Pebble founder defends 30-day warranty amid hardware concerns
The revived smartwatch maker has replaced 330 units out of 19,000 sold due to front glass cracking, but warns customers the devices are not “perfectly polished” and may not offer long-term durability guarantees.
Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky has defended the company’s 30-day warranty on its new e-paper smartwatches, stating the policy is rooted in consumer trust rather than a lack of support. The company is addressing reports of hardware issues, specifically front glass cracking on the Pebble Time 2, having already replaced 330 units out of over 19,000 sold. Migicovsky explained that the short warranty reflects the company’s current scale, noting they lack the extensive supply chains and global store networks of larger consumer product companies to guarantee long-term support.
Migicovsky revived the Pebble brand early last year after the original company ceased operations in 2016. The new generation of Pebble watches retains the aesthetic of the originals but features updated technology, including larger e-paper displays. The Pebble Time 2 has a battery life of approximately 30 days, which coincides with the length of the warranty period. Migicovsky described the relaunch as a “grassroots, bottoms-up” effort driven by passion for the product rather than corporate infrastructure.
The company is considering offering replacement parts to enable do-it-yourself (DIY) repairs for customers. Migicovsky stated that an “immensely small percentage” of watches have experienced glass cracking issues. He emphasized that offering free replacements is currently sustainable for the company, noting it is “no skin off our back whatsoever” to address these isolated incidents directly.
Pebble had previously warned customers that the watches are not “perfectly polished” and that durability may not meet the expectations of all users. In its announcement for the Pebble 2 Duo and Pebble Time 2, the company advised buyers not to purchase the devices if they require a “perfectly polished smartwatch,” adding that “things could not last as long as you’d like.”
The company plans to continue replacing cracked units for free for the time being, but intends to shift to offering discounted replacements at some point in the future. However, Migicovsky has not provided a specific timeline for when this transition will occur. It remains unclear how the DIY repair parts programme will be implemented or when it might become available.
