to see the update.
Selva muthu 1 minute ago
I guess the $12.7 million from over 66,600 backers you guys raised will earn you a good interest for the last 10 months.. Thanks for showing your middle finger for the backers and their money
Dan Moskovitz 2 minutes ago
This is bullshit! You raised a ton of money on our faith in you and the product and then parlayed that user base into a buy out. You must have known your business model was failing before you started the Kickstarter, but you USED US to get your buy out price and company sold. You took advantage of us and I am truly offended, disheartened and pissed off.
Carlos C. 2 minutes ago
This is not only about Pebble's death, but also Kickstarter. At least for me. If a $12 million project can fail, everything can.
Anthony George 2 minutes ago
Can't believe this couldn't wait until every backer had their pledge. And not refunding the full amount paid no matter the exchange rate is criminal
Jauvane Oliveira
Superbacker
2 minutes ago
This is sad. The campaign became nothing but a way to get a 9 month interest free loan from your supporters. I was expecting to get my first Peeble gear set and develop software for it. I was specially interested in Core, which now won't see the light of the day. At least we'll get a refund, but an open communication about it throughout the last few months would have been appreciated. Refunds should be processed immediately. To be required to wait for 3-4 extra months just leaves your supporters unsupported...
Bill 2 minutes ago
Fitbit is cheap & unreliable. Gone through 3 while pebble steel going strong all that time. Pebble team you suck! Kickstarter can't be trusted either now. Guess I go to Samsung wearable. Pissed off but more DISAPPOINTED.
Dave Cross 2 minutes ago
So very disappointing. And given the way that the pound has dropped against the dollar over the last few months, I'll only be getting about 80% of my money back :-(
Jim Tetrick 2 minutes ago
December 7th, 2016 is a day which will live in infamy...
Really, Pebble? You couldn't negotiate ANY continuing development for expectant supporters? Are FitBit such a$$holes that they want to throw away all of these potential customers? Because, with this announcement I am surely not inclined to support or purchase any FitBit products that may emerge from the Pebble IP acquisition.
Greg Weston
Superbacker
3 minutes ago
"What Pebble should do is open source all of the software ...."
Fitbit's buying the software. Don't hold your breath on that being open source.
Rodrigo Contreras Barrientos 3 minutes ago
Una Vergüenza tienen mi dinero hace mas de 6 meses y ahora que informan que no habrá reloj hay que esperar 3 meses mas para que me devuelvan en dinero? por si esto fuera poco mi time 2 poco a poco quedara inservible? quiero la devolución de mi dinero ahora para al menos poder comprar un reloj que me servirá de aquí en adelante.
Andy Moran 3 minutes ago
"Anyone familiar with Team Pebble knows full well: keeping quiet isn’t our style. "
Really ? A brief email in September saying shipping was delayed and then nothing till December, and then a you should get some of your money back by March unless your card has expired.
Absolutely appalling, the most poorly run kickstarter I've ever seen
Tyler Quick 3 minutes ago
I feel as through you threw away a great opportunity by being independent. I can only speak for myself, but I wish the deal was at least struck before the Kickstarter so I wouldn't have placed my money into a holding cell. I would have instead purchased a smart watch off the market as I have no interest in purchasing a fitbit. I suppose I will have to wait until I get the refund in march to purchase a proper smart watch. Meanwhile I will have to hope my first gen pebble doesn't completely kick the bucket.
Ultimately, and with an unbiased opinion I feel as though this merger was a mistake.
Ryan R 4 minutes ago
Now I have an excuse to buy an Apple Watch Series 2. It won't be the same though. I really can't understand how a company like this could go bankrupt and sell out. I bet they are kicking themselves for not taking the $700m deal from Citizen.
Nicolás Danelón 4 minutes ago
I'm so disappointed.. I'm really are.. I wanna cry :( I'll miss you guys
Andrew James Daniel 4 minutes ago
This is a very troubling thing to deal with as a long term Pebble user. After waiting for a delayed product only to get a refund months later still is terrible for any consumer. Now I have to find a new product in a sea of terrible offerings, only because you couldn't manage the business effectively. I am very deeply unhappy and I have lost a lot of respect for the brand now.
Leon Smits 4 minutes ago
What. The. Ef. :/
Passkron 4 minutes ago
"Kickstarter will refund eligible pledges by March 2017."
Seriously!! Why not now! OMG!
Patrick Inacker 5 minutes ago
That's really sad. Pebble was the only watch on the market that was not a total data miner.
I looked into fit bit a while ago.. not a watch, a data miner. Recording everything i do and uploading it to fit bit servers. No way to turn it off without making the device useless.
Very sad.
Looks like my pebble steel will need to hold up for a couple more years.
Hoze 5 minutes ago
Why to wait March for a full refund ? Are you joking ?
I ve backed some other projects where once they admit they can't acjeive, they have proceeded to an immediat full refund..
I WANT A FULL REFUND IMMEDIATLY !!!
Moreover, your last OS is a big bullshit and my current peeble time is almost not working anymore (loss of notification, ...)
Christian Olesen 5 minutes ago
This is shit - did Fitbit obtain Pebble simply to shut down the competition?? What a loss!!!!!
