2016 has taken another fatality: Pebble. The smartwatch maker has confirmed rumours it is to be bought, with Fitbit acquiring the software and intellectual property, and leaving the hardware to die. Acquisitions happen all the time but totally ending a line of products so young - that's a little harder to swallow. A lot of people were annoyed when Facebook bought Oculus, but the hardware continued course as intended. Fitbit just paid $40 million to have one less competitor.
What's frustrating for Pebble users is that many, understandably, feel like they've been left in the lurch. Pebble confirmed that it won't be shipping the Time 2 or Core, and that support for existing Pebbles will eventually be phased out. It will be refunding unfulfilled pledges, but "by March 2017", and it won't be offering warranty support for existing models.
If there were a Simpsons scene to best sum up this moment, it would probably be this one.
Pebble users and pledgers have taken to Twitter to express their sadness, anger and all other emotions, some of which we've included below.
There were the sad sentiments
Hey team @Pebble I'll miss you so much, there are so many memories with my pebble! So thank you for everything! #pebbleXfitbit pic.twitter.com/1IDhRwBFuh
— Jessie (@kiaratuni) December 7, 2016
Bye @Pebble ! It was fun… #pebbleXfitbit
— Torsten (@dopsen) December 7, 2016
A sad day indeed. #RIPPebble #PebbleXFitbit @Pebble pic.twitter.com/rO5d7tzpVs
— Sujay Kadrekar (@sujkad) December 7, 2016
The disappointed
Really disappointed @Pebble is not fulfilling orders for the Time 2 after we've already paid for it :(
Not a fan of Fitbit.#pebbleXfitbit
— Jess Telford (@jesstelford) December 7, 2016
@Pebble Never owned fitbit or any smartwatch. Was eagerly waiting for the Time2. Sticking with my analogue watch. Good Luck #pebblexfitbit
— Dexter Caeiro (@Deextr) December 7, 2016
@Pebble @fitbit Pebble Core! There was so much potential with Amazon Alexa. Please don't abandon such a magnificent idea #pebbleXfitbit
— Charmaine Lee (@charmaine_klee) December 7, 2016
@Pebble The Pebble Time 2 and Core seemed so promising. It's sad it won't become reality. #pebblexfitbit
— Vamporace (@Vamporace) December 7, 2016
Those who are mad at Pebble
#pebbleXfitbit It feels like @Pebble sold out. I know they had struggled to sustain but to fitbit and only engineers? For real?
— Idan Bianco (@idanbianco) December 7, 2016
I've never been more disappointed in a company before. You really let us all down.#pebble #pebblexfitbit #Fitbit
— Colton Ingram (@colton_ingram) December 7, 2016
I wonder why #pebbleXfitbit wants to keep our money for 4 more months instead of refunding their loyal supporters right now!
— Christian Streil (@cStreil) December 7, 2016
"Any Pebble currently out in the wild is no longer covered by or eligible for warranty exchange." Please what? #pebbleXfitbit
— Thomas Berger (@tbe_loki) December 7, 2016
As @pebble thanks everyone for the interest-free $12.7M loan and sells out, they want us to tweet fave moments with #pebbleXfitbit .#Nope pic.twitter.com/UlsmH92hF6
— Fred Rede (@FredomRider) December 7, 2016
Those who are mad at Fitbit
Hey @fitbit, news flash: @Pebble had better hardware and design too. You're fools for leaving that on the cutting room floor! #pebblexfitbit
— Sterling B Ely (@SterlingEly) December 7, 2016
@pebble @fitbit #pebbleXfitbit Congrats fitbit, you have screwed a community and destroyed a great product
— Devid Nullito (@DNullito) December 7, 2016
Or at both...
@fitbit @Pebble After the slap in the face that is #pebbleXfitbit, I just bought an Apple Watch.
— iaDRM (@iaDRM) December 7, 2016
The ones with really bad timing
#pebblexfitbit i hope i can still publish my watchface as last gift for Pebble community ! @pebble pic.twitter.com/OZQMdWwy4b
— Jean-benoît (@SuperChevre) December 7, 2016
Just purchased a pebble 2... Thanks fitbit, not #pebblexfitbit #neverfitbit pic.twitter.com/FboEnuKBsI
— alirandali (@ali_randali) December 7, 2016
And those who are feeling ALL the emotions
Glad we received our Kickstarted Pebbles. Sad that Pebble has gone. Annoyed that we are now warranty-less. #pebblexfitbit
— Karin Belanger (@ScalliwagToys) December 7, 2016
But some are optimistic for what's ahead
Gonna miss @pebble smart watches. However it's time for a new chapter with @pebble and @fitbit I hope #pebble loves on in #pebblexfitbit pic.twitter.com/iCivPnPOSE
— Drew (@DrewWellar) December 7, 2016
Delighted to see @Pebble and @fitbit together #pebblexfitbit. Now (hopefully) I can challenge all #FitBit friends with my #Pebble. #GetReady
— Gaurav Johari (@GauJ) December 7, 2016
Hey @fitbit if you make a Fitbit that's as comfortable as the @Pebble Time, with colour display, I'd buy it. Just saying. #pebbleXfitbit
— Shareba (@InSearchOfYummy) December 7, 2016
Congratulations on the acquisition, @Fitbit! I'm definitely excited to see what comes out of #PebbleXFitbit!
— Zach Laidlaw (@ztlaidlaw) December 7, 2016
How we test
By Hugh Langley
Now at Business Insider, Hugh originally joined Wareable from TechRadar where he’d been writing news, features, reviews and just about everything else you can think of for three years.
Hugh is now a correspondent at Business Insider.
Prior to Wareable, Hugh freelanced while studying, writing about bad indie bands and slightly better movies. He found his way into tech journalism at the beginning of the wearables boom, when everyone was talking about Google Glass and the Oculus Rift was merely a Kickstarter campaign - and has been fascinated ever since.
He’s particularly interested in VR and any fitness tech that will help him (eventually) get back into shape. Hugh has also written for T3, Wired, Total Film, Little White Lies and China Daily.