The Pebble smartwatch, a pioneer in the wearable tech space, is making a surprising comeback. Google has open-sourced the Pebble software, paving the way for anyone, including Pebble's founder Eric Migicovsky, to create new wearables that replicate the classic Pebble experience.

Migicovsky, who founded Pebble in 2012 and sold it to Fitbit in 2016, has been wearing his trusty Pebble Time Round smartwatch for years, despite it not receiving software updates since 2016. Instead of switching to a new smartwatch, Migicovsky decided to revive Pebble by asking Google to open-source the operating system. To his surprise, Google agreed, and the Pebble firmware is now available on GitHub.

Migicovsky is starting a new company, currently unnamed, to pick up where he left off. The plan is to release new wearables that retain the essence of the original Pebble smartwatches, including their quirky design, long battery life, and simple user experience. Migicovsky believes that there's still a market for Pebble-like devices, citing the lack of alternatives that meet his specific requirements.

The new company will operate differently from the original Pebble, with a focus on sustainability and a smaller team. Migicovsky has learned from his past mistakes, including taking investment money that changed the company's direction. This time, he's funding the venture himself and plans to keep the team small and agile.

The open-sourcing of Pebble OS also opens up opportunities for a broader community of developers to contribute to the platform. Migicovsky hopes to foster a community around Pebble OS, allowing developers to build new apps, watches, and even integrate the software into other hardware. The Pebble subreddit, which remains active despite the platform's dormancy, is a testament to the dedication of Pebble enthusiasts.

While the project is still in its early stages, Migicovsky is optimistic about the potential for Pebble to make a comeback. With Google's blessing and the open-sourcing of the software, the possibilities for innovation and creativity are vast. As Migicovsky puts it, "There's going to be the ability for anyone who wants to, to take Pebble source code, compile it, run it on their Pebbles, build new Pebbles, build new watches."

The revival of Pebble comes at a time when the smartwatch market has shifted towards health and fitness-focused devices. Google, Apple, and Samsung have all developed their own smartwatches, which are tightly integrated with their respective ecosystems. However, Migicovsky believes that there's still room for a more quirky, gadget-y approach to smartwatches, and he's willing to take the risk to prove it.

As the project unfolds, it will be interesting to see how Migicovsky's new company navigates the challenges of reviving a beloved brand. With the open-sourcing of Pebble OS, the possibilities are endless, and the future of wearable tech just got a little more exciting.