Calogero Mazza 5 minutes ago
Really disgusted. I paid $ 194 in June to be told that I will be repaid in March 2017. This is a scam. you shameful. Never more pebble or Fitbit. Even given away. goodbye. I want my money now. Rascals
Off a Tango 6 minutes ago
What about those of us that did a combo? I got a P2, but not PT2.... will I get a proper refund for the PT2 portion of my backing?
Yun-Fei Lou 6 minutes ago
A class action lawsuit is coming.
algadi
Superbacker
7 minutes ago
It's becoming a trend now on Kickstarter for those who raise a huge money and can't resume or deliver their product.
Alec Stretch 7 minutes ago
Hope your all very happy & have made lots of money from the buyout....leaving me out of pocket for the sum of around £200 for the best part of 12 months with nothing to show for it!
Hanif Bharmal 7 minutes ago
WTF?!
I don't know if I'm more angry or more heartbroken at this news. I love my pebble watches and al they can do and could do in the future.
Now what?
I wonder if Amazon will be holding a clearance sale
omo 8 minutes ago
Have to say the non-delivery of the Pebble 2 Time Kickstarters is not acceptable in light of what has happened. That goes against the spirit of Kickstarter.
Dustin Sterkenburg 8 minutes ago
What a shame! Such a strong community and great device being completely thrown away. Fitbit will squash this technology and do nothing more. What Pebble should do is open source all of the software and hardware designs to allow for the community to continue letting this product live on. We helped to start it, let us take it from here.
Burak Gül 8 minutes ago
Great decision Fitbit, you just lost an opinion leader and a customer.
Until now, I was recommending either a Pebble or a Fitbit to my community, depending on their needs, but I will never recommend a Fitbit device anymore.
I don't understand why you forced Pebble to cease operations instead of trying to win this many backers for the Fitbit ecosystem.
Luca Pani 8 minutes ago
I will never spend money/confidence in Fitbit. In my opinion you just died as a company/project. This is definitely a bad move from Pebble and from Fitbit. You just lost a customer, forever.
Rodolfo Schmauk Ortúzar
Superbacker
8 minutes ago
Well, that sucks! Thanks for the refund, but I wanted the Pebble time 2. I'm still wearing my original pebble from KS, and I did wanted the update. It's really a shame that you decided it was better to stop all production instead of continue with support and fulfilling your already contracted deals. I passed on several other offers for watches because I was waiting for my pebble. It's really a shame that you reached that decision. Or Fitbit. I will think it twice before backing or buying something from you or Fitbit again. And it is already December! you were supposed to be shipping Pebble time 2 by now...
Well, anyway... Thanks for the original Pebble I have enjoyed it very much. I guess I will have to keep wearing it longer than I expected.
Brayden Hauraney 9 minutes ago
Pretty sad. With me being a Canadian backer I have basically lost out on a portion of my pledge due to conversion rates. Yay I rented out nothing how fun.
Typical.. A smaller company that is only interested in Money and got a metric fuckton of it from Fitbit I bet.
Steve Reinhart
Superbacker
9 minutes ago
Your lack of solvency should have been spelled out in the Risks section of the project! You ask us to extend a warm welcome to Fitbit, are you nuts? Trashing the hardware & software ecosystem, not honoring active warranty is complete rubbish and a full piss on the heads of your community. The only extension they will get is my two middle fingers and a firm guarantee of no monetary support in the future.
Paul Webb 9 minutes ago
MARCH!!!
Tina 10 minutes ago
This news sucks for everyone - what a shame.
Along with most of these backers, I could really do with a quick return on the funds that I trustingly handed over (if we are ever likely to see it) It's already gonna be a tough xmas in my house this year. Wow. Just wow.
Stefano Ratto 10 minutes ago
You have thrown away the best wearable ever. Eric, shame on you.
Vasilis Mavroudis 10 minutes ago
This is a sad day for pebble fans and startups in general. Great products and software, and personally I feel bummed that I won't get my pebble core.
Too bad that pebble is no more, hope Fitbit adapts some of pebbles values.
Martin Kristensen 10 minutes ago
Kickstarter will do the refund? How about the VAT we paid through BackerKit?
Artur Wosiński 10 minutes ago
"keeping quiet is not in our style"
Pebble team will shut up forefer.
"[...]until we meet again"
Dunno.
Tev
Superbacker
11 minutes ago
Aw, man.
I haven't worn a watch in years and was looking forward to trying my first smartwatch. Now I'm left with the options of an Apple watch thats expensive and has to be charged every few hours, or an Android watch which is a clunky experience. Pebble seemed like a perfect middle ground of functionality and battery life. Guess I'll remain watchless. I am a fan of Fitbit but this totally sucks.
Pebble was a poster child for Kickstarter success but it's depressing that the ultimate "success" in business is to be sold so the founders can cash out.
Carlos C. 11 minutes ago
As Cuba Gooding Jr. said.... "Show me the money! Show me the money!"
Wait until March? It sounds ridiculous (and fake)
Conley Massengill 11 minutes ago
Seriously disappointing. If I wanted a Fitbit, I would have purchased a Fitbit. The third party option to wearables was the most appealing factor as I could never quite find what I wanted at the "major" players. If they were going to support the Pebble 2 (etc...) for a year or two, that I could stomach, but the complete abandonment of a current product is quite a message to it's supporters.